Cold Veggie Peanut Noodles

This cold noodle dish is as refreshing as it is filling, making it a perfect, straightforward meal for any day. What makes it truly special is how incredibly customizable it is; you can easily tailor the recipe to use whatever vegetables or proteins you already have on hand in your kitchen.

Also, I am personally a big sauce guy, and I love this dish because there are so many textures going on as a vehicle for a delicious, creamy peanut sauce that I know you won’t be able to get enough of.

Salad

• 1 8.8 oz package of Vermicelli Rice Noodles
• 1 cucumber
• 2-3 bell peppers
• ¼ head of purple cabbage
• ½ cup of snow peas
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• 3-4 scallions
• 1 cup shelled edamame
• The juice of 2 limes

Optional add-ins include (but aren’t limited to): Shredded chicken, beef, tofu, zucchini, jalapeño peppers, diced onion, microgreens, broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, sesame seeds, peanuts, etc.

Sauce

• 6 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• ⅔ cup soy sauce or liquid aminos
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 3-4 cloves of diced garlic
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ tsp fish sauce (optional)
• 1 tsp chili crisp (optional)

1. If you are adding protein, prepare to your liking and set aside.
2. Chop all vegetables to the thinness and shape of your liking and place in a large salad bowl.
3. Add lime juice (and sesame seeds, if you choose) to the chopped vegetables and toss until evenly coated.
4. With a bowl and whisk or a blender, add all sauce ingredients and whisk/blend until smooth and incorporated.
5. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add your vermicelli noodles and stir gently with a fork to ensure noodles don’t stick together.
6. After 3-4 minutes, strain noodles in a strainer. Keep noodles in the strainer and rinse with cold water to bring the temperature down. Continue tossing the noodles as you rinse with a fork or your hands to ensure they don’t stick to one another
7. Combine your protein (if applicable), noodles, and sauce into the large salad bowl.
8. Toss thoroughly with a pair of salad tongs or use rubber gloves and massage the ingredients together with your hands.
9. Distribute into bowls and top with a dusting of chopped peanuts if you like, and enjoy.

Don’t be afraid to raid your fridge and cupboard for your own creative additions! This simple dish is the ultimate way to use up whatever ingredients you have, so feel free to experiment and make it your own every time you prepare it.

Ian Sleat is a music, culture, and food writer. You can subscribe to his newsletter “TO BE FRANK” here.