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This Asian Noodle Salad is a fresh, flavorful pasta salad loaded with tender noodles, crisp veggies, and a sweet and savory sesame soy dressing. It's easy to make, incredibly fresh, and holds up beautifully for potlucks.
Looking for more unique spins on noodle salads? Don't miss my recipes for Thai Noodles, Cold Couscous Salad, and Caprese Pasta Salad.
Cold Asian Noodle Salad at a Glance
Servings: 8-12 as side; 4 as hearty entree
Overall Time: 20 minutes of hands-on prep + 2 hours to chill
Wholesome + Allergy-Friendly: Packed with veggies, dairy-free, and easy to make gluten-free.
Kid-Friendly: The sweet sesame soy dressing and ability to use whatever veggies your family likes makes this a guaranteed winner!
Recipe Highlights
Kristen's Keys for Asian Noodle Salad
To make a cold noodle salad packed with Asian flavor, the following tips make a big difference.
- Don't rinse the noodles (with one exception). The starch helps the dressing cling to every bite. Rinsing washes that away. If using soba or rice noodles, rinse to prevent gumminess.
- Toasted sesame oil is a key ingredient in the dressing. Just a tiny bit adds rich, nutty undertones that brings incredible depth to the dressing. Just ensure it is toasted sesame oil, not light or refined.
- Dress the noodles while warm. Warm noodles absorb flavor better than cold ones. Adding SOME of the dressing while still warm will build flavor from the inside out. Adding the rest of the dressing after the noodles cool, keeps the salad a bit saucy, rather than dried out.
- Give the salad time to chill (at least 1 hour). This isn't just about temperature. The flavors settle and meld, which makes a noticeable difference.
5-Star Reader Review
I have been searching for a basic and practical Chinese noodle recipe that would appeal to all. This recipe is simply delicious! I added a few hot pepper flakes and as my Tai Mother-In-Law does some flat scrambled eggs (cooked slowly and flat like an omelet then turned on plate rolled and sliced thin)...This recipe is perfect! (you can add a touch more sweetness if you desire, yet perfect otherwise). This is my new Friday night go to vs crazy expensive take out. THANK YOU! -Helen
Notes on Ingredients
This recipe keeps things simple and versatile. Use your favorite noodles and veggies you have on hand. The dressing will pull the noodle salad together.
- Noodles: I recommend using spaghetti noodles, as they are easy to find, inexpensive, and hold up well, not picky-eater approved! Soba noodles are a great substitute.
- Vegetables: 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, and/or shredded cabbage are all great options.
- For the Sesame Soy Dressing: Made with reduced-sodium soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, garlic and ginger, it is sweet, spicy, and a bit tangy.
- Sesame Seeds/Chopped Peanuts: Optional, but adding one adds a little crunch that makes the salad feel complete.
How to Make Cold Asian Noodle Salad
Use the time the noodles are cooking to make the dressing and chop the veggies to maximize time.
Step One: Cook Noodles
Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Once boiling, heavily salt the water, add the pasta, and cook according to the package directions. Don't be shy with the salt! I add about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt for every pound of pasta, which helps to season the noodles themselves.
Step Two: Prepare Dressing
While the pasta cooks, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl or shake everything together in a lidded jar.
Step Three: Toss Noodles with Dressing
At this point, the noodles should be tender. Drain them, but do not rinse.
Place the hot noodles in a large heat-safe bowl and immediately toss the hot noodles with about half the dressing.
Then, set aside and let cool for about 15 minutes at room temperature. Adding the fresh veggies now would cause them to wilt, rather than stay crisp.
Step Four: Add Veggies
Once the noodles have cooled slightly, add in the vegetables and the remaining dressing and toss to coat.
Then, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour prior to serving. This gives the dressing time to fully absorb and the flavors to come together.
Step Five: Serve
Before serving, toss again to redistribute the ingredients. If you feel the pasta has dried-out too much, add a splash of soy sauce and rice vinegar to freshen it up.
Then, top with sesame seeds or chopped nuts right before serving for a bit of crunch.
Recipe Modifications
- Gluten-Free: Swap out the spaghetti noodles for soba noodles or your favorite brand of gluten-free spaghetti noodles. Keep in mind you will also want to use Tamari or gluten-free soy sauce, as most brands of soy sauce contain gluten.
- Vegan-Friendly: Use maple syrup or agave in place of the honey for the dressing and ensure your noodles are egg-free.
- Control the Heat: A pinch of red pepper flakes really helps to add a pop of flavor to the dressing. Feel free to increase or decrease as desired. As the recipe is written, it is a pretty mild spice level.
- Swap Out the Dressing: Feel free to swap out the sesame soy dressing for the peanut soy dressing used in my Thai Noodle Salad recipe.
Pairing Suggestions
Whether you're serving it cold or at room temperature, this cold Asian noodle salad travels well and tastes even better the next day (hello meal-prep). It's a dish that works in any season and is perfect for lunch, a picnic, a potluck or as a side dish to one of the following entrées:
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Cold Asian Noodle Salad
Video
Ingredients
For the Noodle Salad
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
- 3 cups broccoli slaw
- 1 cup thinly sliced red or yellow bell pepper
- ½ cup sliced green onions
- ½ cup chopped cilantro, optional
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional
For the Sesame Dressing
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce, or Tamari
- 2 tablespoons honey, or agave, brown sugar, or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger root
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- 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
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Once boiling, stir in ½ tablespoon of kosher salt and the noodles. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Once the noodles are cooked, drain well in a colander but do not rinse the noodles. *If you are using rice or soba noodles, you will need to rinse under cold water to prevent them from becoming gummy.
- Add the pasta to the large bowl and toss with HALF of the prepared dressing and toss to coat. Allow the noodles to cool slightly (10-15 minutes) before adding the vegetables.
- Once cooled slightly, add the broccoli slaw, sliced bell pepper, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and remaining dressing to the noodles and toss to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours before serving.
- Before serving, add sesame seeds or chopped nuts if desired, toss, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2026.
Great recipe. I added chilled shrimp. Broccoli slaw is genius. The veggie haters don’t notice all the veggies. Definitely on the lunch rotation as well as the pot luck short list
Love hearing you enjoyed, Laurie! And the idea of adding shrimp is great. Thanks for sharing.