Salads

Cold & Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes, Salads, Sauces and dressings
Cold & Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad

This salad has it all–lots of POW from the Thai flavors, noodles (my favorite food group), peanut crunch, and a slightly spicy sauce.

There’s not a lot of cooking – just the noodles. I buy edamame already cooked. Packaged slaw and pre-cut matchstick carrots also reduce chopping time.

It’s a great dish for meal prep – think lunch for a week! Also makes a great potluck dish.

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Print Recipe

Cold & Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad

All the flavors. Plus noodles. This is one of my favorite dishes.
Course: Main Course, Pasta, Salad, Sauces and dressings
Cuisine: Thai
Keyword: lunch, meal prep
Servings: 0

Equipment

  • 1 immersion blender optional

Ingredients

Peanut Sauce

  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbs sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 tsp Sriracha or more
  • 2 Tbs maple syrup
  • 2-4 Tbs warm water *optional

Noodle Salad

  • 8 ounces noodles thin spaghetti, lo mein, pad thai style or soba noodles
  • 1 bell pepper red or orange, julienne cut
  • 1/2 cup carrots matchstick
  • 1 Persian cucumber julienne cut
  • 1 16-oz bag coleslaw
  • 3 green onions chopped
  • 1/2 cup peanuts chopped
  • 1/3 cup cilantro about half a bunch, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted
  • 1 1/2 cups edamame cooked. About 8 oz.

Instructions

Noodle Salad

  • Cook the noodles per the package instructions until al dente. Drain and immediately rinse in cold water for a few minutes.
  • If the edamame aren't cooked, cook them per package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
  • In a large bowl, add the cold noodles, all of the vegetables and gently toss to combine. Add 3/4 cup of the peanut sauce and toss to coat the noodles and vegetables.
  • Add the peanuts, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Toss again.
  • Cover and chill in the fridge for one hour. Right before serving, toss and add additional peanut sauce if needed. (If you can't wait to eat it, that's OK too!)

Peanut Sauce

  • Put all of the ingredients, except the water, into a bowl and blend. If the mixture needs to be thinned, add 2-4 tablespoons of warm water.
  • The sauce can also be whisked until smooth.

Potato Salad with Silken Tofu Mayo

karenwpullen Salads, Side Dishes
Potato Salad with Silken Tofu Mayo

I love potato salad. This version is improved with a lot of crunchy colorful vegetables. The mayo dressing is made from silken tofu so it’s no-oil and low-calorie.

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Print Recipe

“Improved” Potato Salad with Silken Tofu Vegan Mayo

Add some crunchy vegs to a family favorite.
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Servings: 8

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds potatoes Yukon Gold or small red
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrot diced
  • 3 stalks celery chopped
  • 1/2 red onion chopped small
  • 2 medium dill pickles chopped
  • 1/2 cup green olives chopped
  • 1 Tbs dried parsley or 2 Tbs fresh
  • 1 Tbs dried dill or 2 Tbs fresh
  • 1/2 tsp paprika to garnish

Vegan Mayo

  • 16 oz silken tofu
  • 1/2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp mustard
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 pinch kala namak salt optional

Instructions

  • Place the potatoes into salted water and bring to a boil. Whole potatoes: cook 10 – 15 minutes. In bite-size pieces: cook 6 – 9 minutes. They are done when a fork pierces them easily. Drain and cool.
  • Put all the mayo ingredients into a blender and blend until creamy-smooth. The optional kala namak salt (black salt) adds an eggy flavor. Refrigerate. Makes about two cups.
  • Prep the vegetables. Mix them with the potatoes and one cup of mayo.
  • Sprinkle the finished salad with paprika, if desired. Refrigerate.

Notes

Other vegetables could substitute, like radishes, zucchini, beets.
The remaining mayo should be refrigerated and will keep for about a week. You can mix it with other herbs and spices for a unique salad dressing.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

karenwpullen Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes , , ,

A light and refreshing salad with a Middle Eastern flair, tabbouleh is usually made with bulgur wheat. This version uses quinoa, which is a seed, not a grain, that has a lot of protein and a lovely texture

.

Print Recipe

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 2 bunches curly parsley
  • 2 cucumbers
  • 3 green onions
  • 2 lemons
  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 bell pepper green
  • 1 tablespoon mint leaves, chopped or 1 teaspoon dry

Instructions

  • Trim most of the stems from the parsley. Place in a food processor and pulse until it is chopped.
  • Peel the cucumbers; cut them lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Chop.
  • Chop the green onions, mint, and bell pepper. Cut the tomatoes in half.
  • In a bowl, mix the quinoa, bell pepper, onions, mint, tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley.
  • Squeeze juice from the lemons into the salad and stir.

Notes

Quinoa is a starchy seed, not a grain.  It cooks in less than 30 minutes to a fluffy, tasty ingredient that can be used like rice in a recipe. It comes in different colors ranging from black to red to white.
It’s best to let the salad cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.
For an easy Near-Eastern meal, serve this with pita bread, hummus, yogurt, and falafel patties.