Sunny days are few and far between here on the west coast, but when we do get a beautiful warm sunny day it’s mandatory to spend the day in the sun instead of in the kitchen. This cold noodle salad is the perfect lunch or snack to pack up and bring to the beach. Even though I use spaghetti noodles in this recipe you can feel free to use a more traditional soba, that is if you can figure out how to perfectly cook them without them getting gummy or falling apart when marinated over night in the dressing.
Cold Sesame Noodle Salad
For the Salad:
- 1 package of Spaghetti noodles, cooked as per instructions for al dente, drained and rinsed under cold water
- 2 stocks of celery, sliced on the bias and roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled, julienne or shredded
- 1 red pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 bunch of green onions, sliced thinly on the bias
- 1/4 cup of cilantro leaves, roughly torn apart
- 1/4 cup of toasted sesame seeds
Dressing:
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 thumb size piece of ginger, minced
- 1 – 2 tsp dried red chili flakes
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 2 tbsp unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp sesame oil or 1 tbsp toasted sesame and 2 tbsp of a neutral oil (canola, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed ect.)
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- Black Pepper
Directions:
In a very large bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the dressing, tasting and adjusting seasoning to your taste. Add the cilantro, green onions, and well-drained pasta to the bowl, tossing well, to coat every noodle with the dressing. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Refrigerate over night or as long as you can possibly resist digging into this delicious salad.
Tips:
- Use a large 4.5 L lidded Rubbermaid container to make the salad in, it makes it easy to toss the ingredients around to make sure everything is evenly coated with dressing
- Serve this salad with sliced avocado and some grilled chicken or salmon for a complete meal
- This salad makes 4 – 6 meal sized servings, consider doubling the recipe for a crowd
