This cold sesame noodle salad made with rice noodles with lots of fresh crunchy veggies, gets tossed in a quick sesame dressing for one easy dish.

cold sesame noodle salad with rice noodles

Sesame Pasta Salad

I love simple pasta salads like this sesame noodle salad; perfect for a light lunch (it’s vegetarian!) or potluck at a party.

It’s incredibly flavorful with a tangy sesame dressing, lots of fresh and crunchy textures from veggies like cucumber, cabbage and bell pepper. And thanks to the rice noodles, it’s hearty enough as a stand alone meal for lunch or sesame pasta salad at any potluck dinner.

Ingredients for this salad

This Sesame Noodle Salad could not be easier. I love it for a quick meal loaded with lots of fresh, crunchy veggies and as a simple shortcut, I use store bought sesame dressing to keep prep simple. If you want to play with the flavors, you could swap the sesame dressing for a peanut dressing or citrus-soy as well.

rice noodles: To keep this cold salad gluten-free, I like to use rice noodles. You could use GF spaghetti, or regular spaghetti, soba noodles or even ramen noodles.
red cabbage: shredded for crunch and texture. You could use green cabbage or even a bag of mixed coleslaw in a pinch.
bell pepper: red bell pepper for color, but any bell pepper will do for crunch. I like to slice them thin like matchsticks (julienne-style).
carrots: shredded to bulk up this salad.
cucumber: I love to add a seedless cucumber (English) but you can use any cucumber for this dish.
sesame dressing: I’m using store bought to save time, but if you have a go-to homemade recipe, that will also work. This salad is very customizable!
garnish: sesame seeds and green onions to top for extra flavor. You could also add cilantro if you’d prefer over green onions.

what type of noodles should I use

I prefer a gluten-free noodle made with rice flour for this sesame noodle salad; rice flour noodles don’t clump or break the way other gluten-free noodles do like a GF corn blend and since this is a cold pasta salad in the end, I want a sturdy pasta salad that will hold up in the fridge for several days.

You don’t have to use gluten-free noodles. Soba noodles or ramen, cooked to package directions will also work in this noodle salad. You want a long, thickish noodle to hold up against all of the fresh, crunchy veggies in this salad.

Gluten free noodle options: rice noodles, spaghetti or angel hair made using rice flour.
Non gluten-free options: soba noodles, ramen, or udon will all work as will spaghetti or angel hair made with wheat flour.

noodles to use in sesame noodle salad — gluten free options

Can I add protein to this cold noodle salad

I love this sesame noodle salad as-is for a light lunch or potluck option, but it’s incredibly easy to make it a complete meal and stretch it out by adding protein.

Quick ways to add to protein this salad:

Grilled chicken, shrimp, tofu, or even shredded rotisserie chicken work great in this salad for extra protein.
Tofu is a tasty texture to add protein, while keeping this vegetarian friendly.
Edamame is a great vegan alternative and the easiest way to add protein if you’d like to this salad.

How long does this sesame noodle salad last in the fridge?

This salad typically lasts 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I do not recommend freezing this salad because of all the fresh veggies, tossed with the dressing.

You can easily prep this ahead of time for a potluck or lunches. Personally I like to prep a batch on Monday for the week and just scoop a bowl for lunch daily until the bowl runs out (about 4 days for our household of two adults).

More Cold Pasta Salad Recipes to make