These Spicy Peanut-Ginger-Lime Soba Noodles can be whipped up in just about fifteen minutes and taste super satisfying for lunch or dinner. A bold flavored sauce brings the dish together as warming raw ginger mingles with peanut butter, red pepper flakes, bright fresh lime juice and a hint of sweet maple syrup. A handful of cooling raw spinach balances things out a bit.
Get the recipe, plus 5 reasons why I love soba noodles...
5 Reasons Why I Love Soba Noodles
- They cook in a flash. Just about 4-7 minutes, depending on which variety you use.
- They are easy to measure. I always get a bit thrown off when trying to decide how much pasta to make. But soba noodles come wrapped in bundles. Generally about 3oz per bundle. Three ounces makes one large serving or two good sized servings.
- They taste amazing warm or chilled. Leftovers taste so delicious served straight from the fridge! The soba absorbs flavors so well and chilled noodles are almost as good as warmed!
- They are a healthy noodle option. Buckwheat soba noodles are a sturdy source of protein. Each bundle contains about 8g - 13g protein. Nutrients will vary based on the brand you choose. They also contain fiber, iron, zinc and more.
- Options. You can either choose 100% whole grain buckwheat noodles, which tend to be a bit more rustic in texture and nutty in flavor. Or you can choose a buckwheat blend, which produces a smoother noodle. The 100% buckwheat noodles are generally more expensive and also take slightly longer to cook. The buckwheat/wheat blend noodles only take about four minutes to boil.
S O B A.
For some reason, soba noodles just feel incredibly nourishing and cozy to me - yet they do not have that sedative effect like other pasta dishes have on me sometimes. After soba noodles, I still feel really energized and able to continue my workday. Maybe it is the lighter 'sauce' or maybe it is the fact that soba noodles are not served piping hot. They seem more cooling. Even served warmish. I'm not exactly sure why, but I love it.
Today's recipe makes a perfect energizing lunch. Especially with all the warming spiciness from the ginger and red pepper flakes!
January is a month when things are fresh and crisp.
Winter white. Snow (actual snow or imaginary) quiets the land and quiets our post-holiday busy minds. So if you are in a quiet sort of mood this month, allow yourself to fully embrace the reset, the pause, the 'creativity' mindset.
Close all the Apps. Close all the windows on your browser. Delete Instagram for a few days. Turn off the binge-watching and pick up a book. Maybe a 90's comic book. Or Harry Potter. Whatever lets you escape. Or maybe just makes you feel like you are home. Watch something that makes you laugh. Or a movie you know will make you cry. Watch a cooking show, note pad in hand. Fold a bunch of pages in your favorite cookbook. Or one you have barely opened. Bake bread. Fill a bowl with spicy soba noodles. Make a long list. Or tear your list up and toss the shreds in the air. Snow, see? Doodle. Prioritize. Hibernate. And do what needs to be done. And only you know what those things are.
PS. Shoutout to all my fellow January birthday babes. Light a candle. Make a wish. Close your eyes and wait for it to come true.
Love these noodles? Try my peanut kale tempeh noodle recipe!
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Spicy Peanut-Ginger-Lime Soba Noodles
Ingredients
- 3.1 oz soba noodles, 1 round of noodles
Spicy Sauce:
- 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 pinch lime zest
- 2 tablespoon tamari sauce, or soy sauce
- 1 knob raw ginger, about 1 tablespoon - peeled + microplaned
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or red chili paste
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, softened
- 3 teaspoon maple syrup, or agave, brown sugar or coconut sugar
- a few pinches cayenne or black pepper - optional
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil, or olive oil - optional
Fold in:
- 1 handful baby spinach, finely chopped
- 1 slice lime, chopped peanuts - optional
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add in the soba noodles. I like to break the noodles in half before boiling so they are easier to eat.
- While the noodles boil, whisk together the sauce. Add all the ingredients to a mug or small bowl and whisk until smooth. It is important that the peanut butter is nice and oily and soft so that it whisks smoothly without clumps. If you peanut butter is hard or clumpy, you may want to warm in the microwave or even add a spoonful of oil to it to soften a bit.
