Description
The best thing about this cold noodle salad recipe is it takes less than 30 minutes to make, yet feels like something that took much longer. Preparing the vegetables and sauce while the noodles cook saves time, making it a perfect meal for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
For the Asian Noodle Salad
- 10 ounces (283 g) regular or whole-wheat spaghetti
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (130 g, approx. 1 cup)
- 2 large carrots, grated (150 g, approx. 1 heaping cup)
- 1 cup lightly packed green onions, finely chopped (40 g)
- 1 cup, lightly packed cilantro, finely chopped (40 g)
- 2 cups finely chopped or grated cabbage (300 g, use red, green or napa cabbage or a mixture)
For the Peanut Sauce
- 1 tbsp minced ginger (10 g, omit if you don’t like ginger)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 tbsp, 15 g)
- 1/2 cup (120 g) peanut butter or almond butter
- 1.5 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2.5 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or up to 1 tbsp sriracha sauce (optional, for spicy peanut sauce)
- 2–4 tbsp water to adjust consistency
Topping Suggestions
- peanuts or cashews
- a squeeze of lime juice
- fresh chopped cilantro or Thai basil
- sriracha
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil stovetop. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop all the vegetables and add to a large mixing or salad bowl.
- To make the dressing, blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Start with 2 tbsp of water and increase up to 5 tbsp to adjust the consistency. It should be fairly thick and creamy but still pourable.
- When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and rinse under cold water then add back to the pot with 3 tbsp of water and mix to coat.
- Add the pasta to the bowl with the chopped veggies.
- Top with the sauce and mix well.
- Serve right away topped with optional peanuts or cashews, sriracha and a squeeze of lime juice.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
This can easily be adjusted to make 2-4 servings. Simple make as much pasta as you want, use a bit less veggies, top with desired amount of sauce then store any extra in the fridge for dipping tofu in, using on another salad or stirfry or in a wrap.
I suggest cooking pasta to well rather than al dente to prevent the noodles from drying out after cooking. They should be fully cooked but not so overdone that they’re mushy. I let them cook about 30 seconds longer than the suggested time on the box.