Cold Asian Noodle Salad (with Peanut Sauce)

This Asian-inspired dish is easy to make ahead with simple ingredients. It’s one of my go-to dishes with a 25 year track record for guest-pleasing recipes. Since cold salads need to sit in the fridge to let the flavors marry, you can make it up to 24 hours ahead.

When you serve it at room temperature it holds up safely for a couple of hours since there’s no mayonnaise or dairy. I love it for outdoor gatherings like summer cookouts and backyard bbq’s, plus it feeds a crowd for potluck parties and graduation parties.

Helpful Tips

Aside from boiling the noodles there’s no other cooking involved. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous pinch of salt to cook pasta noodles according to the package instructions. You want them just passed the al dente point. Noodles should be soft but not mushy.

Break the long noodles in half before cooking them so they’re easier to eat.

While the noodles cook you can cut the vegetables and mix the dressing together. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process and remove the starch, then drain fully.

Red or yellow bell pepper is a good addition or substitution for the carrots. Slice them into very thin strips, julienne style.

Make sure you give the salad a good mix after it’s been sitting in the fridge for a while as some of the dressing may have pooled in the bottom of the bowl.

Ingredient Notes

• Noodles. I use whole wheat thin spaghetti, but other options are angel hair pasta, vermicelli, or soba noodles. Soba noodles are Japanese buckwheat noodles that cook quickly and are vegan.
• Cucumbers. Use English cucumbers that are seedless and usually sold single in plastic wrap, or simply scrape out the seeds of regular cucumbers.
• Shredded carrots. Make life easy and just buy a package of shredded carrots. No need to make extra work for your self!
• Peanuts. You can use dry roasted or salted nuts depending on your personal preference.

Dressing

• Coconut milk. This is the canned coconut milk found in the baking section, not the dairy beverage substitute.
• Sesame Oil. This is not a cooking oil; it’s a flavor ingredient used in a lot of Asian and Thai dishes.

Serving Suggestions

Add this recipe to a Chinese themed dinner party or Asian theme party and serve it in take out boxes with chopsticks. Include Asian-style tuna wonton cups for an appetizers, and include teriyaki chicken skewers or plank grilled salmon to round out the meal.

More Cold Pasta Salads

• Broccoli Pasta Salad with Peanuts
• Thai Noodle Salad with Shrimp
• Classic Creamy Pasta Salad with mayonnaise
• Pesto Pasta Salad with Veggies

This cold Asian noodle salad is addictive! Serve it at your next ladies luncheon or add it to your list of summer side dishes and watch it disappear.