Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad with Cashews

A cold noodle salad packed with flavor, crisp veggies, nuts & seeds, all drizzled in a sesame, soy, lime & ginger dressing – Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad with Cashews is the real deal if you’re looking for delicious & incredibly easy. Did I mention it’s also make ahead? 

This is such a perfect pot luck meal: it makes a generous amount & is easily doubled, plus it’s actually better made ahead of serving making it great to load up & take on the road. 

Like a picnic. Is it too early to talk picnics yet? It’s not winter everywhere in the world. Winter I’m done with you now, I want to wear less, ride my bike & plant a veggie garden. I want to visit the farmer’s market on a Saturday morning. Be in the sunshine & get some vitamin D. I even looked up the long range forecast through until the end of March. Desperate. 

Have you ever tried soba noodles before? They’re wonderful in a salad. Made from buckwheat they’re gluten-free & best of all, they only take 5 minutes to cook. Once cooked it’s a quick rinse under cold water & they’re ready. 

And once the noodles are done, there’s no other cooking required, just some veggie chopping & a salad dressing to be made…

The dressing is quick & very flavorsome – soy, sesame oil, lime juice, ginger, garlic, honey & hot sauce. And it requires little more exertion that shaking everything together in a jar. Which was a reminder to start using my dumbbells again & get rid of these bingo wings. 

A disclaimer – this recipe isn’t my creation. I discovered a blog I really like called Vanilla & Bean. The blog’s creator, Traci, lives on Whidbey Island, Washington (state). That in itself makes me jealous. Traci’s blog consists of vegetarian & sweet recipes. And they’re recipes I want to make. I’ve already printed off a few recipes to try. Head over & look at her blog, regardless if you’re a meat-eater, the recipes & photography are worth a look. I made a tweak here & there with this recipe & was thrilled with the taste & texture. We’re having it for dinner tonight – with wine of course (beer would also be very good as a pairing). And I don’t give a toss that it’s bloody freezing & miserable out & soup or stew would be more suitable. 

I need a fresh, crunchy salad with slippery noodles jam-packed with lots of flavor & a little heat. And I get to use chopsticks. Everything tastes better with chopsticks. 

If you love Asian-style food & want a bright, fresh recipe like this, then try my Mango Cashew Rice Rolls. They can be made ahead of time & a delicious way to include more fresh veg & fruit in your diet. Which  you’re doing right? Right??

All this food talk has left me starving. That & the anticipation of this salad. Now, if you really need to add some meat, anything grilled would be good – duck, pork, chicken, beef or wild. Or what about some peking duck or roasted pork from a Chinese market? A fantastic combination. *sigh* the things I miss from living in a big city. I’m going to enjoy the vegetarian version of this, chopsticks, wine & a couple of squirts of sriracha sauce. Until next time, toodles, Lovoni xo. 

Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad with Cashews

2018-02-13 08:57:04

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Ingredients

1. 1/2 lb (226g) dried soba noodles
2. 3/4 cup toasted cashews
3. 1 large red bell peppers (capsicum), thinly sliced
4. 6 oz (170g) sugar snap peas, thinly sliced diagonally
5. 2 handfuls finely shredded cabbage
6. 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
7. 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
8. 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) or Thai basil, extra for garnish
9. SESAME GINGER DRESSING
10. 1/4 cup soy sauce
11. 1/4 cup toasted sesame seed oil
12. 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
13. 2 tablespoons sriracha sauce, plus extra to serve
14. 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus a few wedges to serve
15. 1 inch (2.5cm) piece of ginger, peeled & finely grated
16. 2 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

1. To make the dressing: Place all ingredients in a jar; shake until well combined.
2. Cook soba noodles according to package directions. I cooked the noodles for just shy of 5 minutes then drained them into a colander & rinsed them until cold water.
3. Toss the noodles & 1/2 the dressing together in a large bowl. Add cashews, pepper, peas, cabbage, green onions, sesame seeds & cilantro. Cover & refrigerate for 30 minutes for the flavors to marry.
4. Add the remaining dressing & toss to combine. Serve the salad with extra cilantro leaves, lime wedges & cilantro. Serves 6.

By Lovoni

Lovoni Walker https://lovoniwalker.com/