Sesame-Ginger Rainbow Noodle Salad
This noodle salad might not technically be pasta but it is extremely delicious and flavorful. It features some of my favorite Asian ingredients: hearty Japanese noodles, spicy Thai sriracha, and a generous kick of toasted sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. For the crunchy veggies, I use snow peas, cucumber, yellow bell peppers, and red cabbage, but feel free to use whatever fresh crunchy vegetables you have on hand or enjoy most. To keep this gluten-free, use brown rice noodles (or another gluten-free noodle of choice). Some soba noodles are gluten-free (soba = buckwheat = gluten-free), but many varieties of soba noodles also contain wheat and are therefore not gluten-free.
Servings: 3 (or more, if protein is added)
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170g) udon noodles or soba noodles (use brown rice noodles for gluten-free)
Sesame-Ginger Almond Sauce
- 4 tablespoons creamy almond butter
- 1/2 – 1 ½ tablespoons Sriracha (use 1/2 tablespoon for a mild version; 1 ½ tablespoons for a spicy version)
- 1 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon agave nectar (can substitute cane sugar or maple syrup)
- 1/2 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ inch piece ginger, grated or minced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- 2 cups finely chopped crunchy raw veggies, such as bell peppers, snow peas, cucumbers, red or Chinese cabbage, carrots, or sugar snap peas
- 1 ½ cups (225g) shelled edamame
Toppings
- 1 small handful cilantro, chopped
- 3-4 scallions, sliced on an angle
- 1-2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions, then drain and submerge in cool water until chilled.
- Meanwhile, make the Sesame-Ginger Almond Sauce. Place the almond butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Warm for 25 seconds until somewhat runny and smooth. Add all of the other ingredients except for the water, and whisk until combined. Add the water to thin into a pourable sauce. You could also skip the microwave step and mix all of the ingredients in a food processor (if you do, no need to finely mince the ginger and garlic).
- Once the noodles are chilled, add to the large bowl with the sauce and toss to combine. Add the chopped veggies and edamame, toss again to combine. Garnish with the cilantro, scallions, and sesame seeds.
Video
VEGAN PASTA FOR SUMMER | pasta three ways
Nutrition
Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 829mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 561IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 203mg | Iron: 5mg