Make Ahead

Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Fava Beans

by:
June 24, 2021
4.8 Stars
Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Fava Beans
Photo by James Ransom
Author Notes

A mix of bright, crunchy green vegetables and hearty buckwheat noodles, this recipe is perfect for a light spring dinner. —Gena Hamshaw

  • Serves 6
Ingredients
  • 1 cup fresh fava beans, shelled, blanched in boiling water, and waxy coating removed
  • 1 1/2 cups asparagus, chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets
  • 10 ounces buckwheat soba noodles
  • 1 cup shredded carrot
  • 2 scallions, sliced
  • 6 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons avocado or walnut oil (you can substitute olive oil as well)
  • 1 clove finely minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon crushed fresh ginger
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
In This Recipe
Directions
  1. Fit a pot of boiling water with a vegetable steamer. Steam the fava beans, asparagus, and broccoli till slightly tender and bright green (about 2 minutes). Quickly rinse under cool water to preserve color and crunch, and set aside.
  2. Whisk the vinegar, syrup, sesame and avocado oil, garlic, ginger, tamari, and lime juice together to make the dressing. Set aside.
  3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook soba noodles according to package instructions. When the noodles are ready, drain them and transfer them to a large bowl.
  4. Mix the steamed vegetables and raw carrots and scallions with the noodles. Dress the noodles generously (you may have a little dressing leftover). Allow them to sit for an hour or two before serving. You can add a few more tablespoons of dressing before you serve.
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  • milowa
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  • LynneT
    LynneT
  • gabsimonelouise
    gabsimonelouise
  • B. A.
    B. A.
Gena Hamshaw
Gena is a registered dietitian, recipe developer, and food blogger. She's the author of three cookbooks, including Power Plates (2017) and Food52 Vegan (2015). She enjoys cooking vegetables, making bread, and challenging herself with vegan baking projects.

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12 Reviews

Sarah
Sarah March 21, 2016
Made this tonight for dinner. Yum Yum Yum
 
Llyse
Llyse January 3, 2015
Hi there,
Beautiful dish! I have made this twice now. :-) quick question, is it 100% vegan?
 
milowa
milowa June 17, 2014
I loved this my boyfriend did too! I made it yesterday. I added black sesame seeds, cilantro and red pepper flakes. Sweet, salty, tangy, crunchy...spicy.
 
Anna P.
Anna P. May 7, 2014
I'd like to make it in advance and serve tomorrow. Anyone try it?
 
gabsimonelouise
gabsimonelouise May 7, 2014
I have done that but kept the noodle & vegetable mixture separate from the dressing! Put some oil on the noodles before storing them so they don't stick together. Then mix in the dressing right before you serve! The noodles do tend to soak up some of the dressing if you store it all together overnight, making the dish less flavorful...that's what I've found.
 
Jen W.
Jen W. March 22, 2014
Thank you! I really enjoyed this. I added a fried egg on top for some protein and added some cilantro and gomasio to top it off. I will definitely make this again.
 
LynneT
LynneT March 10, 2014
I haven't made the salad yet, but the DRESSING is DIVINE! Will make the entire salad very soon.
 
gabsimonelouise
gabsimonelouise June 30, 2013
This was such a refreshing noodle salad! I love asian-flavored noodle salads and this one hit the spot. Nice job!
 
B. A.
B. A. May 4, 2013
I love soba, and always eat cold, zaru soba, in the summer - and will try this fusion dish too. Wether you intend to eat your soba hot or cold they are vastly improved by rinsing them well in cold water after boiling. (This is always done in Japan, and you simply plunge them in boiling water after rinsing if you intend to eat them hot). You can also save a bit of the cooking water for a very healthy drink. (either hot or cooled)
 
Author Comment
Gena H.
Gena H. May 5, 2013
How interesting! Thanks for the tip!
 
doreenlamoureux
doreenlamoureux May 3, 2013
I am trying this out tomorrow. Thanks for the new recipe. T
 
Christina @.
Christina @. May 2, 2013
While I do prefer noodles hot, I agree that this sounds like a fresh, light dinner-will have to give it a try. One of my teenage daughter's favorite dinner is rather similar to this in that there's fresh veggies and an uncooked dressing that is mixed in with the soba noodles (and she eats it at school the next day, cold.) Spicy soba noodles with Chicken and Peanut Sauce http://christinascucina.blogspot.com/2012/03/spicy-soba-noodles-with-chicken-and.html