Description
Cold Peanut Noodle Salad is a refreshing, flavorful dish featuring tender noodles tossed in a creamy, tangy peanut dressing with crisp vegetables. It’s ideal for lunches, picnics, or light dinners.
Ingredients
- 8 oz noodles (soba, rice noodles, or spaghetti)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cucumber, julienned
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or basil, chopped (optional)
- 1/4 cup peanuts or cashews, chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar or lime juice
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2–4 tbsp water (to thin dressing)
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to package directions until just tender.
- Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water to stop cooking and cool them.
- Prepare the vegetables by slicing or shredding carrots, bell peppers, cucumber, and green onions.
- In a bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and water until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled noodles with the vegetables.
- Pour the dressing over the noodle mixture and toss to coat evenly.
- Top with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, and fresh herbs if using.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more soy sauce or lime juice if needed.
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.No reheating needed — enjoy chilled straight from the fridge.If the dressing thickens in the fridge, loosen with a splash of water, soy sauce, or lime juice.Add protein like tofu, grilled chicken, shrimp, or edamame to make it a full meal.Use tamari and gluten-free noodles for a gluten-free version.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
