Peanut Slaw with Soba Noodles
A healthy Asian slaw made with cabbage, carrots and soba noodles (optional), tossed in a bold peanut-sesame sauce.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
I’m re-introducing one of my all-time favorite recipes today! It’s a colorful slaw with tender soba noodles, tossed in sesame-ginger peanut sauce. Need I say more?
Ok, I’ll tell you more about it. It’s packed with nutritious vegetables, including carrots, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. This slaw is crunchy and satisfying, filling and full of flavor.
This recipe can satisfy your main-meal cravings (it packs great for lunch), or it can make a statement side dish. It’s easily made vegan and/or gluten free, making it an all-star potluck option.
This slaw is made with more vegetables than noodles, so it’s nice and light. I tend to get snacky when I’m feeling anxious or unsettled, so I’ve been taking a fork to this slaw in those moments. Chomp chomp chomp!
How to Make Peanut Slaw with Soba Noodles
Some tips before you get started:
This slaw is quite simple to make if you have the right tools. You can easily shred the vegetables in a food processor with the shredding and grating attachments. (Here’s my food processor/that’s an affiliate link.)
To make this slaw extra pretty for its photo shoot, I used my julienne peeler to shred the carrots into ribbons. Another option? I bet you could also use your spiralizer on the carrots and cabbage.
Shortcut option: This recipe is really easy to make if you want to buy pre-shredded vegetables and mix them in with the soba noodles. You’ll need about eight cups.
Watch How to Make Peanut Slaw with Soba Noodles
More Recipes to Enjoy
Craving more savory, peanutty recipes? Check out these recipes:
- Colorful Veggie Sesame Noodles
- Crunchy Thai Peanut & Quinoa Salad
- Mango “Burrito” Bowls with Crispy Tofu and Peanut Sauce
- Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Peanut Soba Noodle Bowl
Please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments! I always love reading your feedback.
Peanut-Sesame Slaw with Soba Noodles
Healthy Asian slaw made with cabbage, carrots and soba noodles, tossed in a bold peanut-sesame sauce. This slaw recipe is very flexible—feel free to omit the noodles and/or brussels sprouts and buy pre-shredded slaw mix for easier preparation (you’ll need about 8 cups slaw mix). Recipe yields 4 generous servings or 8 side servings.
Ingredients
Slaw
- 4 ounces soba noodles or whole wheat spaghetti
- 1 very small purple or green cabbage, sliced into quarters and core removed (about 16 ounces/6 cups shredded)
- ½ pound (about 12) Brussels sprouts, nubby ends removed, or additional cabbage (about 2 cups shredded)
- 4 carrots, peeled
- 1 bunch of green onions, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds
Peanut-sesame dressing
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or other soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
Garnish
- Sprinkle of coarsely chopped peanuts
- Handful of cilantro, coarsely torn
- 1 lime, sliced into wedges
- Optional, for spice lovers: sriracha or chili-garlic sauce
Instructions
- Cook the soba noodles: Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water before returning to pot.
- Prepare the vegetables: This is easier in a food processor than by hand. If using a food processor, shred the cabbage and sprouts with the slicing disk, then grate the carrots using the grating disk. Or use a chef’s knife to chop the cabbage and sprouts into thin strips, then coarsely grate the carrots.
- Prepare the dressing: In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth. If the mixture should be thick but drizzly; if it’s too thick, whisk in water in 1 tablespoon increments until it is (at which point you might need to add a little salt, to taste, since the flavors have been diluted.)
- In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked soba noodles, shredded cabbage and sprouts, grated carrots, and chopped green onions. Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat (you may or may not need all of the dressing). For best flavor, let the slaw marinate for 20 minutes before serving.
- Serve slaw with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts, torn cilantro and a lime wedge. Serve with sriracha on the side, if you’d like a spicy kick. This slaw keeps very well for a few days (covered and refrigerated). Before serving, wake up the flavors with a dash of lime juice or vinegar and more fresh cilantro.
Notes
Recipe adapted from River Cottage Veg.
