A Chinese Noodle Salad With A Tangy And Spicy Asian-Style Dressing

     
This Chinese noodle salad recipe uses rice noodles but you can substitute any Asian- style noodle you prefer.  This recipe will serve six people quite generously and is also perfect for a crowd. I love this dressing which is a creation of my husband's. It's a thick, rich Asian inspired dressing which is suitable for vegans and works well with the noodles but you could also use it on rice or beans.

Ingredients for the Salad:

500g/1lb 1oz rice noodles
100g/4oz corn (sweetcorn), defrosted if frozen
50g/2oz cashew nuts
Pinch of ground ginger
Pinch of ground turmeric
Pinch of chilli powder
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 cup of fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped

Ingredients for the Tahini-Ginger Dressing:

200mls/¾ cup/7fl oz sunflower or peanut oil
3 tablespoons of rice vinegar
3 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
5 tablespoons of light soy sauce
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
½ teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4.  Toss the cashews in the ginger, turmeric, and chilli and toast in the oven for 6-8 minutes until golden.  
Allow to cool.

2. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions until just al dente.

3. Make the dressing by putting all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and whizz until smooth.

4. Put the noodles in a large bowl.  Add the corn, cashews, spring onions and coriander (cilantro) and stir well.

5. Pour over the dressing and mix throroughly.   You may not need to use all of the dressing so add it gradually, stirring and tasting as you go.

 

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