- Noodles should be fully cooked in 4-5 minutes. Drain water and bounce noodles around in a strainer to remove all excess water. If you like really dry soba noodles you can even squeeze them very gently with a few clean paper towels. (I usually skip this step, but you also don't want watery noodles being sauced to water down the flavors.)
- Pour the noodles into a clean mixing bowl. Fold in the sauce. Start with 3 tablespoon sauce and add more as desired. Toss noodles well until coated.
- Fold in the chopped spinach to gently wilt it.
- Transfer noodles to serving bowls. Garnish with optional chopped peanuts and a slice of lime. Serve warm. Leftover can be covered and chilled in the fridge for up to two days. These noodles actually taste delicious served warm or chilled.
nutrition estimate | per serving
Mary says
ginger freezes exceptionally well and is easier to grate and keep on hand!
Ezyshine says
Great..! A must have thing in dinner tonight. Spicy peanuts and ginger together adds a great combination.
This simply makes me easy to decide what to have something unique today. Thank a lot for sharing!
Natalie Ellis says
AMAZINGLY ONE!
I fell in love with it at the first side and the ginger makes the taste more special 😚
Thanks!!
Anne says
Had this for dinner tonight, loved it! I might try to keep these ingredients on hand for a quick meal. I added some store bought pre marinated tofu. Really loved the combo of creamy, sour, sweet, spicy, gingery in this one!
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you Anne! I am so glad you liked it! Tofu is such a perfect addition to this bowl to make it a hearty meal. Thanks for the feedback 🤗
Luci says
This was one of easiest and quickest dishes to prepare. I had all ingredients in hand and made a batch following the directions exactly. It is delicious! Next time I will double the peanut butter to change the flavor profile. Thanks!!
Kathy Patalsky says
Awesome! So happy to hear that. Exactly what I hope to bring to my blog recipes in 2018 🙂
Sonja Kovacicek says
Hello there! Just wanted to aks would this work with almond butter as well? Have a large tub in the fridge and I am trying to get through it before it expires. 🙂 Thank you for the answer!
Kathy Patalsky says
Yes absolutely!
Heather McClees says
EEEKK! So excited you're on Alexa!!! How neat is that. I have to see how to get into that--love it! My family is obsessed with pasta, although I rarely make it. I love the use of soba noodles in recipes since it's not too heavy or dense. PS: Ditto to EVERYTHING on the new year reflections. I deleted social media from my phone for 2 weeks during the holidays and it was so nice. I needed it. I'm glad to hear someone else embraces this mentality world too. All my love, sweet friend! <3
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you thank you! Yes the Alexa thing is fun! Hoping I can get a skill that does recipe reading eventually, but the flash briefing is pretty neat for now! 🙂
Heather McClees says
Yes, I love Alexa. She's my little companion when I'm home alone, lol. I love the flash briefing... can't wait to add you to my list! 🙂
ann chervin says
I know fresh ginger is the way to go, but can I use dried ginger powder? And if so how much? Thanks this looks delish
Kathy Patalsky says
You will lose a bit of texture and that raw ginger warmth, but you could get away with subbing maybe with 1/2 tsp powder... you could also omit the ginger and just let the pepper flakes and some cayenne or black pepper add the warmth. Soba noodles are pretty forgivable with slight substitutions since they taste so good on their own! Best of luck!
ann chervin says
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Made this tonight. With the powdered ginger (had it in the house) and it was AWESOME! Next time though I will cut the lime a bit and add more peanut butter. I love all your recipes and have your books. You are awesome and an inspiration.
Kathy Patalsky says
Hey Ann! So glad you loved this with the powder! Thanks for letting me know. And yes... more peanut butter is always ok with soba noodles! I have another recipe on here with a heavier peanut sauce and added tofu too. Thank you so much and happy to see you here!
Giulia Lombardo says
interesting recipe 😀
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you