Make it gluten free: Either omit the noodles or buy certified gluten-free soba noodles. You might also have good results with a firm gluten-free spaghetti, like a corn and quinoa variety. Be sure to use tamari (check the label to make sure it’s gluten free) instead of regular soy sauce, which is not gluten free.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey.
Halve it: This makes a whole lot of slaw! Feel free to halve the recipe by buying about 4 cups prepared slaw mix and roughly halving the dressing ingredients.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I was looking for easy, vegetarian recipes, for lazy people who would love to eat larger quantities of vegetables, and I just knew that I will find something perfect on your blog. All it requires is chopping, putting pot of water on the stove, and mixing the sauce. Crunchy veg is crucial, and I love that it’s cabbage and carrots, the simplest ingredients to find in the shops. I love extra popping action, so I sprinkle it with loads of sesame seeds. Thank you for this beautiful salad recipe.
Absolutely delicious, thank you!
Holy smokes!!! That is delicious . Just made it and I’m going to grill a piece of salmon to go with it. Yum!
This was amazing! I tweaked the ratio a bit for more noodles and less (but still lots of) veggies because I’m a carb fiend, and added some pan fried tofu for protein. The sauce is so yummy.
I made this Soba Peanut Slaw recipe for the first time yesterday and was pleasantly surprised that we all enjoyed the meal! The kids (9 & 12) are beginning to be fussier about everything but not last night. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Delicious!! Bought a bag of kale salad from Costco, added the shredded carrots and used all the dressing. It’s such a refreshing change for spring! Shook some red pepper flakes on it with a shot of tiger sauce. SOME LIKE IT HOT! Very good
This was so delicious!! I will definitely make this again. We loved it.
The only variations to the recipe I made were to add 1 teaspoon of garlic chili paste and a bit of lime juice directly to the dressing before mixing everything. I sautéed tofu and added it on top to increase protein and make it a full meal. The sauce is amazing and definitely could be used as a dipping sauce for other recipes. I loved that it had lots of fiber from the veggies (I also added some shredded kale I had leftover) and TONS of flavor!
Thank you for this great recipe!!
Thank you for sharing your variation, Rose!
Hi Kate – we buy the nut butter from Costco. Do you think the recipe would be equally tasty if I subbed the nut butter for peanut butter? Or should stick with peanut butter on this one? Thanks!
Hi! If you can do peanut butter, I highly recommend it.
This looks super yum for work! I’m allergic to peanuts and almonds; would raw cashew butter be a suitable substitute?
Hi! You could try it. Let me know what you think, Celia.
Lovely salad! I will make a few more times this summer for sure!
That’s great, Natalie! Thank you for your review.
This is the best salad ever! So much flavour. Thank you. ❤️
You’re welcome, Wendy! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
This was fantastic. My family and you g kids gobbled it up! We kept the veggies and noodles separate and everyone combined to their liking with sauce and stir fried tofu. It was a hit! Thanks for another great healthy recipe!
You’re welcome, Alison!
Just made this recipe for the first time tonight, and it was delicious! Crunchy, savory, and not too heavy. Will be making this again very soon!
Thank you for sharing, Chole! I appreciate your review.
I just read & saved your Crunchy Thai Peanut & Quinoa Salad recipe. I saw links for more recipes & clicked on this one. The Quinoa salad has a peanut sauce that uses the same ingredients with a slight variation in quantity but basically the same recipe. This one has garlic & the Quinoa has lime juice. It there really that much difference in the two? I am trying to learn new recipes & just wondered if the slight differences in the 2 recipes mentioned makes a big difference in end result. I’m looking forward to trying them both. I also wanted to learn how to make peanut sauce & was happy to see your recipes.
Hi Laura! They were created at different times and with slightly different flavor profiles and consistency. Either could work!
Delicious as usual! I subbed sunbutter for peanut butter because of my husband’s allergy and it was delicious! Kids (3&6) devoured it and my 6 year old asked that I pack it in his lunch tomorrow! I guess we will have to fight over who gets the leftovers :) Thanks Kate
You’re welcome, Monica! I appreciate your review.
