Soba Salad with Strawberries

I found this unique recipe in the cookbook Open Kitchen by Susan Spungen, published in 2020. There is so much I love about this recipe – especially all of the flavors and colors!

The salad is really unique, with a soba noodle base, plus charred shishitos, vegetables, strawberries, and a combination of cilantro and mint. The spicy miso dressing adds that perfect amount of zing.

From the author: “To me, there is nothing more refreshing for a warm-weather lunch or dinner than a cold noodle salad. While adding strawberries to a salad like this may seem unusual, and it is, it really works. The juiciness of the berries adds a cool and sweet-tart contrast to the slight spiciness to the peppers and the salty miso dressing.”

The recipe suggests serving this fun salad cold with flank steak, which would be wonderful. Some slices of avocado would also be good in the salad. And goat cheese!

Soba Noodle Salad with Strawberries

For the dressing:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white miso
1 hot red chile, finely minced, or more to taste
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

For the salad:
1 – 8 or 8.8 ounce package soba noodles, cooked and rinsed
4 ounces shishito peppers (or substitute cubanelle or poblano)
2 Persian (mini) cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced on the bias into 1/4” thick half-moons
8 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut in half
1 small red chile, thinly sliced
2 scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped if large

Sir the vinegar, sugar, and salt together in a small bowl until dissolved. Add the miso, chile, and oil and whisk to combine; set aside.

Place noodles in a serving bowl and toss with the dressing.

Grill the shishito peppers on a hot grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until blistered and softened. Cool, then slice on a bias, avoiding the seeds.

Top the dressed noodles with the grilled peppers, the cucumbers, strawberries, chile, scallions, mint, and cilantro and mix gently to combine.

Don’t add the strawberries until just before serving.

I absolutely loved this unique salad. And how pretty this would be for a spring luncheon?!

I’d personally make a little extra dressing next time, and toss the main ingredients in it, before adding to the noodles, then top with the cilantro and mint. The cooked noodles are delicate, so I’d leave them alone, but make sure the other ingredients get dressing.

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

47 Comments

  1. Bernadette April 7, 2023 at 6:09 AM - Reply

    Mimi, this would make a perfect salad for this Spring Holiday Weekend.🐣

    • Chef Mimi April 8, 2023 at 5:23 AM - Reply

      It would!!! Happy Spring!

  2. Angie@Angie's Recipes April 7, 2023 at 6:48 AM - Reply

    Such a fun and delicious salad! I adore all the beautiful springy colours.

    • Chef Mimi April 8, 2023 at 5:23 AM - Reply

      The colors are wonderful. And the ingredients work so well together.

  3. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen April 7, 2023 at 8:42 AM - Reply

    This is my kind of salad, right of the bat, anything with soba noodles is going to draw me to the table! Looks so lovely (especially on those plates!), and that dressing is heavenly.

    • Chef Mimi April 8, 2023 at 5:22 AM - Reply

      It all turned out so well. I was really happy!

  4. terrie gura April 7, 2023 at 8:55 AM - Reply

    My mouth is watering over here; the combination of textures must be divine and your photos, wow!!!

    • Chef Mimi April 8, 2023 at 5:22 AM - Reply

      Aww thanks. I try!

  5. Carrie Tyler April 7, 2023 at 1:30 PM - Reply

    The colors are so beautiful! And I just love all of these flavors! I’ve never had strawberries with soba but definitely know I would love this!

    • Chef Mimi April 8, 2023 at 5:22 AM - Reply

      I never have either, but it’s really a fabulous combination!

  6. Mary April 7, 2023 at 2:35 PM - Reply

    Strawberries and pasta, just what I like with Japanese flavours. Lovely Summer salad.
    Thanks Mimi :))
    If I have strawberries around when I’m putting a salad together they will go in. In fact I like most any fruit in a salad.

    • Chef Mimi April 8, 2023 at 5:21 AM - Reply

      My sister and I were just talking about that last night!

  7. Nigella Eats Everything April 7, 2023 at 5:30 PM - Reply

    Wow this is so creative! Strawberries and miso are a wonderful combination! Also, thoughts on buckwheat soba noodles? When I cooked them a few weeks ago, the water turned to jelly they were so gelatinous!

    • Chef Mimi April 12, 2023 at 7:16 AM - Reply

      You have to really time the noodles and be on top of them, which is sometimes hard for me because I wander off! They act different because they’re not a grain. I treat them gently and usually toss them with a little oil first to make them less gelatinous.

      • Nigella Eats Everything April 14, 2023 at 7:35 AM

        Ah good idea, will try that next time. And yes me too, I get so distracted by other things!

  8. Pauline April 7, 2023 at 5:38 PM - Reply

    This is a perfect salad for Summer Mimi, and I would love to try the dressing, that really has me fascinated. Your presentation is just delightful, the salad looks lovely on the red plates. I would love to peruse the cookbook too. Susan sounds very clever.

    • Chef Mimi April 8, 2023 at 5:21 AM - Reply

      It’s a great cookbook. Nothing terribly redundant in it.

  9. sherry April 7, 2023 at 11:28 PM - Reply

    this sounds very tasty and refreshing and it’s so colourful! One of my fave salads is a watermelon and fetta salad and this sounds like it would be equally interesting.

