fbpx

Tag: cold noodles

Cold Ramen

Cold Ramen

July and August in Japan (and really almost everywhere) can be incredibly hot and humid. So instead of steaming hot bowls of noodle soups, they turn to cold noodles, including this hiyashi chuka, a vibrantly colorful cold ramen noodle bowl. Hiyashi Chuka translates to “chilled Chinese”, read more

Peanut Noodles

Peanut Noodles

These cold Peanut Noodles and summer are a perfect match. They are topped with cooling, crunchy veggies, and the peanut sauce is hands down the best you’ve ever had. Both the sauce and the noodles can be prepped the day before, which makes these peanut read more

Noodle Salad

Noodle Salad

Do you have a go to item that works for any occasion? My Noodle Salad is that kind of dish. Potluck night with friends? Check. Sunday Bbq? Check. Light Luncheon? Yup. A last minute side dish for dinner? Gotcha again. I’ve got nothing in the fridge and I need to eat something now?! We’ve got you covered.

This Noodle Salad is incredibly versatile, goes well with almost anything else you might be serving, but can be served by itself in a pinch, can be made ahead of time, can sit out at room temperature, makes great leftovers, and it’s lightning fast to make. Plus the only cooking required is to boil some water, it can be made with whatever veggies you have on hand, it’s vegetarian, and also gluten free. If that doesn’t tick most of your boxes, you need new boxes. So what are you waiting for?

noodle salad ingredients

Noodle Salad Dressing

Cold noodle salads are very popular in Vietnam. They can include all kinds of grilled meats, seafood, veggies or tofu, and feature addictively tangy dressings. This salad is more pan asian, combining several different influences. The origins of the salad may be Vietnamese but the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in the dressing are definitely more East Asian. It’s a delicious mishmash I think you’ll enjoy. The dressing comes together in minutes, and you can make it ahead of time and keep in the fridge.

dressing noodle salad

Noodle Salad Veggies

With the dressing done, it’s time to prep the veggies. Meal preppers-you can chop everything before hand and keep in the fridge until ready to serve. I picked these vegetables because they are the ones I usually have on hand. You can feel free to substitute the veggies for whatever you like. Sturdy vegetables such as edamame, snow peas, baby kale, cucumber, or radishes would all work well in this salad.

carrots noodle salad

cabbage noodle salad

cilantro noodle salad

 

Once the veggies are cut, it’s time to make the noodles. I use rice vermicelli noodles. They cook really quickly and they are a delicious gluten free noodle. To cook them, just drop them in a pot of boiling water, turn off the heat, and let them sit for 2-3 minutes. It’s a good idea to check the suggested cooking time on the package, since there are tons of different brands available.

Rinse the noodles under water to cool them down and remove some of the exterior starch. Let them thoroughly drain. I like to chop them so they are more manageable and you can have noodles and veggies in every bite. I know… it’s sacrilege to cut noodles in Asia but practically speaking, Italians have a million different pasta shapes to choose from and we’re mostly stuck with long strands in Asia. What’s a girl to do? Cut, cut, cut!

drain noodle salad

Then I add the veggies and noodles to a bowl and mix it all up.

mix noodle salad

Finally, I dress the noodle salad,  garnish with the fried shallots, and dig in! Don’t leave out the shallots, they add welcomed crunch and flavor.

shallots noodle salad

Noodle Salad is a bright and vibrant meal, or a quick side, and leftovers make an excellent lunch. Give it a try and let me know what you think; leave a comment and rate the recipe, and tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love seeing your creations!

beauty noodle salad

 

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
noodle salad recipe card

Noodle Salad

  • Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4-6 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: Vietnamese

Ingredients

Scale

Dressing :

  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 Tablespoons grated onion

For the Salad: 

  • 4 oz dried rice vermicelli noodles
  • ¼ green cabbage (if you can find taiwanese cabbage use it) shredded, about 2 cups
  • 1 medium carrot julienned
  • 2 cups baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
  • 3 scallions finely sliced
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fried shallots

Instructions

Make the dressing:

  1. In a jar or small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, neutral oil, sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated onion.
  2. Set aside until ready to use.

Make the Salad:

  1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Drop the noodles in and stir.
  2. Turn off the heat and let the noodles sit 2-3 mins.
  3. Drain under cool running water.
  4. Set aside in a colander to drain off all water. You can also lay the noodles on a paper towel or spin it in a salad spinner to remove the water.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the noodles, the cabbage, carrots, spinach, scallions, cilantro, and the dressing.
  6. Toss to incorporate all of the ingredients.
  7. Top with the shallots and serve.

Keywords: noodles, gluten free, vegan, vietnamese

Cold Soba

Cold Soba

Summers in Japan can be as oppressively hot and humid as summers in Miami. So it’s no wonder that one of the most popular noodle dishes is a cold one, known as zaru soba. Cold Soba is a refreshing, nourishing meal when it feels almost read more