Food

Crunchy Asian noodle salad

January 9, 2015

Crunchy Asian noodle saladWhile I’ve no problem with eating carbs/cheese/chocolate at every meal, two weeks of it over Christmas is usually enough for anyone – even me – so I’m yearning for some nutrient-dense dishes. However, I don’t feel ready to jump into full-on ‘healthy eating’ mode – it’s just too much of a shock to the system and only likely to last a day or two before I’m back at the bread basket.

This salad is the perfect in-between recipe: it’s full of vegetables, but the noodles and punchy Asian flavours make it feel a little less worthy – plus it’s really easy to make. If you wanted to really crank up the health factor, you could of course skip the noodles and add more veg.

In the picture above, I’ve added steak, but it’s endlessly versatile. Prawns would be delicious, and for veggies I’d recommend those little cubes of marinated tofu that Cauldron do. But the absolute ideal iteration is with leftover roast meat. Just shred whatever you have – chicken, beef, lamb – and fry it in a little oil until golden and crisp. This also works really well as a packed lunch for workdays – imagine how jealous your colleagues will be when you whip this out! (See my note below for how to avoid sogginess.)

The recipe is adapted from Jamie Oliver’s excellent Save with Jamie. I am unashamed about my love for Mr Oliver, especially his recent books that are designed for people to cook from every day. I also really recommend 15-Minute Meals. In both books, he makes all the recipes reasonably straightforward, delicious and as healthy as possible.

Easy noodle salad

5.0 from 1 reviews
Crunchy Asian noodle salad
 
Prep time
Total time
 
This easy noodle salad recipe is full of crunchy vegetables and perfect with any leftover roast chicken, turkey, lamb or beef you might have.
Recipe type: salad
Serves: serves 4
Ingredients
  • 200g rice noodles
  • thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lime, juice only
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 2 Little Gem lettuces, cut into small wedges
  • ½ cucumber, sliced
  • ½ bunch fresh mint, leaves only
  • 200g leftover roast meat, tofu or steak (or 200g cooked prawns)
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped roasted peanuts
Instructions
  1. Soak the rice noodles in boiling water according to the packet instructions (usually about 15 minutes) until tender.
  2. Mix the ginger, chilli, olive oil, lime juice and soy sauce together in a large bowl.
  3. Add the carrots, lettuce, cucumber and mint.
  4. Drain the noodles and add them to the bowl. Mix together and add more lime juice or soy sauce, to taste.
  5. Spoon the salad into serving bowls and add your topping of choice. Sprinkle over the peanuts.
Notes
For lunchboxes: don’t add the lettuce or mint to the salad itself; instead, spoon the salad into your lunchbox then top with the lettuce and mint leaves. Mix it together just before eating.
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10 Comments

  • jasmincharlotteblog@gmail.com'
    Reply Jasmin Charlotte January 11, 2015 at 11:49 am

    This looks so delicious! I really like Asian salads like this, always so light and full of flavour. I love adding a whole lot of coriander to it as well 🙂 x

    Jasmin Charlotte | UK Lifestyle Blog

  • youbabymemummy@gmail.com'
    Reply You Baby Me Mummy January 11, 2015 at 9:08 pm

    Oh thank you so much for sharing this, my hubby will love this! Thanks for linking up to #TheList x

    • Reply Rachel January 11, 2015 at 9:38 pm

      Great! Let me know how it goes.

  • elfa_rocks@yahoo.co.uk'
    Reply Californian Mum in London January 13, 2015 at 10:23 am

    Looks yummy. We just got a new noodle cookbook so we’re going noodle crazy in our house. Also, we have one of those Jamie Oliver cookbooks which shows how you roast some meat and then use it in several leftovers. It’s fab! #tastytuesdays

    • Reply Rachel January 13, 2015 at 10:38 am

      Yes, I LOVE that Jamie book! The brisket is amazing and all the leftover recipes are brilliant too.

  • julie@juliesfamilykitchen.com'
    Reply Julie's Family Kitchen January 13, 2015 at 11:22 am

    Oh delish! Looks incredibly tasty and healthy too. #TastyTuesdays

  • hello@onetinyleap.com'
    Reply Maria (One Tiny Leap) January 13, 2015 at 12:29 pm

    Looks delicious! We love Asian salads, so will definitely give it a go 🙂

  • purpledragontamer@gmail.com'
    Reply Alison January 13, 2015 at 12:52 pm

    This looks really tasty, loving the combination of flavours you have in there

  • myfamilytiesblog@gmail.com'
    Reply My Family Ties January 13, 2015 at 2:50 pm

    Ooh that looks so good, I just love the fresh taste of Asian salads and this one is so versatile 🙂 #TastyTuesdays

  • Mum@honestmum.com'
    Reply HonestMum January 13, 2015 at 9:27 pm

    What a magnificent, tasty, wholesome dish! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays

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