When summer’s heat and humidity cranks into high gear, there are few dishes more appealing to eat—or cook, for that matter—than a big bowl of cold noodles. Tossed with a variety of crispy veggies and an irresistibly flavorful sauce, a top notch noodle salad is truly irresistible, whether you’re at a potluck or eating leftovers at home.
We’ve rounded up the best noodle salads for keeping cool all summer long, and they incorporate all sorts of noodles, from buckwheat soba noodles to rice noodles, glass noodles, pasta noodles, and even zucchini noodles. The sauces range from garlicky and nutty to tangy and bright. Learn how to make your new favorite summertime meal.
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Spring Roll Bowl
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Absolutely a beautiful summer dish with many flavors and textures.” —Carmela Gonzalez
Garlic Sesame Noodles
Served cold, this Asian noodle dish is saucy, garlicky, and just a little spicy. Toss with veggies and green onions for some fresh crunch.
Zucchini Noodle Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
An easy “zoodle” recipe with a light, refreshing, creamy buttermilk sauce. Olives provide a little extra tang and flavor for a well-rounded, unique dish.
Chilled Lo Mein Noodles with Szechuan Peppercorns
Allrecipes Magazine
“Delicious! Just the right amount of kick without being too spicy. Would make again as it was very easy and relatively quick to make. Felt like a good compromise between eating healthy and indulging.” —Elizabeth Currier
Mat Hatter Salad
“I’ll probably never prepare regular slaw again. Made the 6 serving recipe to take to a friends house tomorrow for a get together. Kept wet (slaw and dressing) and dry ingredients (seeds and noodles) separate. Dished some out for a taste test. It was so good that I didn’t stop until it was obvious that I will have to make another batch tomorrow.” —SKERICHERI
Summer Pasta Salad
“I have been making this salad for years and it is one of my grown boys’ favorites. You can basically add whatever you want for personal taste. I always add a dry package of zesty Italian dressing as well as Salad Supreme (in the spice dept) Try it…..it will still be AWESOME” —Cheryl Dressler
Ants Climbing a Tree Glass Noodles
John Mitzewich
“As mentioned above in response to a question, I couldn’t find a spicy bean sauce, so used gochujang instead (my Chinese mother-in-law is wincing somewhere right now) and manoh man, this was superb. Husband slammed his portion down and eyed mine until it was gone too.” —Allrecipes member
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“I had this recipe years ago and lost it. I was so happy to find it again. I live a short distance from Des Moines, IA and in the summer on Saturdays they have a large farmers market where it’s easy to find Napa cabbage and green onions. But I didn’t think I can wait for next summer for cheaper ingredients because this is a great salad.” —Sherrill Daniels
Japanese Soba Noodle Salad
“I really enjoyed this salad. It was light, tasty, and fresh. I added some edamame beans for a little protein. I can see adding all sorts of veggies or other proteins to this!” —LauraF
Hiyashi Chuka Noodles
“The soup for this is phenomenal. Tastes so very much like what I remember from my years in Japan. It is such a refreshing meal in the heat & humidity! Love this version. So easy, and so tasty.” —Beth Broadwater
Tamarind Tofu with Vegetables and Soba
“Delicious. Absolutely delicious. I used whatever vegetables I had on hand. I also cheated and used tamarind paste. Thank you for the recipe.” —Buckwheat Queen
Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef & Noodles
“Both my husband and I agreed, that this one is a ‘do again’.” —Kim’s Cooking Now
Sichuan Cold Noodle Salad
“This is super easy to put together. I used tamari sauce, needing to keep it gluten free. The Sichuan pepper makes it so good. I limited the garlic and added a bit of fresh pounded ginger. I also used homemade “pulled” la mian gluten free noodles made from rice flours and starch. Thank you for the recipe.” —Buckwheat Queen
Zaru Soba
“So good!! Better than the bottled soba sauce. I’m never buying the sauce again. Not too salty at all. For protein, I paired this with thinly sliced grilled lemon chicken breast and it was amazing. Thank you for the recipe!!!!” —shohty56