    • Chef Mimi April 8, 2023 at 5:21 AM - Reply

      Watermelon is such a great fruit to add to salads!

  10. Tandy | Lavender and Lime April 8, 2023 at 12:37 AM - Reply

    I might make the dressing as a dipping sauce. It all looks very good :)

    • Chef Mimi April 8, 2023 at 5:20 AM - Reply

      It was! And it all worked really well together!

  11. neil@neilshealthymeals.com April 8, 2023 at 12:57 AM - Reply

    It’s only in the last few years that I started trying out adding strawberries into salads and they really do bring salads right out in flavour. Can’t wait to try this one. Thanks Mimi!

    • Chef Mimi April 8, 2023 at 5:20 AM - Reply

      Watermelon works really well too!

  12. Jeff the Chef April 8, 2023 at 12:22 PM - Reply

    That really is a beautiful salad. I can only imagine how great it must taste!

    • Chef Mimi April 8, 2023 at 12:47 PM - Reply

      I was so happy that it was even better tasting than it looked!

  13. Ann Coleman April 8, 2023 at 6:41 PM - Reply

    Any salad with strawberries has to be good.

    • Chef Mimi April 9, 2023 at 5:52 PM - Reply

      Yes! I’d have to agree with you! As long as they’re in season.

  14. Debra April 8, 2023 at 9:58 PM - Reply

    I love this recipe! I enjoy serving the Soba noodles, and look for new ways to use them. I think I might really enjoy this particular cookbook, too. All I can say is “Yum!”

    • Chef Mimi April 9, 2023 at 5:51 PM - Reply

      I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this cookbook. And this recipe is fabulous!

  15. thatskinnychickcanbake April 9, 2023 at 11:26 AM - Reply

    What a gorgeous salad!! I have those same red plates….think it means they need a salad topper, too!!

    • Chef Mimi April 9, 2023 at 5:50 PM - Reply

      They do! Love my plates.

  16. David Scott Allen April 10, 2023 at 5:37 PM - Reply

    Definitely some good flavors in here! I’m not terribly fond of strawberries and salad — and I don’t know why because I’m rather fond of many other fruits in my salads. We humans are quirky if nothing else.

    • Chef Mimi April 10, 2023 at 6:50 PM - Reply

      I’m quirky about fruit in salads that is OUT OF SEASON!!! But otherwise I’m good with it, especially if it works with the dressing/vinaigrette.

  17. Healthy World Cuisine April 10, 2023 at 8:39 PM - Reply

    Love this fun twist on an old Japanese classic. Cold soba is a delicious way to greet the warmer weather. Have never tried it with strawberries but that would so work. If you get hit with that one in ten hot shishito pepper – the sweetness would balance the spice. Must give this a try soon.

    • Chef Mimi April 11, 2023 at 6:40 AM - Reply

      Oh interesting! I’ve never come across a hot shishito! That would be a surprise!

  18. Gerlinde April 11, 2023 at 8:40 AM - Reply

    This looks delicious Mimi, thank you for all these interesting recipes.

    • Chef Mimi April 11, 2023 at 5:13 PM - Reply

      What a sweet compliment. Thank you!

  19. Raymund April 11, 2023 at 10:28 PM - Reply

    Thank you for sharing this delicious and unique recipe for Soba Salad with Strawberries! I never would have thought to combine soba noodles, charred shishitos, and strawberries, but it sounds like a wonderful mix of flavors and textures.

    • Chef Mimi April 12, 2023 at 7:11 AM - Reply

      I know. Such a different assortment of ingredients, and they work together so well!

  20. David @ Spiced April 12, 2023 at 6:58 AM - Reply

    What a delicious sounding recipe, Mimi! This really is perfect for spring with the fresh strawberries along with the charred shishitos. I love pulling out the grill, so of course the charred shishitos caught my attention straight away. Thanks for sharing!

    • Chef Mimi April 12, 2023 at 7:12 AM - Reply

      It’s a really unique salad, and the ingredients are a perfect, albeit surprising mixture!

  21. Valentina April 12, 2023 at 3:34 PM - Reply

    Mimi, this is such a fun and gorgeous salad! Were the plates made for the salad, or vice versa? ;-) They’re so perfect together. I love soba noodles and this combo of ingredients is so unique. I’m in! :-) ~Valentina

    • Chef Mimi April 13, 2023 at 6:20 AM - Reply

      It’s really a wonderful grouping of ingredients, and it all worked so well together. The plates are Cascata – they come in really beautiful colors!

  22. Thao @ In Good Flavor April 16, 2023 at 4:51 PM - Reply

    This salad looks so bright, fresh, and delicious!! I especially love the addition of mint and cilantro.

    • Chef Mimi April 16, 2023 at 5:09 PM - Reply

      It’s so fresh and has so many different levels of flavors!

  23. Judee April 16, 2023 at 7:10 PM - Reply

    Adding noodles to this salad does seem unusual but I love noodles so I would give it a try. The red plates are exquisite! love the look

    • Chef Mimi April 17, 2023 at 7:40 AM - Reply

      Thanks, Judee. There are so many different kinds of Asian-inspired noodle salads, and I love them all. This one was exquisite.

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