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Easy Peanut Noodle Salad

Hello and welcome! Let’s kick off this first week of May with a super simple, Easy Peanut Noodle Salad. I love this salad for lunch, it’s quick and easy to prepare. It’s also great as a light dinner, or side dish. It’s also easily customizable: I am using ramen noodles, but you can use spaghetti, rice noodles, soba noodles…you can swap the green cabbage for red; add cucumbers. You can even swap the peanut butter in the dressing for almond butter. Get creative – let’s jump right in!

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Peanut Sauce

The peanut sauce dressing this noodle salad comes together quickly in a blender. We have lime juice, toasted sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, orange juice, peanut butter, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, kosher salt and a dash of sriracha sauce.

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Toss all these in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste the dressing and add more of anything you think it needs: more sriracha if you like it spicy, more salt if you like… Set the dressing aside and cook your noodles of choice according to the package directions. I am using three packets of dried ramen noodles; I like their bouncy, chewy texture.

While the water is coming to a boil and the noodles are cooking, prep the rest of the salad ingredients.

The Salad Part

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The measurements are ratios for the salad ingredients are really up to you. I have half of a small green cabbage, sliced thinly like for slaw. I have a handful of matchstick-cut carrots; one red bell pepper, sliced thin; half of a jalapeño, diced; 3 scallions, sliced thin; and half a bunch of cilantro, rough chopped – stems and leaves.

Toss the salad together.

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When the noodles are cooked to al dente, drain them and rinse them in cold water until they are cooled. Add the noodles to the tossed salad.

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Pour the peanut dressing over the noodles and the salad. You can use tongs to coat the noodles and the salad in dressing, but I think using your hands is way easier. So just get in there with your hands and toss the noodles and salad in the dressing to coat.

Easy, quick, Asian-inspired, Salad, Appetizer, Side Dish, Light Dinner, Cold Noodle Salad, Peanut Sauce, Thai cuisine, Simple Recipe, Vegan, Vegetarian cooking, vegetarian recipe, vegan recipe, vegan cooking, plant based recipe, plant based cooking

Easy Peanut Noodle Salad

Easy, quick, Asian-inspired, Salad, Appetizer, Side Dish, Light Dinner, Cold Noodle Salad, Peanut Sauce, Thai cuisine, Simple Recipe, Vegan, Vegetarian cooking, vegetarian recipe, vegan recipe, vegan cooking, plant based recipe, plant based cooking

Serve in a wide shallow bowl and top with crushed peanuts, cilantro, mint, lime wedges and more sriracha sauce (if you like).

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So refreshing and flavorful, this Easy Peanut Noodle Salad has a wonderful variety of textures; with the bouncy, chewy noodles; the crunchy cabbage and carrots; red bell pepper adds a juicy, crispy bite – all dressed in a savory/sweet/spicy peanut sauce. Don’t forget about the fresh herbs! Cilantro and mint bring such a great freshness to this dish.

I hope you give this Easy Peanut Noodle Salad a try, it’s so simple and quick to prepare, with a huge flavor payoff. Great for the hot days of summer, pin this recipe – it’s sure to be on repeat all summer long! Try another cold noodle salad: Mediterranean Tuna Salad with Pasta Take care and be well, xo Kelly

Kitchen Items Used in This Recipe

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Easy Peanut Noodle Salad

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (9 votes, average: 4.44 out of 5)
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Dinner, Main Course, Lunch, Appetizer, Side Dish Thai, Asian-inspired
By Adapted from Sylvia Fountaine Serves: 2-4
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes Total Time: 20 Minutes

Easy Peanut Noodle Salad features chewy cold noodles tossed with veggies and fresh herbs – dressed in a savory, sweet, spicy peanut sauce.

Ingredients

  • Peanut Sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp. Grated Fresh Ginger
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, grated
  • 1/4 cup Peanut Butter (or almond butter)
  • 1/4 cup Orange Juice
  • 3 tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice (about 2 limes)
  • 2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
  • 3 tbsp. Honey
  • 3 tbsp. Toasted Sesame Oil
  • Squirt of Sriracha Sauce
  • 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
  • Peanut Noodle Salad
  • Half of a Small Green Cabbage, sliced thinly like for slaw.
  • 1 Handful of Matchstick-cut Carrots
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced thin
  • Half of 1 Jalapeño, diced
  • 3 scallions, sliced thin
  • Half a bunch of Cilantro, rough chopped – stems and leaves
  • 6-9 oz. Dried Noodles (or 3 Ramen Noodles Packages)
  • Lime Wedges, for garnish
  • Crushed Peanuts, for garnish
  • Mint Leaves, for garnish
  • Cilantro Leaves, for garnish

Instructions

Peanut Sauce

1

Combine Peanut Sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, set aside. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

Peanut Noodle Salad

2

Cook noodles to al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.

3

Combine veggies in a large bowl and toss.

4

Add cooled noodles to the bowl with the veggies. Pour on Peanut Sauce dressing.

5

Toss to coat veggies and noodles in the peanut sauce dressing.

6

Garnish portions with lime wedges, crushed peanuts, cilantro, mint leaves and extra sriracha, if desired.

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  • Mari
    May 2, 2022 at 9:54 am

    I love it that you seem to intuitively know what we are all buying. I just bought a small case of ramen noodles. Sometimes I use the miso packets with them, but there are times I want something different, and here you have something delightfully different. This is going to be made a lot during the long days of spring and summer. If we ever find where spring has been playing hookey, we seriously need to have a talk with her. Gorgeous sunshiny day after a late night cacophony of thunder and lightning. It’s cold, but at least she’s trying. Yesterday when I referenced preppers, I was referring to people who go in for long term food storage, so we were talking about two different things, although we did reach the same conclusions. Namely we don’t have room or the time and energy! Happy sunny Monday to Kelly, Alex, Terry, Dante and the Ladies. Have a wonderful day people, you’ve earned it. ?☀️

    • Kelly Djalali
      May 2, 2022 at 10:34 am

      Hi Mari! Well I am glad we arrived at the same conclusion, even if we got there along different paths. I hope your sunshine continues and the temperatures warm up soon. I think you will enjoy these cold peanut noodles, it’s really simple and an easy go-to for any day. Have a great Monday! xo Kelly

  • Stephanie Bailey
    May 23, 2022 at 9:23 am

    Hi,
    I have made this delicious noodle salad twice in the last few weeks. My husband found bulk ramen noodles at the Asian grocery with wonderful cabbage. I added extra carrots and 2 big squirts of sriracha and it was not too spicy. A nice way to get your veggies with a filling meal.

    • Kelly Djalali
      May 23, 2022 at 6:27 pm

      Hi Stephanie, I love this peanut noodle salad, it’s so cool and refreshing, but wonderfully filling – in the best way! xo Kelly

  • Betsy
    May 23, 2022 at 10:20 am

    I made this salad last night, and it was delish! The dressing was just the perfect consistency, and we loved the crunch from the salad ingredients. The jalapeno and cilantro just add so much flavor. We will put this one on rotation during the summer. Thanks Kelly!

    • Kelly Djalali
      May 23, 2022 at 6:24 pm

      I am so happy this one was hit for you Betsy! xo Kelly