Korean Glass Noodles (Jap Chae)
“I love this recipe. Tasted very much like an authentic recipe I had served to me at a celebration (which I’ve heard is a traditional use for this dish). I didn’t have sweet potato noodles on hand so I used plain glass noodles, which worked well. I recommend being careful to not overcook the noodles in water since they essentially get cooked twice. I also doubled the sauce mix and instead of spinach, and I used seaweed (similar to that used in seaweed salad) which gave some great flavor!” —Megleejo
Amazing Peanut Soba Noodles
“I’ve made this recipe several times now for myself and for family. There is something very satisfying about it, especially if you are craving Chinese or Thai food.” —Bubby
Pomelo Salad with Rice Vermicelli
“Made this and forgot about it until the next day. I had never had a pomelo and the fish sauce, rice vinegar and brown sugar worked very well together. I served this with the Thai steamed fish and jasmine rice. Very nice meal. Thanks for a new fruit!” —gderr the dysfunctional
Thai Rice Noodle Salad
“I will definitely make this dish again! Flavorful, fresh, and light… delicious.” —Christine Wood Bouma
Chicken Noodle Salad
“Fabulous with so many tastes that mix beautifully and burst in your mouth! I will definitely have this salad often!” —Sarah J Bradford
Thai-Inspired Noodle Salad
“Love it! Always looking for cold salad recipes, and this one is a good one. Love the flavor so much that I will double the sauce next time. Very versatile too. I added some diced cucumber that I needed to use up and it gave this a little crunch… Thanks for sharing.” —Dave
Grilled Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad
“Good! Like others, I substituted fish sauce for anchovy paste. I didn’t have peaches, so doubled the cabbage (red) and I didn’t have basil. It still came out great! I would love to try again exactly as listed but this is a nice versatile recipe.” —Anjali
Shrimp and Soba Noodle Salad
“Delicious and easy… I will definitely make it again, maybe today.” —Jill
Cold Schezuan Noodles and Shredded Vegetables
“I have made this recipe for potlucks, for company, for the family, and for friends. It always gets rave reviews.” —Kimberly Gattey
Spicy Rice Noodle Salad
“This was a fantastic treat, and something different than the usual salads we make. I marinaded the chicken thighs in a combination of sriracha, sesame oil, soya sauce, honey, garlic and pepper, and when we topped off the salad with that, it was perfect…..awesome blend of sweet, sour, spicy, and mint :)” —Pcom
Sesame Noodle Salad
“I brought this dish to a small party and everyone was going in for seconds! Excellent flavors and will definitely make again.” —Linda
“This dressing is amazing. I made extra and added it to my serving at the table. This salad is very versatile and i have used the same dressing on my own variations of this salad.” —ummbarhuma
Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad
“Loved this recipe! Easy to make and a light/refreshing, yet very flavorful salad. Reminded me of what my mom used to make when I was growing up…Will make this recipe again!” —SZYQ1
Deviled Egg Noodle Salad
“Creative twist on the deviled egg. Definitely a fun idea for potlucks. I was pleasantly surprised that this is great by itself for lunch; it was sufficiently flavorful and filling, and you don’t have to feel guilty or gross for making a meal out of “deviled eggs”… We used sriracha for the hot sauce and it provides the right amount of punch and flavor.” —Victoria
Zucchini Noodle Salad with Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
“Very nice – light and refreshing. I love all the ingredients and wouldn’t change a thing. Will certainly make again.” —MissJaneDoe
Cold Soba Noodles with Pork Tenderloin
“My family and I all loved this! I was very surprised as I typically do not like peanut-flavored main dishes and halfway through making the dressing I thought I was going to hate it. I couldn’t stop snitching the noodles even before I chilled them!” —NoMarthaS
Spicy Cold Soba Noodles
“Really liked this recipe… It kept well overnight and was even better the next day. Indeed, these noodles are great for a snack or even breakfast.” —Buckwheat Queen
