Sesame Noodle Salad

Sesame Noodle Salad is the perfect dish for end-of-summer picnics and potlucks since it is good at any temperature. If it's fresh out of the refrigerator, I figure it is good—from a food safety standpoint—for three hours at room temperature. Get out your big bowl for this recipe; it makes a lot!

If you're taking a lunch to work, this is perfect. Just divvy it up into glass storage containers of whatever size matches your appetite, and you're all set for the next four days.

I love mung bean sprouts but left them out of the recipe because they are not always readily available. And to go main-dish with this salad, it is wonderful with slices of chicken breast. 

For years I've seen similar salads called "Asian" noodle salad. I avoid that since I like to be very specific, down to not just a country but often a region of a country or even a city, if possible. With Chinese soy sauce, Japanese toasted sesame oil, and Italian spaghetti, I thought I'd better just call it Sesame Noodle Salad!

 

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Sesame Noodle Salad

(Makes 12 to 16 servings)

The Dressing

(Makes 1 1/2 cups—you'll have extra)

1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces/118 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces/118 ml) low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) fresh lime or lemon juice

1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) red wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less, depending your heat tolerance)

The Salad

8 ounces (227 grams) whole grain spaghetti (I like Barilla)

1 12-ounce (340 grams) package Broccoli Slaw (mostly shredded broccoli)

1/2 10-ounce package (5 ounces/142 grams) shredded carrots

1/2 large English cucumber (to make 5 ounces/142 grams julienned)

1 medium red bell pepper (to make 5 ounces/142 grams julienned)

1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) lightly salted dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

A handful of chopped cilantro leaves

Optional: 3 green onions (scallions), green part only, thinly sliced

1 In a 2-cup glass measure, whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside to "meld" while you make the salad. You might even make it the day before.

2 In a 3-quart saucepan, bring 6 1/2 cups of water with 3/4 teaspoon of salt to a rapid boil. Add the spaghetti and cook a minute past package's "al dente" instructions. I cooked the Barilla whole grain spaghetti for 8 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold tap water, drain thoroughly, and put it in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup of the dressing.

Note: If it's still available when you're reading this, there is a fabulous deal on the lidded bowl and glass measuring cup sold together!

3 I know the packages of various prepped salad things say things like "thoroughly washed," "ready to use," "triple washed." But I'm a little too fussy to take their word for it. AND giving them a wash and spin hydrates and freshens them up for your salad. So do that to the broccoli slaw and shredded carrots, or not—I won't judge—and add them to the mixing bowl along with another 1/4 cup of the dressing and toss to combine. 

4 Add the remaining ingredients and more dressing, reserving at least 1/4 cup that might be needed at serving time (the pasta absorbs a lot, and you don't want a dry salad). Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours. Any leftover dressing will not go to waste; it's delicious on any salad. 

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Jean

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