I was craving something light, fresh, and full of bright flavors and this cold ginger noodle salad checks all the boxes. The dressing is easy to remember: equal parts Tamari, rice vinegar, and sesame oil, with fresh ginger, garlic, jalapeño, and a splash of orange juice. As one reader put it: “The spiciness of the jalapeño with the sweet citrus of the orange and the cool mint is such a nice combination flavour-wise.” Serve it alongside my marinated and grilled tempeh for a complete meal.
I like to toss the warm noodles with the dressing right after cooking so they can absorb all that ginger and sesame flavor while they are still hot. The noodles cool down quickly and then everything gets tossed together with the mint, edamame, orange segments, carrots, and jalapeño.
The fresh orange segments are a deliberate choice over just using the juice. You get a super juicy, sweet bite against the spicy jalapeño and ginger that is just so satisfying. Mint with orange and something spicy is one of those flavor combinations that just does it for me. It’s bright, cooling, and a little unexpected in a noodle salad context.
For noodles, I generally prefer whole grain wheat-based noodles for this salad specifically. They hold up better over time than rice noodles, which can get overly soft as they sit in the dressing. If you are making this ahead for packed lunches, whole grain noodles are the move.
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Cold Ginger Noodle Salad with Mint, Edamame & Orange
Ingredients
Ginger Soy Dressing
- ¼ cup Tamari soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
For the Noodle Salad
- 12 oz (340 grams) whole grain, long noodles
- 1 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed
- 2 medium carrots, sliced into thin coins
- 1 jalapeno, sliced paper thin
- 1 large orange, peeled and cut into segments
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onions (approximately 1 small bunch)
- 1 cup torn mint leaves (approximately 1 small bunch)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Notes
- Other vegetable additions that would be great here: shredded cabbage, a thinly shaved fennel bulb, chopped cilantro, thinly sliced bell peppers… lots of potential to change up and modify.
- If you simply can’t imagine a meal without garlic, a finely grated clove would be great in the dressing!
- Any noodles will work: buckwheat soba, brown rice, even whole grain spaghetti–all good! :)
- I love to grate ginger and garlic with a Microplane for dressings because it gets both super fine.
- I used a mandoline for the paper thin slices of carrot and jalapeno. Saves so much work!
- If you forgot to thaw the edamame, just throw it into the noodle cooking pot in the last minute of cooking.
Instructions
- Make the ginger soy dressing: In a sealable jar, combine the tamari, rice vinegar, avocado oil, ginger, and maple syrup. Tightly close the lid on the jar and shake vigorously to combine. Set aside.
- Prepare the noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles and immediately transfer them to a large bowl. Toss the noodles with ¾ of the dressing and set aside until room temperature.
- Once the noodles have cooled to room temperature, toss them with the edamame, carrots, jalapeno, orange, green onions, mint, sesame seeds, salt, pepper, and remaining ginger soy dressing. Check the ginger noodle salad for seasoning and adjust if necessary (more salt, pepper, and maybe even a splash of extra tamari or rice vinegar!).
- Serve the cold ginger noodle salad with extra sesame seeds on top if you wish. Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Loved this, it was perfect for pretending spring had already arrived :) and held up great for meal prep! Made some swaps to use what I had but the orange and mint are non-negotiable!
This recipe ticked all the boxes for what I was looking for tonight: easy, quick, fresh and easy to se AP ingredients. But it exceeded my expectations, this dish is soooo flavourful. It’s going on rotation this summer! Thank you, Laura!
I love the flavors in this, especially with whole wheat pasta, but I think I need to try a different shape besides spaghetti so it’s easier to get a bit of everything in one bite. Otherwise I end up with entire forkfuls of edamame at once! Next time I might toss some pickled jalapeno in there along with the fresh for some more vinegar-y zing.
This was so good, especially this time of year when I’m craving light, veg-forward dishes. I added bell pepper, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. The spiciness of the jalapeno with the sweet citrus of the orange and the cool mint is such a nice combination flavour-wise. Thanks Laura!
This has quickly become my summer meal of choice! Every time I make this; I let the jalapeño and carrots sit in the dressing for at least 30 minutes prior to tossing everything together and I find it makes their texture and spice level (not for the carrots obviously) more enjoyable—almost like a quick pickle situation happening! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Made this salad earlier this week and it’s very tasty. The orange adds such nice freshness and the dressing is an ideal complement. Perfect to make and eat on a hot summer evening. The only thing I did differently was add an additional sliced jalapeño because I like heat. Delicious!
Another amazing recipe! Perfect for a hot summer night. This recipe came together in a matter of 10 minutes, all with pantry staples. This will definitely be part of my summer rotation!
Thanks!
This salad is absolutey delicious. Totally satisfying. I added chopped mango and more tamari, rice vinegar and salt. Just to taste.
This will be frequently prepared and enjoyed this summer! Thanks, Laura.
Greetings from Toronto.
This salad is absolutely delicious! The combination of flavours is amazing. Sometimes I add extra vegetables that I happen to have at home such as asparagus. Thank you for the wonderful recipes, writing and photos.
Hmm! Made this and used 1 tbsp of sesame oil in place of the avocado oil and filled up the rest of the 1/4 cup with orange juice because I didn’t have any fresh oranges :) Used noodled carrots, bell pepper, chives and frozen peas – what I had on hand! Still so good! Thanks Laura :)
Oh Laura! When I saw this photo earlier today, I HAD to make it. So the dressing is done and noodles are cooked, now to put it all together. It smells divine! Thank you x
Sneh, this makes me so happy <3
xo L
Hey what’s the substitute for avacado oil pls … any veg or sunflower oil ?? Or even pomace olive oil … thx
Yes, any oil you have available would honestly be fine as long as it’s not a super strong tasting one.
-L
Can I use pomace olive oil thts lighter version of olive oil or u think a veg oil is better .
Yes that will work fine!
-L
I’ve been following your site for a while now and never commented before, so this is probably an appropriate time to express my gratitude to YOU for doing it and providing me with so much inspiration in the kitchen!
Here in the Netherlands it is cold, wet and depressing and there is no hint yet of spring but this is the perfect recipe for me to cook this weekend and convince myself that a warmer season is just around the corner :)
Laura, this looks delicious! I will make it soon. Thanks for all your hard work and creativity.
This salad looks scrumptious and satisfying. Sadly, about ten years ago, my body rejected all soy and dairy foods…I am soy intolerant now, but still attracted to Asian ways of cooking and eating. Could you suggest substitutions for this recipe (for edamame and soy sauce) that might keep the freshness and the Asian feel of it? Many thanks, Debbie
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for this comment! Have you tried coconut aminos as a tamari/soy sauce replacement? It has a great depth of flavour that substitutes really well for soy sauce. As for the edamame, the best substitutes in terms of texture and flavour would be fresh fava beans, shelled green chickpeas or even regular old green peas.
-L