Chicken Soba Noodle Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing
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This Asian-inspired noodle salad is everything you want a light meal to be: wholesome, flavorful, and totally satisfying.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
Years ago, I wrote a salad column for the popular food site, Serious Eats. Among my contributions, one of the most popular was this chicken soba noodle salad. It combines soba noodles, crisp vegetables, and a punchy peanut dressing flavored with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Light yet satisfying, it’s the kind of protein-packed dish that’s equally at home on a weeknight dinner table or served in bowls for lunch, with bold flavors in every bite.
I’ve included instructions for cooking the chicken, but this recipe is also a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Soba noodles are Japanese buckwheat noodles that look similar to spaghetti. You can find them at Asian markets and most grocery stores, but if they’re unavailable, spaghetti makes a fine substitute.
More Flavorful Dishes for Easy Lunches or Dinners
Chicken Soba Noodle Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (see note)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Salad
- 10 oz soba noodles (or spaghetti)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 4 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped salted peanuts
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
For the Dressing
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1½ tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 small cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (see note)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set a rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the chicken breasts on the prepared pan. Rub the skin with the vegetable oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Begin the salad: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally so they don't stick. Drain and rinse well under cold water.
- Make the dressing: Meanwhile, in a small food processor or blender, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, peanut oil, sesame oil, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, and sugar; blend until smooth.
- Finish the salad: Remove the skin from the chicken breasts and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, toss the shredded chicken with the noodles, bell pepper, scallions, peanuts, cilantro, sesame seeds, and dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you'd like to use leftover chicken or a store-bought rotisserie, you'll need 2 cups of cooked, shredded meat.
- Check out some easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This recipe was a tremendous hit with my family. The only changes I made were using spaghetti noodles & adding in some leftover shredded carrot,cabbage ,& peas. I’ve had to make double batches of the peanut dressing because it’s that addictive.
Made this salad this evening. It was delicious! Didn’t change one thing and was thoroughly enjoyed.
I am allergic to nuts so I avoid peanut butter! What could I substitute it for? Many thanks.
Hi Vi, you could just omit the peanut butter, or if there is another type of nut-free butter that you use, you could try replacing it with that. Hope you enjoy!
I know this is really late but a little bit of tahini sauce has worked for me to substitute in savory sauces using peanut butter, like this one—tahini has that nutty flavor without the allergy risk unless you are allergic to sesame too (I have multiple kids with nut allergies). Hope this helps!
Another FANTASTIC recipe! My local grocery didn’t have soba noodles, so I used spaghetti, and my family all really loved it. I admit I was afraid I wouldn’t care for the chopped peanuts in it, but they were good. The flavors were well-balanced, and the salad was easy to put together.
Let me first start by saying that it drives me crazy when I read a review and someone says something like, “the recipe called for a French baguette but I used a frozen Totino’s pizza instead”. I did substitute shrimp for the chicken and used rice noodles because that’s what I had on hand. I made the sauce exactly as the recipe called for (with a lot less sesame oil) and was a little worried because it was a little salty – but – I trust Jenn and went for it. It was delicious and everyone loved it. This will be a part of our dinner rotation. Thanks Jenn!
Another delicious recipe which I will definitely make again. I used Eden Foods Organic Soba Pasta which is 70% wheat and 30% buckwheat. I used unsweetened peanut butter and reduced the sugar in the dressing to 2 teaspoons.
Hello Jen,
Is there an Asian Sesame Oil that you recommend? I’ve tried a couple of different ones and the flavors were over powering. If I use it, it’s just a drop or two. When I read recipes that call for tablespoons, I usually steer clear.
It could just be my palette, but I’d be willing to give it another try.
Thanks!
Hi Diana, It is strong. It’s fine to just use less and substitute peanut oil, or you can try to find a light sesame oil, which is much milder. This one is very mild (and I think it is sold at Whole Foods): http://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Naturals-Organic-Sesame-Oil/dp/B005A5JTL6
Hope that helps!
Amazing
Hi Jenn:
Any suggestions for Christmas side dishes?
Thanks,
Cynthia
Hi Cyntha, Yes, check under my recipe index under “Holidays.”
Hi Jenn:
I’ve bought all the ingredients for this amazing looking salad, however I absolutely hate cilantro, do you use a subsitute or just leave it out?
Thanks!
C
Hi Cynthia, Just leave it out — it will still be delicious 🙂