This was absolutely delicious! Like others I added some peanut flavoured tofu then also added chopped snow peas for some green colour. I ate it as meal on its own and it was perfect.
Wow! I’m writing my first ever recipe review after using online recipes for 15+ years…this recipe inspired me to do so. It’s easy, absolutely delicious AND perfect exactly as written (that never happens!). Thanks for a delicious week of work lunches!
Thank you, Julie! I’m glad you loved it.
Thank you for this beautiful salad recipe! Any idea of what will go well with it to make it a full dinner?
You can add tofu if you like or serve it along side any of these delicious recipes!
Kate – can this be made a day in advance? I was thinking this would be a good side dish for Christmas. i have 2 vegans and going to have a light meal with appetizers. this would be a great addition. but i want to make everything i can in advance to be out of the kitchen as much as possible Christmas day
Sure! Let me know what you think.
This is a regular in my make-ahead lunch rotation. I usually make it with all red cabbage and no brussels. Just the right amount of peanut butter sauce and soba noodles make eating all of the veggies such a pleasure. I tried drizzling it with sriracha for the first time this week and it was the best! For me, this makes the perfect amount for the week’s lunches and it’s a very satisfying portion. Kate, please write another cookbook exclusively for hearty salad recipes because I can’t get enough of them!
Hearty salads are my favorite too! Cookie and Kate always has the best ones. The cookbook idea is .
This recipe is amazing! I could eat it every day.
Great to hear, Lorie! I appreciate your review.
Could you use raw Sesame Oil instead of toasted Sesame Oil?
Toasted is best here. I hope you try it!
thank you so much! Yes it does taste better after letting it marinate for few hours :)
This is an excellent dish – tangy and rich. I used both red and green cabbage, because I had no Brussels sprouts. It went together easier than other similar recipes I’ve tried. And it does make a huge amount. I served half for lunch for two. I topped it with cubed, sauteed tofu. Yum.
I have never left a comment on a food blog but Cookie and Tate has it going on! I cannot believe how good this recipe was. I used chukka soba noodles which were simple and quick to cook. I also used a package of coleslaw mix to save on time. This will be going into my weekly rotation once school starts; I doubled it and my family of five devoured it. It will be a great weeknight dinner and leftover (if there are any) will work great for lunches the next day.
*need to add to the comment I just left*
This is the first recipe I have made from Cookie and Kate and I am jumping onto Amazon right now to order her cookbook. I am a huge fan!
Thank you….as always your recipes are on point and your site is not overwhelming with pop ups:)
Loved this–was torn between a noodle salad and a cabbage salad and this was both! Served with some baked tofu.
Great to hear, Laura! I appreciate your review.
Excellent recipe and very adaptable! I’ve tried a similar peanut soba noodle recipe from another popular site, and this is much, much better with a more balanced dressing! I like to add veggies I have on hand and will often cut up red pepper, snow peas, spinach and cucumbers and throw them in as a substitute for some of the cabbage. I often add some grilled chicken too. It also makes amazing leftovers. Thanks Kate!
You’re welcome, Laura! I appreciate your review.
First time trying your recipes. I love all things Asian and this looked promising. Much better than eating a whole bowl of Asian noodles…which I love to do. This is delicious!!! And I feel so healthy eating it. I literally stood at the counter tasting it. Had to make myself stop!! Thank you so much! I’m ready to try another one!
I’m excited you are trying my recipes. Thank you for sharing, Sue.
Hi , This recipe looks good! Can you please tell me if it is better served hot or cold? I am assuming you wait for the noodles to cool and serve cold?
Hi! I think it either way.
I love this salad. Made it yesterday to take to our son, making it today to take to our other son, and tomorrow for our daughter. It is a favourite of us all. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Lorie! I appreciate your review.
You warned us but I still wasn’t prepared for how much this recipe made! So many bonus lunches! Loved the crunchy cabbage and soba together, kept great in the fridge.
