Sesame Soba Noodles (Quick & Easy 15-Minute Meal)
Sesame soba noodles made with buckwheat noodles, green onion, and a savory sesame-soy sauce. This quick and easy noodle bowl is ready in 15 minutes—perfect for a light lunch or weeknight dinner with your favorite toppings.
When I was growing up in Korea, cold soba noodles were a summer staple. We’d dip them in chilled broth or toss them with a light soy-based sauce. Now, when I want something a little cozier but just as quick, I turn to this warm sesame soba noodles.
Made with nutty buckwheat noodles, a savory-sweet sesame soy sauce, and lots of green onion, this soba noodle recipe hits all the right notes—comforting, bold, and fast. I usually finish it with crumbled seaweed and pan-fried dumplings, turning it into a satisfying noodle bowl with almost no effort.
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While soba noodles are traditionally found in Japanese cuisine, I’ve used them in Korean-style recipes for years. This 15-minute noodle bowl is one of my weeknight go-tos: easy to make, full of flavor, and endlessly customizable.
How to make Sesame Soba Noodles
As for ingredients, this sesame soba noodle recipe is as simple as it gets, plenty of green onion and a pantry-friendly sesame-soy sauce. I love how toasted sesame oil adds richness and a splash of rice vinegar brings balance. Simple, familiar ingredients—but together, they’re fabulous!
Step 1: Mix the sauce ingredients and chop the green onions. I like using a generous amount—two bunches! Half gets sautéed, and the rest goes in fresh at the end for a bright finish.
Step 2: Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions.
Tip: I’ve learned to splash in cold water when the pot boils over—it calms the water and gives the noodles a better chew. I use this trick in other dishes too, like kongguksu (Korean soy milk noodles). After cooking, rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking and keep them from getting sticky.
Step 3: Sauté half the green onion briefly in oil, add the sauce, and let it bubble just a bit. Then toss in the noodles, the rest of the green onion, and sesame seeds. Give it a good toss, sprinkle with sesame seeds or crumbled seaweed, and that’s it—dinner’s ready in 15 minutes.
I like to serve mine with a few crispy dumplings or fried tofu on the side, but grilled chicken or shrimp works great too if you want to add some protein. This dish is super adaptable, so build it around what you’ve got!
More Easy Noodle Dishes to Try
- Easy Bibim Guksu (Korean Cold Kimchi Noodles)
- Janchi Guksu (Korean Noodle Soup)
- Korean-Style Ground Beef Noodles
- Crispy Pan-Fried Hong Kong Noodles (Cantonese Style)
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15-Minute Sesame Soba Noodles
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) soy sauce
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) sesame oil
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) brown sugar or honey
- 1 tsp (5 ml) ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) black pepper
- 10 oz (285 g) buckwheat (soba) noodles
- 1 tbsp (15 m) oil
- 2 bunch green onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp (15 g) toasted sesame seeds
- 1 cup (25 g) crumbled roasted seaweed, optional
Instructions
- Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, pepper in a mixing bowl; set aside. Chop green onion finely.
- Cook your soba noodles according to the package directions (usually 3-4 minutes) When the water comes to a full boil, pour a little bit of cold water to calm the water down. Add more water as it boils up again. Rinse the noodles under cold running water to cool completely. Drain the noodles and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wok or skillet and saute half of the green onion for 30 seconds. Add the sauce and bring to boil and thicken for 15 seconds.
- Add the noodles and the remaining green onion and toss through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and crumbled seaweed (if using) on top. Serve with fried dumplings, tofu, or grilled shrimp for a complete meal.
Oh WOW….I can’t recall having soba noodles tasting this good before. So, before making the whole 10 oz. pack I halved it, just in case I didn’t like, but I made all the sauce. My idea is to have this as a cold soba to snack on as I graze the daytime fridge. Good snacks being better than ‘bad’ snacks IMO. Anyways, a winner for sure! Delicious noodles for slurping anytime & very good cold. IMO could use a squirt of Siracha or garlic chili paste but that’s an easy fix. Thanks Holly for tempting me with a new noodle dish that I’ll keep handy and was easy to do.
Great noodles! Wonderful flavor. I used them as a side to a curry
Hello! I’m very new to cooking by myself and for myself (woohoo, adulting!) and I found this recipe when looking for easy noodle dishes to make.
At first I was a bit disheartened because I had to substitute with egg noodles (since my store didn’t have soba or buckwheat) and forgot ginger! However, everything turned out extremely delicious and your directions were easy to follow and to the point.
I did have to add a lot ( a lot, a lot) more honey to the sauce, but that could just be because of the soy sauce I chose. Again, thank you again for sharing this recipe!
I wish you could see me clapping in applause for you. Well done! I have a daughter around your age who is also navigating adulthood. I admire your creativity and adaptability with the recipes. I’m thrilled to hear about your success, and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It means so much to me.
Wonderful– I topped it with stir-fried broccoli, mushrooms, and red peppers.
I made this tonight along with your Korean Cucumber Salad. They were both wonderful! They made for a quick light dinner, perfect for the hot weather we’re having in the Pacific Northwest.
Hi Tiffany
Korean cucumber salad sound great with this noodle dish. I am glad that you liked it. Thanks for the comment.
This sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it. Is “ginger puree” the same as grated ginger? Thanks in advance!
Ginger puree is from grated ginger. If using grated ginger, use a slightly less amount. Hope you like this noodles. Thanks.
Love how simple this sesame soba noodle is! One of our favourites!
This looks terrific — such a nice mix of flavors. Love noodles, all kinds, and soba are particularly nice. Thanks!