A 25 minute Soba Noodle and Red Cabbage Stir Fry recipe that is healthy, delicious, flavorful, and has a great crunch from the cabbage. Perfect for a weeknight.
We were in the grocery store the other day and I just couldn't decide what vegetables to get. We've been rotating through broccoli, green beans, and zucchini over and over and it's gotten a bit boring. And then I saw the red cabbage. The wheels in my brain just started spinning and this Soba Noodle and Red Cabbage Stir Fry was born.
Related recipe: Golubtsi (Stuffed Cabbage)
This red cabbage and soba noodle stir fry recipe is SUPER quick and easy to make, as stir fries should be. The slightly-spicy sauce is very simple to make, it has a great flavor because of the ginger, honey, and garlic. The sauce is especially awesome if you add some pepper to give it an extra kick.
In this recipe, the cabbage and carrots are stir fried for only a couple of minutes and they keep their wonderful crunchy texture. It's a great contrast with the soft soba noodles. Everything about this stir fry is good.
Another bonus with this recipe is that almost half of this stir fry dish is made up of vegetables, so you can really have a large plate of this and fill up without being weighed down by eating too many noodles. You can add even more cabbage and reduce the noodles to make this red cabbage stir fry dish even healthier.
Related recipe: Sweet and Sour Cabbage Stir Fry with Ground Pork
Soba noodles have been my go-to for quick weeknight dinners lately. I love how fast they cook and how there are so many different vegetables and sauces you can add to soba noodles to mix things up. If you're looking for more soba noodle recipes, check out Soba Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables in a Spicy Peanut Sauce that I shared not long ago.
Related recipe: Cabbage and Kielbasa Stir Fry
Crunchy Soba Noodle and Red Cabbage Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 3 bundles uncooked soba noodles - (9 oz)
- water for cooking soba noodles - , according to package instructions
- ½ small red cabbage - , chopped / sliced
- 2-3 small carrots - , peeled and julienned (or thinly sliced)
- 1 yellow onion - , thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil - , divided
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce - (see notes below)
- 2 tablespoons water - (see notes below)
- 3 garlic cloves - , minced
- 1 inch piece ginger - peeled and grated
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 small thai chili pepper, finely diced - (or about 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes)
Instructions
- Cook soba noodles according to package (typically 3-5 minutes). Drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
- Prepare the sauce: Add all the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and mix well. If your honey is very thick, microwave it for a few seconds to thin it out so it mixes better.
- In a large wok or a large skillet with high sides, heat up 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Add the sliced onion, and stir fry for about 3 minutes over high heat, or until the onion starts to brown. Add the sliced cabbage, julienned carrot, and the remaining sesame oil and stir fry for about 3 minutes, or until desired done-ness of cabbage. I wanted to leave the cabbage and the carrots crunchy for a bit of texture, so 3 minutes over high heat was enough.
- Add about half of the stir fry sauce and stir fry for 1 minute, coating the cabbage mixture in sauce.
- Add the cooked soba noodles and the remainder of the sauce. Stir fry for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce fully coats the noodles, the cabbage and the noodles are well mixed, and the noodles are warmed through.Serve warm with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.
Kitchen stuff used for this recipe:
Have you ever added cabbage to a stir fry? Did you like it?
Christy @ Feasting Not Fasting
Tuesday 24th of February 2015
I have a serious love for soba noodles and have got to try this combo. I bet this is one of those recipes that is just as good cold the next day as it is warm.
Kate
Tuesday 24th of February 2015
Christy - Yes, this was good cold the next day. I eat a lot of my leftovers cold, and this one was actually really good, unlike some that I eat cold out of pure laziness or because I'm too busy at work.
Lori R.
Monday 23rd of February 2015
I haven't made anything with soba in the longest time. I'm not sure why I got away from it, but this recipe is the perfect reason to make the noodles again. I love all the colors. It sounds so good!
Kate
Tuesday 24th of February 2015
I kind of got away from soba for a long time as well, but then I learned that buckwheat is actually not a type of wheat but a seed (so it's healthier, more protein + fiber), and I started making soba noodles all the time!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
Monday 23rd of February 2015
I really like cabbage in a stir-fry as long as it's not mushy. I like a bit of crunch in it. This dish looks delicious.
Kate
Tuesday 24th of February 2015
Yea, mushy is the worst. That's why I emphasize not overcooking the noodles and keeping the cabbage crunchy.