This delicious cold Asian Pasta Salad recipe is super addictive and incredibly easy to make! It is so bright, healthy, flavorful, and packed with beautiful Asian flavors!
The saltiness of the soy sauce, the crunch of the vegetables, and the richness of the noodles make it the perfect quick lunch, dinner, or snack!
This recipe is so flavorful—it has layers of salty, savory, and sweet flavors! Asian noodle salad is also perfect for holidays, potlucks, BBQs, and other family get-togethers. It travels well and is perfect for getting ahead of time!
I often eat this as my lunch because it keeps in the fridge all week and is so quick to spoon into a bowl. Also, it gets better and better the next day, especially after it is kept in the fridge overnight. So good!
For another delicious and quick cold recipe, see my easy cold bean salad!
Asian Pasta Salad Ingredients
The best thing about this recipe is that most ingredients are already in your fridge and pantry! For this healthy and flavorful recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- Soy sauce—For this recipe, I used soy-free soy sauce, but feel free to use your favorite.
- Sesame oil– The sesame oil in this recipe is so flavorful and adds that perfect Asian flavor!
- Peanut butter– This recipe can use peanut butter powder, peanut butter, or almond butter, and it will taste amazing!
- Rice wine vinegar —Rice wine vinegar adds the perfect bright sweetness to this Asian noodle salad. You can substitute white wine vinegar if you do not have rice wine vinegar.
- Honey—I used honey in this recipe, but you can also use maple syrup, agave nectar, or brown sugar.
- Peppers—Use your favorite colorful peppers for this recipe, and be sure to slice them super thin!
- Green onions—If you do not have green onions or scallions, substitute thinly sliced onions.
- Red cabbage—You can also use regular, thinly sliced cabbage if you don’t have red cabbage.
- Carrots—I used shredded carrots for this recipe and highly recommend them, but you can also use a peeler to make carrot ribbons.
- Noodles—Use your favorite pasta or noodles! I used a higher-protein pasta for this recipe, but you can also use soba noodles or rice noodles!
- Optional: Top with toppings like sesame seeds, garlic powder, or sriracha!
See recipe card for additional details and quantities.
Step-by-Step Video for Cold Asian Pasta Salad
Step-by-Step Instructions
For the full instructions and measurements for making this delicious recipe, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
Use the following step-by-step instructions for how to make this delicious cold Asian pasta salad recipe:
Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, rice wine vinegar, and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix until fully combined.
Add your cooked and drained pasta, shredded carrots, sliced red cabbage, bell pepper, and diced scallions.
Toss all ingredients together until all ingredients are fully incorporated in the Asian dressing.
Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Then enjoy!
Hint: To make this recipe even quicker, feel free to use prepared coleslaw mix! It already includes pre-shredded cabbage and carrots and would make this recipe even easier to whip up!
Asian Pasta Substitutions
This Asian recipe is so versatile. While this recipe is naturally vegetarian, it allows for many substitutions and is fully customizable for any diet:
- Gluten-free – substitute with gluten-free pasta or rice noodles instead of soba noodles or regular pasta noodles!
- Vegan: Instead of honey in this recipe, use maple syrup, date syrup, or agave nectar as a vegan-friendly sweetener.
- High-protein—This recipe would be perfect with adding grilled chicken or shrimp, or you can use a high-protein pasta!
For another delicious Asian recipe, see my fried shrimp wonton appetizer recipe!
Cold Asian Salad Variations
This recipe is easily customizable with multiple variations of serving suggestions and optional ingredients.
Feel free to use the following variations:
- Spinach
- Bean sprouts
- Bok choy
- Mint
- Parsley
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Chicken
- Shrimp
- Sriracha
You could also add beans like Edamame to this Asian salad! For another cold salad recipe, see my Cold Bean Salad Recipe!
Equipment
The best part about this recipe is that the only equipment required is one large mixing bowl! How easy is that!
Optional equipment: Storage containers, mason jars, or serving spoons. I love to store this Asian pasta salad in bento boxes for easy lunches for the week, mason jars for gifts, or large bowls for serving at dinner!
Storage
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 5-7 days. This recipe gets better and better after being stored in the fridge overnight. It’s perfect for a quick supper side dish or easy lunch!
This delicious recipe can hold up to freezing in an air-tight container for up to 3 months!
Top tips
- I love to store this cold salad in bento boxes for easy lunches for the week, mason jars for gifts, or large bowls for serving at dinner!
- For this recipe, feel free to use prepared coleslaw mix to make it even quicker! It already includes pre-shredded cabbage and carrots and would make this recipe even easier to whip up!
- This recipe gets better and better after storing in the fridge overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can eat Asian noodles hot or cold, but traditionally, they are consumed chilled. Asian noodles are very versatile and delicious both hot and cold.
While all pasta noodles can be eaten cold, Asian noodles, which consist of soba, rice, and ramen, are traditionally consumed chilled.
Asian noodles or cold pasta salads typically go great with cold noodles! The noodles absorb all Asian flavors and are typically paired with vegetables and various protein sources.
Related
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Easy Cold Asian Pasta Salad Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Medium saucepan For cooking the pasta
- 1 Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Asian Noodle Salad
- 6 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 Tsp Sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp Honey or your preferred sweetener
- 1 Tbsp Rice wine vinegar
- 4 Tbsp Peanut butter powder or your favorite nut butter
- 4 Cups Pasta or your favorite Asian noodles
- 4 Scallions diced
- 1 Bell pepper sliced thinly
- 2 Cups Red cabbage Thinly sliced
- 2 Cups Carrots Shredded
- 1 Tsp Sriracha Optional
- 1 Tsp Garlic powder Optional
Instructions
Asian Noodle Salad
- Preheat a medium pot filled 2/3's of the way with water to a boil. Add your desired noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Slice your red cabbage and bell pepper thinly. Set aside. Prep your shredded carrots and dice your scallions. Set aside.
- Whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, rice wine vinegar, and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix until fully combined.
- Add your cooked, and drained pasta, shredded carrots, sliced red cabbage, sliced bell pepper, and diced scallions.
- Toss all of the ingredients together until all ingredients are fully incorporated in the Asian dressing.
- Store in the fridge until read to serve. Then enjoy!
Made this at home. was great for lunchtime and tastes great!