This Asian Noodle Salad takes inspiration from a Pioneer Woman recipe. It is one of my favorite make ahead salads for the summers because it hardly requires any cooking. With all the different veggies in it, it is so colorful and vibrant! I find it perfect on its own for lunch or as a side salad when you have friends over for a cookout. Since it does not contain any mayonnaise, it travels well to picnics and tastes great both cold and at room temperature.
Components of the Asian Noodle Salad:
The Noodle– For this salad, thin spaghetti is my noodle of choice. It is easily available in the supermarkets in the US. You can substitute the thin spaghetti with any other long noodles you like, just try to keep it on the thin side. You can also make this salad gluten free by choosing a gluten free pasta noodle or rice noodles.
The Veggies– My vegetables of choice for this salad are green and purple cabbage, baby spinach, carrots, red peppers and green onions. I find that this mix of veggies provides a nice color and textural element to the salad. Some other veggies you could consider are: boiled/shelled edamame, napa cabbage and other colors of peppers.
Tip: If you would like to save on time, buy a coleslaw mix with green cabbage, purple cabbage and carrots and use that instead!
The dressing– The dressing is what brings this salad together and makes it lip-smacking delicious. It has Asian flavors with soy sauce, lime juice, ginger. Garlic, chili garlic sauce, maple syrup and toasted sesame oil. You can definitely adjust the taste of the dressing after you make it. I like to add all the dressing ingredients to a small mason jar and shake it vigorously to mix. To make the dressing gluten free, use tamari.
Garnishes– Cilantro and chopped roasted peanuts are the garnishes for this salad. While this is a great make ahead salad, it is highly recommended that you only add these two ingredients are the time of serving. Cilantro leaves tend to darken over time and the peanuts will lose their crunch if it stays in the salad too long.
How to make it:
The only cooking involved in making this salad is the boiling of the noodles. The noodles should be completely cool before mixing the veggies. Take your time to chop the veggies- thin and long (cabbages and red pepper) if you can. The dressing is mixed separately in a mason jar. Mix the cooled noodles, veggies and dressing in a large bowl with a help of a tong. Add more or less dressing as per taste. The salad should be covered and refrigerated for at least 2-3 hours before serving. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro and roasted peanuts.
Leftover salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. I prefer to eat it the next day when the flavors have had a chance to mingle!
Key Features of the Asian Noodle Salad:
Vegan
Can be made Gluten Free if you substitute gluten free spaghetti or noodles for the regular thin spaghetti and use Tamari instead of soy sauce.
You can make it Nut-Free by omitting the roasted peanuts.
Great Make Ahead salad that almost tastes better the next day.
Extremely colorful with a rainbow of veggies.
Easily customizable by adding veggies of choice.
If you like easy salads, you may want to try these other recipes:
Roasted Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad
Asian Noodle Salad (Vegan)
A colorful and delicious Asian style noodle salad
6
servings20
minutes10
minutesIngredients
1/2 lb Thin Spaghetti
2 cups Green cabbage, thinly sliced
2 cups Purple cabbage, thinly sliced
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup thick grated carrots
1 large Red Pepper
5 stalks of green onions
1/2 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
1 cup roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped
- Dressing
1/3 cup Light Soy Sauce( or tamari for Gluten free version)
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Lemon or Lime juice
2 tablespoons Chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
3-4 cloves garlic, grated
2 tablespoons Maple syrup
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Method
- Cook the thin spaghetti as per package directions till al dente. Drain, wash it under cold water and let it cool completely.
- Cut the red pepper in about 2 inch long and thin slices. For the green onions, cut the dark green parts in 1-inch-long pieces and the white parts in thin round slices.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a mason jar, close the lid and shake vigorously to combine.
- Mix the cooled noodles, all the veggies and dressing in a large bowl with a help of a tong. Add dressing as per taste. The salad should be covered and refrigerated for at least 2-3 hours before serving. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro and roasted peanuts.
Recipe Video
Tips
- If you would like to save on time, buy a coleslaw mix with green cabbage, purple cabbage and carrots and use that instead!
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