Cold Noodle Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing
Must-try Asian-inspired cold noodle salad with a Mediterranean twist! I swap out peanut sauce for allergy friendly tahini (roasted sesame seed paste), add some warm spices like ginger, and toss in plenty of colorful crunchy vegetables for a satisfying and easy vegan dinner! And don't miss my tips for how to cook rice noodles perfectly, so they don't clump together.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 5 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 6 ounces rice noodles or soba noodles
- 3 scallions, (trimmed and chopped)
- 1 to 2 carrots, (peeled and chopped)
- 2 to 3 radishes, (thinly sliced)
- ½ to 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup toasted slivered almonds
- Lime wedges for serving
- 2/3 cup tahini
- 1 large lime, (zested and juiced)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar,
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons red chili flakes, (use Aleppo pepper for a milder, less spicy option)
- 1 garlic clove, (finely minced or grated)
- 1- inch fresh ginger, (grated)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Cook the noodles in salted water according to package instructions until nearly tender (I used rice noodles, which cook in about 3 to 5 minutes). Drain the pasta and rinse it under cool water for two minutes moving the noodles around as you do it.
- 2
Work on the dressing. In a large bowl, combine the tahini with the lime juice, vinegar, and a little bit of cold water (start with 1 tablespoon). Season with kosher salt, black pepper, and red chili flakes (or Aleppo pepper). Whisk, adding a little more water as needed until the tahini loosens to the consistency of a creamy dressing. Add the garlic, grated ginger, and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- 3
Give the pasta another rinse under cold water to loosen it (rice noodles can especially get sticky and clumpy). Drain.
- 4
Add the noodles to the bowl with the tahini dressing. Toss with a pair of tongs to coat the pasta. Add the chopped veggies, cilantro, and toasted slivered almonds. Toss again until well combined.
- 5
Taste and adjust seasoning, and if you need another drizzle of olive oil to loosen the salad, add that. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.