share

Chilled Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salmon Salad

by
On Annie's Menu Chilled Soba Noodle Salmon Bowl

A blend of chilled soba and cucumber noodles tossed in an easy Asian ginger lime marinade all topped off with an easy seared salmon: this Chilled Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salmon Salad is the best!

Jump to Recipe

It may be only May 20th, but I’m totally in summer mode. I mean, it was 91 degrees today in Virginia. That’s above the average temperature in July here!! Still, I’m not complaining…I do enough complaining about the cold to ever whine about the heat. That being said, all this heat has me craving something cold and refreshing. And, although I love a good summer veggie dish, sometimes I need something a little more substantial for dinner… ya know? That’s where this Chilled Salmon Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salmon Salad comes into play! Hearty enough for a well rounded dinner, yet light and refreshing enough for these hot summer days… this dish is perfect!

the breakdown…

This Chilled Salmon Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salmon Salad starts off by making a super simple ginger lime marinade. Besides just being delicious, this marinade is made extra special by acting as both the marinade for the salmon AND the dressing for your salad! In making this recipe, I knew I wanted to pack in as much flavor as possible, but I didn’t want to have to deal with making a dressing, a topping, a marinade, etc… It’s just so much easier when you only have to make one marinade component for the whole dish! Thus, I went with a 2 in 1 situation with this easy ginger lime marinade, making this Chilled Salmon Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salmon Salad honestly one of the easiest recipes on the blog.

A blend of chilled soba and cucumber noodles tossed in an easy Asian ginger lime marinade all topped off with an easy seared salmon: this Chilled Salmon Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salmon Salad is the best!

that marinade…

This marinade may be a 2 in 1, but it definitely does not lack in flavor. With a liquid base of lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar, this marinade really is very much similar to your traditional Asian marinade. But, with some chili paste and honey for a little sweet and spicy action, this is taken to a whole different level. Plus, the addition of the intense amount of ginger and garlic gives this marinade the perfect kick that just tingles the tip of your tongue… so good! 

Make sure you remember to divide your ginger lime marinade in half, as you’ll definitely want it for later. Meanwhile, while your salmon is marinating, you can make the rest of the dish. The great thing about salmon, or, really, any fish is that it requires very little marinade time. In fact, you don’t want to marinate it for very long, as the acid will eventually make it rubbery! 45 minutes is the sweet spot, but anywhere from 30-60 minutes will be good! 

the salad!

Once you have your salmon all squared away marinating, you can get right to prepping the rest of the ingredients. The salad itself calls for a base of soba noodles and cucumber noodles. I love this combination, as the soba noodles bring in some heartless and earthy tones, while the spiralized cucumber “noodles” bring in some freshness and a nice crunch. The perfect duo! I spiralize my own cucumber in this spiralizer, but you can totally buy them at the grocery store. Or, you could also substitute the cucumber noodles for zucchini noodles, or even just thinly sliced cucumber.

To that base, toss in some sliced scallions and grated carrots. These really just act as a nice crunch and some extra flavor in this Chilled Salmon Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salmon Salad. You could also totally add in some sliced red bell peppers or red cabbage. Go with what you love!

all the fresh herbs!

After that, go ahead and toss in the cilantro and mint. These fresh herbs are truly my favorite, as they bring so many bright flavors into the dish. If you are an anti-cilantro person, go ahead and substitute the cilantro with fresh chives. Just don’t skip the herbs!!

Lastly, don’t forget that tahini paste! Although optional, the tahini brings in a nice touch of creaminess to the Chilled Salmon Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salmon Salad, but also carries in a nice Asian bite. Tahini is basically just ground up sesame seeds, so the Asian flavors carry in very nicely with this little addition. Yes, it’s an extra addition, but I definitely recommend it if you are a tahini fan like me!

the salmon strategy…

Next up, all there is to do is toss in those peanuts and sear up your salmon! Salmon can be made numerous ways. I included two methods in this recipe because I just couldn’t help myself. I always like to start off salmon with a nice sear. But, if you’re feeling extra, and really want that “restaurant-quality” finish, I recommend NOT  flipping your salmon, and transferring your skillet to the oven to finish cooking it off. This gives your salmon the opportunity to build up a nice crust… but, again, searing it all the way through on the stove is delicious, too. I go more in depth on my approach to salmon in these posts: Seared Salmon with Avocado Caper Herb Salad, Skillet Salmon Puttanesca, and Seared Salmon with Smashed Peas.

when to serve this up!

Once you have your salad good to go, and your salmon all seared up, all there is to do is eat! This Chilled Salmon Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salmon Salad can be served for pretty much any occasion. It has tons of vegetables and nutrients for a healthy weeknight dinner, but is also impressive enough to serve up to guests. Better yet? Make it for meal prep and eat it for lunches throughout the week! If you don’t toss the noodles in the dressing ahead of time, this dish will last well in the fridge. 

Whenever you make this Chilled Salmon Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salmon Salad, I hope you love it as much as I do! Let me know in the comments below:)

Chilled Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salmon Salad

Recipe by Annie PatrickCourse: Main Course, Bowl, Fish, SaladCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Marinate time

30

minutes


A blend of chilled soba and cucumber noodles tossed in an easy Asian ginger lime marinade all topped off with an easy seared salmon: this Chilled Salmon Cucumber and Soba Noodle Salmon Salad is the best!

Ingredients

  • ginger lime marinade:
  • 2 limes, juiced

  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 3 tsp sesame oil

  • ¼ cup soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp honey

  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar

  • 1 tbsp chili paste (or sriracha)

  • Freshly grated black pepper, to taste

  • 3 tbsp + 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 4 salmon fillets (1.5-2 lbs)

  • salad:
  • 2 tbsp tahini paste, optional*

  • 8 oz buckwheat soba noodles, prepared according to package

  • 2-3 cups spiralized cucumber*

  • 6 scallions, sliced

  • ½ cup carrots, grated

  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, finely diced

  • ¼ cup fresh mint, finely diced

  • ¼ cup peanuts, toasted and finely diced

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the lime, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, chili paste, and black pepper. Pour half of the mixture into a freezer bag with 3 tbsp of the olive oil. Add the salmon to the bag and allow it to marinate for 30-60 minutes.
  • Whisk the remaining half of the marinade with the tahini. Then, in a large bowl, toss it with all of the salad ingredients. Place in the fridge to chill while you cook the salmon.
  • After the salmon has marinated, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the salmon fillets and sear for about 4-5 minutes on each side. (Alternatively, you could sear the salmon for 2-3 minutes on one side, then, without flipping, transfer the skillet to the oven at 425 degrees for 5-6 more minutes).
  • Serve up your cucumber soba noodle salad with a fillet of salmon, and more fresh herbs and sriracha, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Tahini is sesame seed paste. It is easily found in a jar in most grocery stores, typically near the hummus, the jarred olives, or the canned vegetables. 
  • I spiralize my own cucumber with a spiralizer, but you can totally buy them at the grocery store. Or, you could also substitute the cucumber noodles for zucchini noodles, or even just thinly sliced cucumber.
  • If you don’t like cilantro, you can easily substitute it for equal an amount of fresh chives. 
Tags:
On Annie's Menu
Close Cookmode