Soba Noodle Salad with Turkey & Spinach

This soba noodle salad recipe is packed with protein and vegetables, which makes it a wonderful option for a satisfying dinner. 286 calories and 5 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

Soba Noodle Salad with Turkey & Spinach

This soba noodle salad is a grown-up version of the midnight snack from my college days. Someone asked me recently what I would make if I had only 5 minutes. It took about one second for me respond because the answer has been the same for about 20 years. A bowl of soba noodles, tossed with soy sauce and cayenne pepper. Carbs + salt = comfort food.

Clearly my love of soba noodles crosses generational lines, which becomes obvious every time my boys BEG me to make a pot of soba noodle soup. Really, very little begging is actually required. My arm is easily twisted when soba noodles are involved.

With this soba noodle salad, I started with the basic ingredients of my favorite midnight snack and kept adding until I achieved a dinner salad that my family loved. Cayenne pepper was replaced with sriracha sauce, and the salad was bulked up with ground turkey, zucchini, spinach and red bell pepper. As for the dressing, soy sauce is mixed with sesame oil, agave nectar, ginger and a few other ingredients for a balance of sweet and savory flavors.

Are soba noodles gluten free?

When choosing the noodles, be aware that not all soba noodles are created equally. If you follow a gluten free diet, look for noodles made exclusively with buckwheat flour (and replace the soy sauce in the dressing with tamari). Also, look for noodles with a low sodium count. I've seen soba noodles with everything from 5mg to 451mg of sodium per 2 ounce (dry) serving. The nutritional data for this recipe was calculated using these soba noodles.

How to cook soba noodles:

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, then add the soba noodles, giving them a quick stir with some tongs or a wooden spoon. Slightly reduce the heat the water is at a lively simmer. Cooking soba noodles takes about 5 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Near the end of the cooking time, use tongs to lift a noodle out of the water and taste it. It should be tender, but not mushy.

Now, here’s the trick to avoiding gummy, sticky soba noodles. Soba noodles stick together because they contain a lot of starch. Once the noodles are tender, drain them in a colander then immediately plunge them in a bowl of cold water. Stir them vigorously to wash off the excess starch, then drain again.

Ready to use!

If your family isn't a fan of zucchini or bell peppers, substitute other vegetables that appeal to them. Mushrooms, broccoli, celery or carrots would work well here.

Other healthy soba noodles recipes:

Soba Noodle Bowl with Vegetables & Peanut Sauce
Easy Shrimp, Mushroom & Soba Noodle Soup

Soba Noodle Salad with Turkey & Spinach

Healthy and delicious! This gluten free soba noodle salad is packed with lean protein and vegetables.

4.67 from 3 votes

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Course: Entrees, Pasta, Salads

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Clean Eating

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 285.5kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

The Salad:

• 7 ounces soba noodles
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
• 1 ½ cups sliced half-circles zucchini
• 1 red bell pepper cut into strips
• 3 cups packed torn spinach leaves

The Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sriracha

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Instructions

The Salad:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the soba noodles, turn down the heat slightly so the water does boil over and cook until the soba noodles are just tender, about 5 minutes.
• Drain and rinse the soba noodles under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through. Add the turkey to the soba noodles.
• Wipe out the skillet, then heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the soba noodles and turkey.
• Allow the mixture to cool, then toss with the red pepper strips and spinach.
• Gently toss with the dressing. Serve.

The Salad:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, ginger, rice vinegar, agave nectar, sesame oil and sriracha sauce.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 5 (Freestyle SmartPoints)

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5Cups | Calories: 285.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.8g | Protein: 19.5g | Fat: 10.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.2g | Cholesterol: 53.3mg | Sodium: 533.9mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4.3g

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

This was originally posted on March 2, 2016 and updated on January 6, 2020.

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