Asian Noodle Salad
This is a very flexible recipe that will accommodate a wide range of substitutions and different vegetable combinations, so think of this as a template or a basic version that you can mix up depending on taste and what you have in your fridge. Scroll to the end for a list of other suggested ingredients.
Ingredients
8 ounces medium Chinese noodles or thin spaghetti
two carrots, peeled and finely cut/julienned
1 cucumber, peeled, halved and sliced. Seeds removed if you prefer
3 green onions, sliced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 head Chinese cabbage, sliced
1/2 bunch kale, leaves torn off the stalks and shredded
2 cups peanuts, chopped
For the Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil (Not extra virgin as it has too strong a flavor for this recipe)
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
Method
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles or spaghetti to al dente according to the package directions. Drain, rinse and let cool. The rinsing is important because it washes of the starch at minimizes the noodles sticking together in one big lump as they cool.
Mix together the cooked noodles, all the vegetables and the crushed peanuts.
Whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil and garlic in a medium bowl.
Pour the dressing over the salad and mix together with tongs or your hands. If the salad seems a little dry, just mix up a little more of the wet ingredients of the dressing and throw it in to your taste.
Transfer to a large platter and serve.
This makes a fairly large serving of noodle salad and it will only be good for a couple of days in the fridge once you’ve mixed in the dressing before the veggies go soggy. So, if you don’t think you can finish it all in that timeframe, divide the whole thing in half and only dress one part while keeping the undressed portion in a tightly sealed Tupperware until you’re ready for it. Without the dressing it should keep for up to a week.
Here’s a list of substitutions/alternative veggies that will also work well:
Switch out half the Chinese cabbage for half a red cabbage, shredded
Bean sprouts
Thinly sliced sweet peppers
Bok choy, tatsoi or komatsuna
Daikon radishes