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Asian Noodle Salad [Vegan]

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This Asian noodle salad is fast. It’s easy. It’s simple. It’s delicious. It’s – dare I say – my most favorite meal prep recipe during the busy work week! This pasta salad is loaded with fresh vegetables and homemade dressing for a healthy take on a classic Asian pasta salad.

Two plates of vegan sesame ginger pasta salad

How to make Vegan Sesame Ginger Pasta Salad:

Get ready guys – this my be simplest recipe you’ve ever seen!

Combine noodles with veggies in a large bowl. Combine salad dressing in a mason jar and shake until emulsified.

Collage of photos showing how to make sesame ginger pasta salad

Pour dressing over salad. Toss to coat evenly.

Collage of photos showing how to make sesame ginger pasta

Can you handle all that? I know you can!!

Overhead shot of a bowl of vegan sesame noodles

Other noodles you could use in this Asian noodle salad:

You can really use any long or short cut of pasta in this dish. Just make sure you use 16 oz. of pasta.

  • linguine
  • bucatini
  • vermicelli
  • fettuccine
  • rotini
  • bow tie
  • penne
  • rigatoni
Plate filled with sesame ginger pasta salad

Why you’re going to love this Asian Noodle Salad:

  • It’s quick and easy. If you need a last minute side dish for that backyard barbecue you forgot about, this is the noodle salad for you! Your friends are going to love it and I can almost guarantee they’ll be asking you for the recipe!
  • The flavors are AMAZING. The tahini, brown sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce come together to make the most delicious dressing you’ve ever tasted. You might want to just drink it straight from the mason jar it’s sooooo good!
  • It’s perfect for meal prep. This Asian noodle salad is on permanent rotation in my meal prep line up. I make it at least once a month and I’m always sad when it’s gone. The flavors just get better with time and I look forward to eating it all week!
Two plates of vegan sesame ginger pasta salad

Tips for making the best Vegan Sesame Ginger Pasta Salad:

  • Make sure you cook your pasta just to al dente. Nothing ruins a pasta salad faster than overcooked pasta. I always cook my pasta for the minimum time listed on the instructions (sometimes even just a tad less). This ensures that the pasta still has a bit of a bite and will not become mushy when you add the dressing.
  • If you’ll be eating this salad at a later date, just add half the dressing initially. Then add a little more each day just before eating so that the pasta salad doesn’t get soggy.
  • Switch out the veggies to fit your taste. Feel free to add broccoli instead of red pepper or green cabbage instead of purple. As long as you keep the ratios the same, you can use any veggies you’d like!
Plate filled with vegan sesame ginger pasta salad

Other pasta salad favorites you will love:

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Asian Noodle Salad [Vegan]

★★★★★ 5 from 14 reviews
  • Author: Kylie Lato
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Asian
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Description

This vegan sesame ginger pasta salad is loaded with fresh vegetables and homemade dressing for a healthy take on a classic Asian pasta salad.

Scale

Ingredients

For pasta salad:

  • 16 oz. spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 cup red pepper, diced
  • 1 cup yellow pepper, diced
  • 1 cup red cabbage, diced
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1.5 cups shelled edamame
  • 3 stalks green onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

For dressing:

  • 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Add all pasta salad ingredients to a large bowl.
  2. Add all dressing ingredients to a large mason jar and shake it up real good.
  3. If you are planning to serve the pasta salad immediately, pour dressing into the serving bowl and toss until everything is well coated.
  4. Garnish with sesame seeds.
  5. If you are planning to meal prep this recipe like I did, pour about 1/2 of the dressing into the serving bowl and toss until everything is well coated.
  6. Then divide into 8 containers and garnish each container of salad with sesame seeds. Each morning before work, or just before serving add another splash of dressing to the salad.
  7. This will ensure that the noodles don’t get too soggy and that your pasta salad is still flavorful a few days later.

Notes

Make sure you cook your pasta just to al dente. Nothing ruins a pasta salad faster than overcooked pasta. I always cook my pasta for the minimum time listed on the instructions (sometimes even just a tad less). This ensures that the pasta still has a bit of a bite and will not become mushy when you add the dressing.

If you’ll be eating this salad at a later date, just add half the dressing initially. Then add a little more each day just before eating so that the pasta salad doesn’t get soggy.

Keywords: Asian pasta salad, Asian noodle salad, cold noodle salad, sesame pasta salad, pasta salad

This post was originally published in April 2018. It was updated in February 2019 to include process shots and detailed tips on how to make the perfect Asian pasta salad.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Wendy

    April 22, 2019 at 2:39 pm

    This is so good! I didn’t have low sodium soy sauce and used regular- big mistake, it’s way too salty. I also don’t like cabbage so I subbed in chopped snow peas and edamame, and it gave a good crunch. Finally, I also grilled a portobello mushroom and chopped it up in the salad. Super yummy and brought it to work in a thermos for lunch the next day- the recipe is a winner!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  5. Danielle

    May 20, 2019 at 11:29 am

    If you say it is your favorite week day meal prep recipe – I’ve got to try it! And there are no compromises! 🙂 It does look yummy, healthy and something I could really enjoy!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  6. Gloria | Homemade & Yummy

    May 20, 2019 at 2:30 pm

    Noodles are always a hit with the crowd. What a great salad for BBQ parties this summer. I could make a meal on this salad all on its own.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  7. Jackie

    May 20, 2019 at 7:17 pm

    I absolutely love that this is loaded with fresh veggies and fits the vegan lifestyle some of my family lives. Thanks for sharing and I can’t wait to make this when they come and visit.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  9. Eva

    May 24, 2019 at 2:08 am

    Mmm sounds delish! And I love how brightly coloured this salad is! It just feels like summer, the perfect meal for a summer dinner on the porch! Thank you for sharing.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  10. Marisa F. Stewart

    May 25, 2019 at 1:40 pm

    WOW! The colors are so vivid and beautiful. The noodle salad just begs me to dive right in. I love a great pasta salad and I really like the idea of an Asian touch. I can’t wait to try out that Asian dressing – I always thing homemade is so much better.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  12. Lorie

    May 26, 2019 at 7:50 am

    I get so tired of the SAME OLD pasta salad. I’m looking for pasta salads like this one to add to our BBQs this summer. Yay!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  13. Charity

    May 26, 2019 at 3:15 pm

    This looks so colorful and delicious! We’ve been prepping lunches lately, and I think this is a perfect recipe to add to our rotation.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  15. Carol Borchardt

    May 26, 2019 at 8:04 pm

    Asian noodle dishes are one of my favorite things ever! Love all the veggies in this dish and that dressing sounds simply ah-mazing! Thinking that could be used in a variety of ways!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  16. Jo

    May 26, 2019 at 10:27 pm

    I love Asian flavors and I loooove noodles. So this salad is something I would want to eat every single day. Looks absolutely delicious and filling too.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  17. CJ

    June 8, 2019 at 9:52 am

    I agree this recipe looks awesome! I wish people would avoid rating your recipes without actually making it; in my opinion, this practice dilutes the recipe’s high rating.

    Reply

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