Soba Noodle and Pine Nut Salad

Fresh and vibrant soba noodle and pine nut salad! With crisp greens topped with soba noodles, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, pine nuts and a dreamy lemon dressing. Gluten free and vegetarian with dairy free / vegan option.

Soba Noodle Pine Nut Salad on a white plate with a fork to the side.

You know those restaurants where you just order the exact same thing over and over and over?  

And you actually have no idea if the rest of the food is even any good because you stick to the same dish every single time you go?

So that’s me with this one particular restaurant down the street from our house.  

While I usually branch out and try new things, I am completely stuck on this one salad from their menu.  I order it every. single. time.  No exceptions.

A Cold Soba Noodle Salad on a white plate.

According to my husband the rest of the food is totally fine, although nothing to write home about, so I figured it was time to recreate something similar at home.  

So here it is.  

And guess what?  I’m of course completely stuck on this version too.  We’ve had it a few too many times over the last couple of weeks.

Crispy greens topped with soba noodles and a whole pile of toppings – like feta, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and cucumbers.  

And then there’s a delicious lemony vinaigrette to go along with it.

I am not one to turn down a delicious plate of piled high noodles.  Especially when I can call it a salad.

A Soba Noodle Salad on a plate with a fork twirling some noodles.

Additional Noodle Recipes You Might Enjoy:

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Soba Noodle and Pine Nut Salad | Cookie Monster Cooking

Soba Noodle and Pine Nut Salad

Yield: about 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Fresh and vibrant soba noodle and pine nut salad! With crisp greens topped with soba noodles, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, pine nuts and a dreamy lemon dressing. Gluten free and vegetarian with dairy free / vegan option. 

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup olive oil

For the salad:

  • about 8 ounces soba noodles*
  • ½ to ¾ cup crumbled feta**
  • ⅓ to ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained, patted dry and chopped
  • 1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
  • ¼ to ½ of a small red onion, thinly sliced
  • ⅓ to ½ cup pine nuts
  • about 5 ounces mixed greens
  • sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Instructions

To make the dressing:

  1. Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk vigorously until smooth. Set aside.

To make the salad:

  1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add in the soba noodles and cook until al dente (according to the package directions). Drain and then rinse well with cold water.
  2. Transfer the noodles to a medium bowl. Add in half of the dressing. Toss to combine.
  3. In another medium bowl, add the feta, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and pine nuts. Toss to combine.
  4. Add some of the mixed greens to each serving bowl. Top with some of the soba noodles and then some of the veggie mixture. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Drizzle with the reserved dressing as desired.

Notes

*To keep this gluten free - be sure to use soba noodles made entirely with buckwheat flour (many brands use a combo of buckwheat and regular wheat flour).

**To keep this dairy free / vegan - omit the feta cheese and add pitted olives to taste. Additionally, be sure to use the maple syrup and not the honey in the dressing if you're vegan.

This would also be great with some sliced chicken or another cooked protein of choice to bulk it up even more.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 235Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 265mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 6g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.