I’ve made some version of this soba noodle and mango salad for the past few summers and, without fail, people go nuts over it. Full of thai flavors like lime, peanuts and a profusion of herbs, it’s really the crunchy coconut throughout the salad that takes it over the top and makes people stop and say, “whoa.” Sometimes we’ll grill a steak and slice it up before tossing into the salad; other times (like here), we keep it vegetarian and light, with creamy avocado adding just a touch of richness.
This dressing is one of my favorites that I put on lots of Asian-y salads, and also use as a marinade for chicken thighs and flank steak, so make extra and keep it in a mason jar in the fridge! And I should also mention that the ingredients here are largely inspired by the steak and noodle salad at Bartlett’s here in Austin (also Houston’s, the Rutherford Grill, and other names throughout the country) that is ridiculously good, so I was thrilled when Bon Appetit shared the recipe a few months ago and took even more inspiration for this one.
A lot of soba noodles are gluten-free, so be sure to check the package if you’re going gf. And if you’re really wanting to nix the noodles, try this mango & cucumber noodle salad for a similar flavor profile. This asian sesame chicken salad is also a must-try.
What summery salads do y’all have on repeat this summer? I’d love to hear in the comments, and let me know if you give this one a try!
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Mango & Coconut Soba Noodle Salad
Description
A refreshing summer Asian-inspired salad that everyone will love!
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 cup cooked soba noodles, drained and cooled
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 mango, cut into 1/2” chunks
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup torn basil
- 1/4 cup mint leaves
- 1/3 cup shredded coconut flakes, toasted
- 1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped
- 1 avocado, cut into 1/2” chunks
- honey-lime thai dressing (recipe below)
- for garnish: lime wedges, toasted coconut, chopped peanuts
For the Honey-Lime Thai Dressing:
- zest and juice of two limes
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup hot chili paste (found on the asian aisle of most grocery stores)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 chopped garlic cloves
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
For the salad:
- In a large bowl, toss the cooled soba noodles with sesame oil. Add mango, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, cilantro, basil, mint, coconut flakes, chopped peanuts, and 3/4 of dressing, and toss well to combine.
- Add avocado and toss very gently, then divide among 4 plates. Top with more coconut and chopped peanuts, garnish with lime wedges, and drizzle a little more dressing over the top. Eat!
For the Honey-Lime Thai Dressing:
Combine all ingredients in a mason jar, and shake to combine. Store extra in the fridge for up to 1 week.
*photos: kristen kilpatrick
YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can’t wait to hear what you think, Annie! xoxo
This looks so delicious! Definitely something I have to try this summer 🙂
Norina xx
la-piccola-me.blogspot.com
Thanks Norina, can’t wait to hear what you think!
I made this tonight and added cucumber as well– it turned out great!!! Thanks for the recipe!!
I made this last night. I must have used the wrong type of chili paste (sambal oelek) because despite cutting the amount back to 1 Tbsp even my husband who prefers very hot found it quite spicy. Nevertheless, we all enjoyed it and agreed that it needed an encore. Thanks for a beautiful recipe.
Ahhhhh! Yayyyyyy!!! I found this on Pinterest like a month ago but couldn’t get the link to work, it sent me to a blank page with a bunch of weird codes on it. But I bookmarked it anyway because those photos are so dreamy. I have checked on it 3+ times and today to my surprise it worked!! I’m so happy! Yay! And now that I can see it, it was totally worth bookmarking. I will try this. Thanks!!
I am so glad Monique! And apologies for the site issues over the last couple days… we should be back up and running for good!
What could I use to substitute fish sauce? I have a couple of guests that are vegan!
You can easily just omit the fish sauce, Meaghan. It’ll still be just as delish! Hope y’all love it!