Cold sesame noodles is my go-to dish during the summer months and makes for the perfect next-day lunch or dinner. Made with cooked noodles that are cooled, topped with a creamy and delicious sesame-peanut sauce, scallions, cilantro, sliced cucumber, and chili oil.
If you are looking for more light and fresh eats, then check out my Cold Soba Noodle Salad and Smashed Cucumber Salad with Tahini Dressing recipes, next!
Cold Sesame Noodles
Days when I’m in the mood for light and fresh eats something to eat on-the-go with little prep, I go for this cold sesame noodles recipe, also known as Liang Mian.
This deeply flavored and beautifully layered noodle dish is quite refreshing and one of my things to make (and eat!) on repeat especially during the summer months and honestly, all year long.
Some folks say this dish was invented in Hong Kong, others say Taiwan, and its also been rumored to have originated in New York.
One thing’s for certain; these delicious savory noodles are absolutely delicious and one of my husband’s favorite noodle dishes to indulge in.
Why This Recipe Works
- Light and refreshing – When the warmer weather sets in, this is one of my go-to recipes guaranteed to keep me cool and satisfied.
- Little cooking required. There’s very little cooking required for this recipe–just boiling the noodles–the rest is adding and mixing the ingredients to make the sesame-peanut sauce and preparing the vegetables for garnishment.
- Makes for great next-day eats. What I love most about this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time. Great for those days when you want lunch or dinner to easily come together.
Ingredients For Cold Sesame Noodles With Sesame Sauce
Keeping things lush, light, savory and refreshing. Here’s what you will need for sesame noodles:
- Noodles – Go for flour noodles, I personally prefer fresh flour noodles. Spaghetti noodles also works perfectly well.
- Chinese Sesame Paste – This is a key ingredient for the sauce. Not to be mistaken with tahini paste, sesame paste can be found at most Asian grocery stores. Keep a lookout for 100% sesame paste and avoid a blend of sesame paste and peanuts.
- Sesame Oil – Adds a bit of nuttiness to
- Sugar – Just a whisper will balance out the savoriness of the sauce.
- Soy sauce – Adds savoriness.
- Rice vinegar – Added for acidity.
- Aromatics – Grated ginger and garlic add so much flavor to the sauce.
- Fresh Garnishes – Don’t mistaken the sliced cucumber, cilantro, and green onion for good looks. These toppings not only add a little brightness to the dish, but also round out the flavors and add a little texture.
- Peanuts – Chopped peanuts–an additional garish–add an extra oomph of texture. Go for roasted and unsalted of lightly salted. I pulse mine in a coffee grinder as a shortcut.
- Chili Oil – A must! And, yes, the last garnish. If you want to make your own chili oil, be sure to check out my Shallot and Garlic Chili Oil recipe!
How to Make Cold Sesame Noodles
- Add all sesame sauce sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add flour noodles to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. When fully cooked, drain in a colander and and run the noodles until cold water until noodles are fully cooled.
- Place noodles in a bowl, then drizzle with sesame oil. Set aside.
- Plate noodles in a shallow bowl then top with a desired amount of sesame dressing. Finish with sliced cucumber, cilantro, green onions, chopped peanuts, and chili oil
What To Serve With Cold Sesame Noodles
These noodles are fantastic on its own, but feel feel free to pair it with shredded poached chicken. Feel free to also add corn, tofu or shredded carrots.
Can You Serve Sesame Noodles Hot?
You sure can! Skip the rinse step if you want to enjoy a warm noodle dish. I encourage you to try them both ways and see which you like most.
Looking for More Delicious Recipes?
Check out these favorites:
Cold Noodles With Sesame Sauce: This Summer’s Anthem
If you are loving this easy cold sesame noodles recipe, leave a comment below and share on Instagram and Pinterest. We love to see you get down in the kitchen. Thank you and happy eating!
Cold Sesame Noodles
Ingredients
Sesame Sauce
- 2½ tablespoons peanut butter, smooth
- 2½ tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons 100% pure sesame paste
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1½ tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar, or Chinese black vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ tablespoon avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 large garlic clove, grated
- 3½ tablespoons warm water
Noodles
- 7 ounces fresh wheat noodles, or spaghetti noodles
Garnish
- ½ cup cucumber, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup scallions, chopped
- chili oil
- 3 tablespoons roasted salted peanuts, or lightly salted, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, add all sesame sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add flour noodles to boiling water and cook according to package instructions.
- When fully cooked, drain in a colander and and run the noodles until cold water until noodles are fully cooled.
- Place noodles in a bowl, then drizzle with sesame oil and mix to keep noodles from sticking. Set aside.
- Plate noodles in a shallow bowl then top with a desired amount of sesame dressing. Finish with sliced cucumber, cilantro, green onions, chopped peanuts, and chili oil.
Shelle Willis says...
Very yummy. I used soba buckwheat noodles. I used Chinese black vinegar (from Instagram video) instead of rice vinegar. I also added red bell peppers, carrots, red onions, and a few shrimp.
Jeri Mobley-Arias says...
So glad you enjoyed, Shelle–thank you!