• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers & Dips
    • Bakery Recipes
    • Bars & Brownie Recipes
    • Bread Recipes
    • Brunch & Breakfast Recipes
    • Cakes, Cupcakes & Cheesecakes
    • Cheese Recipes
    • Chocolate Recipes
    • Condiments & Sauces
    • Cookies & Crackers
    • Desserts
    • Fruit Recipes
    • Grains & Legumes
    • Muffins and Quick Breads
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Pies & Tarts
    • Readers' Favorite Recipes
  • Collections
    • Freezer Friendly
    • Heritage Recipes
    • Seasonal Recipes
      • Fall
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
    • Vintage Recipes
    • Holiday Recipes
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • St. Patrick's Day
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine's Day
  • Basic recipes
  • About this blog
    • The author
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility statement

Vintage Kitchen Notes logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe index
  • Holiday Recipes
  • Seasonal Recipes
  • Vintage Recipes
  • About this blog
  • Contact us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Pasta Recipes

    Published: Aug 10, 2020 · Updated: Sep 22, 2020 by Paula Montenegro
    Income from ads and affiliate links29 Comments

    Sesame Asian Noodle Salad

    125 shares
    Jump to Recipe
    Sesame noodle salad, long pin with text
    White plate of soba noodle salad with green beans, wooden table, image with text
    Image collage with text, soba noodle salad on white plate, orange chopsticks
    Orange chopsticks holding soba noodle salad, image with text

    This is my favorite noodle salad ever! I am a huge fan of sesame oil, and now of soba noodles. The sesame mayonnaise is a great recipe on its own and mixed with the noodles, crunchy shallots, and green beans it becomes epic. 

    Table of Contents show
    What are soba noodles?
    Sesame mayonnaise
    Toppings
    Shortcut
    Make-ahead
    Sesame Asian Noodle Salad
    Ingredients

    On a wooden table brown and white plates with noodle salad, green beans and shallots

    I don't make much Asian food, but I wanted to dip my toes further after making the Szechuan Pork with Carrots, so I thought this sesame recipe was a great compromise: some mayo, some noodles, and veggies. 

    It turned out to be much better than I expected for several reasons:

    • It keeps for a day or two in the fridge.
    • The mayonnaise can be made ahead. 
    • It's great eaten at room t° or warm. 

    Orange chopsticks with soba noodles, blurred plate with noodle salad in background

    What are soba noodles?

    Soba means buckwheat in Japanese. 

    And they are thin noodles, brownish grey in color (image below) that might have wheat flour also among the ingredients. The flavor is earthy and they are slightly slimy in a good way. 

    Turns out that buckwheat flour is gluten-free in spite of its name. So they are a great alternative for celiacs. I had used this flour before for the Peanut Butter Bread and loved it. 

    And besides, they come in the neatest, prettiest bundles ever, all tied with a cute checkered paper – how can you not want to buy them?

    Three individual portions of raw soba noodles on a wooden table

    Sesame mayonnaise

    Disclaimer: consult with a doctor before eating mayonnaise with raw egg if pregnant or giving it to small children. 

    The homemade mayo here makes this dish come together. It was such an amazingly delicious discovery! I had made mayo many times before but had never gotten past adding some garlic maybe. 

    This recipe has that golden glory that is sesame oil, with that unique and fantastic flavor. I am such a huge fan! 

    It's made in the food processor (image below) or with an immersion blender, and the only tip is adding the oil slowly. The rest takes care of itself.

    Close-up of food processor bowl with eggs and grain mustard
    Adding oil through food processor feed tube with a metal measuring cup

    White bowl with brownish mayonnaise on a wooden table

    Toppings

    I like to add chopped fresh green onions and fried shallots. 

    The latter adds some crunch that complements amazingly with the smooth dressing and the slippery pasta. 

    • Sesame seeds: of course this whole dish is ended with some seeds, and I like to lightly toast them first. Be very careful because they burn in an instant. 

    Black skillet with green beans and sliced shallots in oil

    Shortcut

    Mayonnaise: instead of making the sesame mayo from scratch, add some sesame oil, mustard and soy sauce to store-bought mayonnaise. It will also last longer. 

    Topping: use frozen veggies, whatever you like with sesame and soba noodles. Peas or broccoli maybe?

    Soba noodle salad with green beans and shallots on white plate, close-up image

    Make-ahead

    • The mayonnaise can be made a day or two ahead. It may last longer, and that depends entirely on the freshness of the eggs. Please note that we encourage you to ask a physician or nutritional expert if you have any doubts. 
    • The noodles mixed with the mayo last for two days in the fridge. 
    • The green beans can be cooked ahead of time, they last several days in the refrigerator. If using frozen it will only take minutes to defrost them in boiling water. 

    White plate with noodle salad with green beans, wooden table, colorful bowls in background

    Other recipes you might like:

    Spicy Braised Pork with Polenta
    Pork Loin with Shallot Port Sauce
    Five Spice Ginger Pork
    Chorizo Sandwich with Chimichurri
    Peanut Butter Buckwheat Chocolate Bread

    Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it. Thank you for being here, I appreciate it! Let’s connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

    If you like the recipes in this blog, consider subscribing and getting all new posts by email. As a thank you, we'll also send you a FREE recipe e-book and our Guide to Freezer Baking!

