This Asian Noodle Salad is a refreshing, flavorful pasta salad packed with tender noodles, a sweet and savory sesame soy dressing, and tons for fresh vegetables! It is the perfect option for lunch, a light dinner, or potlucks.
Upgraded Asian Noodle Salad
This Asian Noodle Salad recipe is a fresh, flavorful twist on the nostalgic cold noodle salad many of us grew up with. But just like my recipe for Homemade Ramen, this recipe ditches the packets of ramen noodles for fresher (and tastier) ingredients.
With tender noodles, crisp veggies, and a simple, but delicious, dressing, this Asian-inspired pasta salad is light, refreshing, and irresistibly delicious!
Even better? Whether you’re serving it cold or at room temperature, this cold noodle salad travels well and tastes even better the next day (hello meal-prep). It’s a dish that works in any season and pairs with everything from Grilled Teriyaki Chicken to Grilled Shrimp Skewers on a summer buffet table.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Noodles: I recommend using spaghetti noodles, as they are easy to find, inexpensive, and hold up well, not to mention a flavor that even the picky eaters approve of. For a gluten-free option, I have personally used both soba noodles and Barilla gluten-free spaghetti noodles with success.
- Vegetables: Let your palate and produce drawer guide you! I personally love using a combination of broccoli slaw, red bell peppers, and green onions. Broccoli florets, shredded carrots, sugar snap peas, steamed edamame, cucumber, bean sprouts, or shredded green or red cabbage are all great options as well.
- For the Sesame Soy Dressing: To make this sweet and savory dressing, opt for reduced-sodium soy sauce to control the sodium, toasted sesame oil for nutty undertones, fresh garlic and ginger for flavor, honey or maple syrup to sweeten, and rice vinegar to balance it all out. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes if desired for heat.
- For Crunch: Finishing the noodle salad with sesame seeds or chopped peanuts, adds a nice crunch and additional nutty flavor to the dish. Both are completely optional.
How to Make Cold Asian Noodle Salad
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Noodles. Just like all pasta salad recipes, it is best to cook the noodles in heavily salted boiling water, according to package directions. Once tender, drain, but do not rinse your noodles! Even though we are using this pasta for a cold dish, we don’t want to rinse away the starch that formed on the noodles. This will help our sauce to adhere to the noodles better.
Exception to this Rule
If you are using soba noodles or buckwheat noodles, you DO want to rinse your noodles before tossing with the dressing to remove excess starch and prevent the noodles from sticking together.
- Prepare the Dressing. While the noodles are cooking, use that time to prepare the sesame soy dressing by whisking the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Toss with Dressing. After cooking and draining the pasta, we want to immediately toss the noodles with half the sesame dressing. The warm noodles will soak up the dressing as they cool, making them SUPER flavorful. Let the noodles the sit at room temperature to cool for 10-15 minutes before adding veggies.
- Add Veggies. Once the noodles have cooled slightly, add in the vegetables and toss to coat.
- Chill Before Serving. After over the noodle salad and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, so the flavors have a chance to meld together and the noodles become cold, hence the name Cold Asian Noodle Salad.
- Top with Sesame Seeds Before Serving. I recommend topping the chilled Asian Noodle Salad with sesame seeds (or chopped peanuts) right before serving, to add some nuttiness to the noodle salad. I also love serving with sriracha on the side, available for those who crave a little heat.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerate: This Asian noodle salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freshen Up Leftovers: The noodles will soak up the dressing the longer they sit. To remedy this, mix 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and toss with your noodles to moisten if needed.
More Favorite Noodle Salads
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To prepare the dressing, whisk together ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger root, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside
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Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add a large pinch of salt and 8 ounces spaghetti noodles to the water once boiling. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Once the noodles are cooked, drain well in a colander but do not rinse the noodles.
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Add the pasta to the large bowl with the prepared dressing and toss to coat. Allow the noodles to cool slightly (10-15 minutes) before adding the vegetables.
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Add the 3 cups broccoli slaw, 1 cup thinly sliced red or yellow bell pepper , ½ cup sliced green onions, and ½ cup chopped cilantro, if using, to the noodles and toss to combine.
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Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours before serving.
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Before serving, add 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toss, and serve.
Vegetables: Use any vegetables you like in place of the broccoli slaw, bell peppers, and green onions. Broccoli florets, shredded carrots, sugar snap peas, steamed edamame, cucumber, bean sprouts, or shredded green or red cabbage are all great options as well.
Sesame Seeds: Feel free to replace with chopped almonds, chopped peanuts, or omit altogether.
Gluten-Free Modifications: To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free soy sauce (Tamari).
Vegan-Friendly: Ensure your noodles are egg-free and use agave syrup or maple syrup in place of honey.
Calories: 167kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 6gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 304mgPotassium: 297mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 852IUVitamin C: 65mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2025.
