Noodle Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Chilled Noodle Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing

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Blend up a piquant carrot-ginger dressing and coat earthy, nutty soba noodles and fresh vegetables with the luscious sauce.

Andrea Nguyen

Published on April 29, 2024

Tested by

Julia Levy

Chilled Noodle Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing — Photo:
Linda Xiao / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Total Time:

25 mins

Servings:

Many Japanese restaurant salads are topped with a tangy, raw carrot-and-ginger salad dressing. Andrea Nguyen turns the popular dressing into a velvety, zippy sauce for this knockout soba salad. Cook the carrot and onion with a bit of dashi, and then blend everything together with miso, ginger, vinegar, and oil. Serve with crisp vegetables and toasted seaweed for a thrilling mélange of flavors and textures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are soba noodles?

Soba noodles are Japanese noodles made with buckwheat flour. They have an earthy, nutty taste and can be served hot or cold. About the thickness of spaghetti, they can be used in soups, stir-fry dishes, salads, and more. You can make soba noodles from scratch or purchase them. They are sold both fresh and dried; choose one or the other based on the recipe you’re using them for and your personal preferences.

Soba noodles often include a mix of wheat flour and buckwheat flour (which is neither wheat nor a grain), so check packages carefully if you need a gluten-free noodle.
What are Persian cucumbers?

Persian cucumbers are small, baby cucumbers with a thin skin that are only about 6 inches long. They barely have any seeds and have a mild flavor, much like an English cucumber.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Instant dashi granules add a layer of savory complexity to the dressing, but you can substitute kosher salt for them in a pinch. Instant dashi granules are available at most Asian grocery stores or online at bokksumarket.com. Use the leftover granules to add umami to soups, stocks, and pan sauces, or add a pinch to the cooking liquid for rice or polenta.

Suggested pairing

Serve with a full-bodied, off-dry white, such as Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis Demi-Sec.

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Ingredients

Dressing

1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons (about 1 cup)
1 cup water, divided
1 teaspoon instant dashi granules (such as Ajinomoto Hon Dashi) or 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/3 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
1/3 cup canola oil
1 (1 1/2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons white miso
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon agave syrup

Salad

12 ounces uncooked soba noodles
1 (8-ounce) bunch radishes, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
4 Persian cucumbers, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on an angle (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus cilantro leaves for garnish
2 (1/8-ounce) packages Korean toasted seaweed, torn into small pieces

Directions

Make the dressing

Bring carrots, 1/2 cup water, and instant dashi granules to a boil in a small saucepan over medium. Decrease heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer; cover and cook until carrots are fork-tender, about 5 minutes. (Most of the water will have evaporated.) Add onion; cook, stirring constantly, until just softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool 5 minutes.
Transfer carrot mixture to a blender; add oil, ginger, miso, vinegar, agave syrup, and remaining 1/2 cup water. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Season with additional instant dashi granules or salt to taste, if desired.

Make the salad

Cook noodles in lightly salted water according to package directions. Drain noodles, and return to pot; add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Swish noodles around in pot to quickly cool; drain well. Let stand until noodles are room temperature, 15 minutes.
Divide noodles evenly among 4 shallow bowls. Arrange radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and dressing evenly over noodles. Sprinkle evenly with chopped cilantro and toasted seaweed pieces. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately, using a spoon and chopsticks to stir everything together.

Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, April 2024