This crunchy veggie salad with spicy peanut dressing is the kind of recipe you’ll crave when you want something fresh, colorful, and deeply satisfying without being heavy. Packed with purple cabbage, crisp cucumbers, sweet bell peppers, and peppery watermelon radish, it’s a veggie-forward salad with just a little bit of soba noodles for balance. Everything gets tossed in a creamy, spicy peanut dressing that ties it all together. Perfect for easy lunches, meal prep, or a vibrant side dish that steals the show.
Crunchy Veggie Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing & Soba Noodles
This crunchy vegetable-packed salad combines colorful raw veggies, a small amount of soba noodles, and a creamy, spicy peanut dressing for the perfect balance of fresh and satisfying.
Ingredients
- 3 oz soba noodles 1/3 of a package
- 3 cups purple cabbage shredded
- 1 yellow bell pepper cut into thin strips
- 2 Persian cucumbers halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot (or two small) julienned
- 2 large watermelon radishes cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 spring onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup roasted cashews chopped
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
Spicy Peanut Dressing
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsps Aleppo pepper or similar
- 1 garlic clove grated
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the soba, stir to prevent sticking, and cook according to package instructions until just tender. Rinse under cold water until the noodles are completely cold.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a glass measuring cup, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, lime juice, sesame oil, Aleppo pepper, and garlic. Add ¼ to ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk until the sauce is a pourable consistency. Taste and add more seasoning if desired.
- In a large mixing bowl add soba noodles, purple cabbage, bell pepper, cucumbers, carrots, watermelon radishes and green onions. When you are ready to serve, drizzle with spicy peanut dressing and top with cashews and cilantro. Serve immediately.