30 minute soup? With veggies and noodles? And it’s all in one pot? Yup. That’s exactly what’s going on here today. This is a 30 minute soba noodle soup recipe and it’s about to be your new weeknight go-to!
Two things before we get to the business of making soup: 1) this soba noodle soup is an older recipe. We originally posted it in 2014. I took new pictures and added in some updates to make the recipe easier to follow. And 2) This soup is 100% Clark’s brainchild. I said “I want soup” and he said “boom.” 20 minutes later, we were sitting down to dinner. Not too shabby.
As the recipe title implies, this soup is easy BUT more importantly, it seriously takes only 30 minutes to make. AND it’s all in one pot. I mean, hello guys. This is dinner magic and it’s about to make your life so much happier!
I love the tender carrots and the bok choy slivers that soak up the flavor of the soup. It has the slightest hint of spice – just enough, but not too much.
Go get your ingredients and make this Soba Noodle Soup, just make them ASAP and tell me what you think! Tag us in a picture on Instagram so we can share your magic on our stories!
Tips for Success
- Cook the noodles separately. Boiling soba in their own pot keeps the broth clear instead of starchy.
- Rinse the noodles. Rinse cooked soba under cold water to remove excess starch so they do not clump.
- Add the bok choy last if you like it with a little crunch.
- Storing leftovers: Keep the noodles and broth separate in the fridge so the noodles do not get soggy.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-free: Many soba noodles contain wheat flour. Use 100% buckwheat soba and tamari to keep it gluten-free.
- Add protein: Top with cubes of tofu, a soft-boiled egg or edamame.
- Greens: Spinach or napa cabbage work well instead of bok choy. Use extra bok choy in our sweet and spicy bok choy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is soba noodle soup healthy?
Yes. Soba are made from buckwheat, which is high in fiber, and this soup is packed with vegetables and uses a light vegetable broth.
What is the difference between soba and yakisoba?
Soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour. Yakisoba, despite its name, is a stir-fried dish made with wheat noodles, not a soup.
What else can I make with soba noodles?
Soba is great cold in noodle salads too. Try it in place of rice noodles in our 15 minute Thai rice noodle salad.
Get the Recipe
Healthy Asian Soba Noodle Soup
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and soba noodles. Boil for 5-7 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside.
- In a large pot, sauté onions and garlic in oil.
- Add broth, tamari, carrots, bok choy, noodles, and seasonings to pot with onions and garlic.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!
I just made this soup and and it was amazing! It was my first time cooking with soba noodles, and tamari sauce, and it turned out great! Me and my boyfriend loved it! :)
OMG yes! So glad you liked the recipe. This soup is definitely amazing!
I noticed you pre-cook the soba. It seems to me that there should be no reason to do that if you are putting the soba into boiling broth for 15 minutes. Wouldn’t that cook the noodles?
Hi Mark! You could most certainly try cooking the noodles into the broth. My reason for boiling separately was to keep the noodles from absorbing too much of the soup itself. Let me know how it works!
Hi Mark, I know this post is responding to a few year old post but I just came across this recipe and wondered the same thing about not pre-cooking the noodles. Well, I just made it tonight and found out why it’s better to pre-cook the noodles. The starch from the noodles made the broth too thick. It tasted good but it would have been much better with a thinner broth. I’m trying it again by cooking the noodles separate. :)
Thanks for the feedback, Rose! You’re exactly right. Pre-cooking the noodles prevents the soup from getting too starchy. :)
But I think that he was saying that the broth is too starchy IF you do not pre-cook the noodles as you recommend in your recipe. So he is saying that your way of doing it in your recipe keeps the broth the right consistency, not too thick.
Hi!! I just made this and it was super super good! I added frozen corn and peas, and substituted bok choy for romaine lettuce since I did not have bok choy on hand. I also subbed tamari sauce with soy sauce since I didn’t have that either. I will definitely be making this again and again, thank you!! ^_^
Hi Anna! Thanks for letting us know – so glad you liked this soup! Great ideas on the substitutions… this is definitely a versatile recipe. :)
Hi,
Loved the recipe, for an extra OOOOMPH…I added 2 tbsps of rice vinegar and 1 tbsp of chili sauce. Thank you for the recipe….my son loved it too!