It’s February and I was looking for something light and deliciously different! Found it! Your recipes are always great and this was simple to make. Husband asked if I could make it biweekly. Thank you.
Long time fan, first time commenter! I felt I had to come on here and give kudos to Kate for this amazing recipe! Made it for a dinner party (along with C+K jalapeno poppers and nachos recipes) and it was a BIG hit. Received raving reviews, including from an extremely picky eater! Will definitely be making this again and again.
Thank you, Kate!!!
Wonderful to hear, PS!
I keep coming back to this recipe, I love it so much. I use whatever slaw Incredients I have on hand, love the versatility. Peanut Sauce is always a win. Great recipe! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Karen! Thank you for your review.
Your blog is my favorite, especially for main course salads! I saw this recipe on your IG post and it is delicious. I replaced the brussels sprouts with a few handfuls of (massaged) kale, added some lime juice directly into the dressing, and otherwise made it as written. Keeps really well in the fridge, and is perfect for my wfh lunch prep. It is going in my regular rotation.
Thank you for trying it, Daniela! I appreciate your review.
This recipe is one of my go-to’s. I’ve been making it for about 3 years now and I’ve made a few adjustments!
I have trouble digesting so many raw vegetables, and so I prefer to steam mine and get them a little smokey on the bottom of the pan for extra flavor. Don’t steam them for too long or the crunch will be missing. Additionally, keep vegetables separate when you are steaming in order to avoid color bleeding from the red cabbage and carrots.
I also like to add 2 tablespoons of sriracha (or more) plus chopped peanuts to the sauce for added flavor and texture. You could also use chunky peanut butter to receive the same result.
Lastly, I like to add some lemon juice or lime juice directly to the sauce. I find it helps to keep the flavors balanced and is an easy fix if you add too much of another ingredient.
Overall this recipe is delicious, healthy, and relatively cheap to make. The portions are large and it is a staple in my cooking. I highly recommend it!
That’s great to hear, Kata!
Simple to make and delicious.
This is going on the summer rotation for recipes.
Thank you.
You’re welcome, Ross! Thank you for your review.
Just made this for the 12th time. My go-to for fresh peanuty carb goodness!
This was so good and so easy with the aid of a food processor to put together! And such a beautiful dish, talk about eating the rainbow! I added 9.5 ounces of soba noodles ( the entire package) and it turned out really good!
Great to hear, Lisa! I appreciate your review.
The three tablespoons of sesame oil concerns me. Could I get away with less? I thought toasted sesame oil was supposed to be a garnish?
Hi Heather, I recommend this best as written. However, if you prefer you can try less.
I love the recipes but really really wish you had nutritional information added.
Hi Robin, all my nutritional information is below the note section. You just need to click to expand. Let me know if you are still having issues.
Amazing, amazing. We make it often, omitting the Brussels and adding some shredded pepper.
Wow, this was so yummy! I was looking for a way to use up a bunch of cabbage, and decided to give this recipe a whirl. It far exceeded my expectations; the flavours work well together and it’s a nice light meal for a hot day. I didn’t have Brussels sprouts so I shredded some broccoli, and I added pan fried tofu to increase the protein content a bit.
I will definitely make this again, thank you!
You’re welcome, Mackenzie!
Hi Kate, is this made with natural peanut butter or Jif-type?
I can’t eat peanuts…anyone tried this with almonds or pumpkin seeds or walnuts?
Otherwise, it sounds great.
Thanks,
Barbara
Yum! I doubled the soba noodles to make this into a main dish and added the lime juice and some pepper flakes to the dressing. Next time, I’ll use green cabbage instead of Brussels sprouts as they leave some tough disks when sliced in the food processor. Better yet, I’ll take your suggestion to use a prepared slaw mix. :-) I probably don’t have your kitchen whiz, but this took me about 2 hours from prep to clean-up.
Amazing. I made it with extra soba noodles and it was perfect – my new go to recipe for soba noodles with peanut sauce. Thank you!
I made this for a family bbq and everyone wanted the recipe. This is the best slaw ever.