    Print
    clockclock iconcutlerycutlery iconflagflag iconfolderfolder iconinstagraminstagram iconpinterestpinterest iconfacebookfacebook iconprintprint iconsquaressquares iconheartheart iconheart solidheart solid icon
    sesame soba noodles with green beans on white plate, wooden table

    Sesame Asian Noodle Salad

    • Author: Paula Montenegro
    • Prep Time: 25
    • Cook Time: 15
    • Total Time: 40 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    • Category: Pasta
    • Method: Cooking
    • Cuisine: International
    Print Recipe
    Save Recipe Recipe Saved

    Description

    Wonderful soba noodles with homemade sesame mayonnaise and green beans.

    Disclaimer: consult with a doctor before eating mayonnaise with raw egg if pregnant or giving it to small children. 


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the sesame mayonnaise:

    • 1 egg
    • 2 egg yolks
    • 2 ½ Tbs rice vinegar
    • 2 ½ Tbs soy sauce
    • 3 Tbs good mustard (I used ancient)
    • ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
    • 1 cup olive oil
    • 1 ½ cups sunflower oil
    • 1 teaspoon sriracha or similar

    For the noodle salad:

    • ½ cup sesame mayonnaise (recipe above)
    • 4 portions soba noodles
    • ¼ cup canola or peanut oil
    • 2 cups green beans, cooked, cut into pieces (defrost if using frozen)
    • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
    • ½ cup thinly sliced green onion
    • Sesame seeds, to garnish

    Instructions

    For the sesame mayonnaise:

    1. Put egg, yolks, vinegar, soy sauce and mustard in the bowl of a food processor and process 1 minute. Or use a bowl and an immersion blender.
    2. With the machine on the lowest speed, start adding the sesame oil in a very thin stream, followed by the olive oil in the same way.
    3. Finally add the sunflower oil, gradually, but you don’t need to be so careful since the mayonnaise will have emulsified by now.
    4. Add sriracha and taste. Adjust seasonings accordingly.
    5. Keep refrigerated.
    6. Makes about 2 ½ cups.

    For the noodle salad:

    1. Cook noodles in abundant salted water following package instructions.
    2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet and add shallots and green beans.
    3. Cook for a few minutes, until most shallots are crispy. Transfer to a paper towel to drain while preparing the noodles.
    4. Rinse noodles under cold water and transfer to a bowl, or to the same pot where you cooked them.
    5. Add the mayonnaise and mix. Taste and adjust to your personal palate.
    6. Transfer to a serving platter, and top with green beans, shallots, green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

    Notes

    Mayonnaise: instead of making the sesame mayo from scratch, add some sesame oil, mustard, and soy sauce to store-bought mayonnaise. It will also last longer. The homemade version should be eaten in the first few days after making it. You can make half the recipe (easier if you use an immersion blender).

    Topping: use frozen veggies, whatever you like with sesame and soba noodles. Peas or broccoli maybe?

    Keywords: asian noodle salad, soba noodles

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @vintagekitchenblog on Instagram and hashtag it #vintagekitchenblog

    Adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins
    « Italian Pie Crust (pasta frolla recipe) with video
    Moist Carrot Pineapple Cake »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nik Sharma says

      September 18, 2013 at 6:25 pm

      I love this recipe, your sesame mayonnaise sounds delicious with the noodles.

      Reply
    2. laurasmess says

      September 17, 2013 at 4:01 am

      I've never been big on Asian food but that sesame mayonnaise sounds divine. Love your photos. The noodles actually look calming, cool and delicious (that sounds weird but it's true!). Thanks for this recipe lovely (loved the story, haha! I think I need to try curried chicken chow fan if it's good enough to eat weekly!) xxx

      Reply
    3. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says

      September 16, 2013 at 12:25 am

      Paula,
      This post totally made me smile. . loved the story. . and love the relationship you have with your local Chinese take out place! 🙂 Awesome.
      Can I tell you how happy I am to see this soba recipe on your blog?! 🙂 and this sesame mayonnaise??? OH MY GAWD. I must try this ASAP. omg, I seriously cannot wait to try this! yummmm!
      And yes. . be social. . 🙂 #alwaysagoodthing 😛

      Reply
    4. Laura Dembowski says

      September 15, 2013 at 7:47 pm

      I rarely eat Asian food because of the crazy high salt content, but I would love to make some of my own, as it's so tasty. This looks like a great dish to start with.

      Reply
    5. Amy (Savory Moments) says

      September 15, 2013 at 6:36 pm

      I love a nice plate or bowl of soba noodles, especially with sesame. This dish looks really tasty and pretty.

      Reply
    6. Kitchen Riffs says

      September 15, 2013 at 5:00 pm

      Fun story. And terrific recipe! I love sesame noodles, and this is a particularly nice version. Truly good stuff - thanks.

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Thank you for leaving a review for this recipe Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Person with apron and tray of scones

    Hi, I'm Paula!

    A baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

    More about me →

    Featured in:

    Several colorful logos on white canvas

    Fruit recipes

    • Easy Caramel Apple Dump Cake
    • Easy Homemade Blueberry Sauce (or topping)
    • Chocolate Apple Crisp
    • Easy Pear Cake
    • Almond Plum Cake
    • Best Zucchini Bread with Pineapple

    Favorite cookies

    • White Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Chocolate Walnut (or Pecan) Cookies
    • Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Sesame Cookies
    • Lemon Crinkle Cookies (with video!)
    • Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

    Footer

    About

    The author
    Privacy Policy
    Amazon Associate
    Cookie policy
    Accessibility

    Contact

    Sign Up! for emails and updates
    Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Copyright © 2020 Vintage Kitchen Notes