Hi Eva –
You’re a brave one! I’m always hesitant to add spice, but that chili sauce sounds like a fantastic addition. Glad you enjoyed!
Hi! I made this soup today and it was delicious. Thank you very much for posting the recipe two years ago! ;) I didn’t think there was enough liquid, though. I used 3 cups of chicken stock and it was more saucy (but watery) than soupy. I came back here to see if anyone else commented the same, but it looks like it’s just me! Maybe because I added an extra carrot? Still fantastic, though! I will just add some water to it next time. I also used scallions instead of onion and I didn’t have cayenne, so I used paprika and chili flakes. :)
Thanks for commenting Jacqueline! So glad you liked the soup. :) Hopefully the consistency turns out a little more to your liking next time!
Same happened to me!
Hi Chris! I’m sorry the recipe didn’t turn out for you. We just retested this recipe recently and it turned out just fine. I’m not sure what went wrong for you!
I made this tonight as I have been desperately searching for a simple Asian soup recipe! This was delicious!
I added baked tofu and broccoli to the soup along with some green onion on top and it was amazing. I did omit the salt just because I didn’t think it needed it.
I think next time I will not simmer the veggies as long because i tend to like them a little crunchier (personal preference!). Thank you so much for this recipe! Will make it again and especially great for anyone coming down with a cold (me).
Will be making this again!
Hi Anne –
So glad you like this soup! Adding tofu and broccoli is a great idea – I bet that made it even better. :) Thanks for your comment!
Tha’ts alot of sodium. Is it really necessary?
If you need to cut down on the amount of sodium, you could use reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce and omit the teaspoon of sea salt. Hope that helps!
How many people does this serve
It serves 4 people. :)
I’m going to tweak the recipe a bit as I hate onions (but feel some mushrooms would be awesome). Do soba noodles reheat well?
Totally understandable haha! Mushrooms would be killer in this soup – and soba noodles reheat well in this soup. :)
I made this soup tonight! OMG sooooo good! It tastes like healthy ramen noodles!!!!
So happy you liked it! This is one of my favorite soups EVER.
Most soba noodles on the market are a mix of both buckwheat and regular wheat, just fyi. If you want 100% buckwheat only noodles, I have only seen them sold online, although I’m sure there are some health food stores that sell them. Just a heads up!
We ended up finding ours at a small health food store in Greenwood, IN of all places! You can definitely find them online – we have to do that with a specific kind of rice noodles that we love! Have you had any luck finding GF soba in stores?
I’ve found 100% buckwheat soba noodles at Whole Foods. There are several brands on the market now.
Erica –
Glad to hear that you found them! I’ve noticed lots of new options popping up, too. Good news!
I made this soup last night, it was my first time using soba noodles. I absolutely loved it!! So light, so many flavors. The veggie choice is perfect in this soup although I may experiment with bean sprouts and maybe some cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Sounds like pho!! Thanks for sharing, I will be making this forever.
Mmm – bean sprouts! That would be perfect in this soup! I’ll DEFINITELY be adding those the next time we make a pot. So glad you enjoyed!
Hello! This looks amazing! I don’t have any bok choy on hand, do you have any suggestions of substitutes? Thank you :)
Cabbage is a good substitute for bok choy. Celery would work, too. Let me know what you use!
My gf can’t eat onions or garlic. I could probably put a bit in and it wouldn’t hurt, but do you have anything else I could add instead to keep it hearty?
I would suggest adding more bok choy and maybe even 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped celery. Let us know what works!
A lovely soup. I too love soup and could eat every day. Have a Happy Wednesday.
We’re in the same boat! It’s just too good. :) Thanks, and you too!
Now this sounds awesome. I love a good asian soup, and buckwheat soba noodles are my absolute favourite!
It hits the spot! And soba noodles are going to become a common item around here. :)
I had forgotten how tasty these can be. Friday night didn’t really want to cook but glad I did.
Hi Diane –
I’m a big fan of soba noodles. :) Glad you decided to cook and that you enjoyed the recipe!
Did you add the noodles back to the soup and veggies before or after the 15 min. simmer?
You’ll add the noodles and veggies before the final 15 minute simmer. :)
Thanks! ;=}