Noodle Salad with Tahini Dressing
Noodle Salad with Tahini Dressing is a quick, easy entree salad that features lots of veggies, protein-rich edamame, and a savory tahini dressing.
Servings: 4
Calories: 595kcal
Equipment
- Immersion blender optional
- Microplane for grating ginger
- Mandoline optional
Ingredients
Sesame Dressing
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup canola oil or other neutral-flavored cooking oil
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons grated ginger
- 2 Tablespoons miso paste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or MSG-salt
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or sambal oelek
Noodle Salad
- 8 ounces dried ramen or other noodles see note
- 2 cups lightly packed shredded napa cabbage
- 2 cups shelled edamame
- 1/2 English cucumber juliened, or cut into ribbons or matchsticks
- 2 medium carrots Juliened, or cut into ribbons or matchsticks
- 2 medium celery stalks thinly sliced on the bias
- 1 thinly sliced green onion or 2 Tablespoons minced cilantro or chives (optional)
Instructions
Sesame Dressing
- Use an immersion blender to blend together (or whisk) 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup tahini, 1/4 cup canola oil, 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 Tablespoons grated ginger, 2 Tablespoons miso paste, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce in a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup. Set aside.
Noodle Salad
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add 2 cups shelled edamame and cook for 2-3 minutes. Scoop the edamame out with a slotted spoon or drain in a small colander and rinse with cold water until the edamame is cool. Set aside.
- Bring more water to a boil (or re-use the edamame water) and add 8 ounces dried ramen or other noodles. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the noodles are softened and separated. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water until cool
- Add the drained noodles to a large bowl. Add about 1/2 cup of the sesame dressing and toss the noodles to coat. Add 2 cups lightly packed shredded napa cabbage, the drained edamame, the juliened cucumber, the juliened carrots, and the sliced celery. Toss to coat, and assess how much more dressing you want to add. Add about half of what is left for lightly dressed salad, or up to all of it for very saucy salad. Sprinkle with sliced green onions, or minced cilantro or chives, if desired.
Make-Ahead Instructions
- Note that the dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance, and in fact this helps to improve its flavor. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- You can also make the salad up to one day ahead of time (complete the entire recipe) and store the salad in a covered bowl or an airtight container in the fridge. In this case, I recommend not adding all of the dressing - reserve some and add it if needed just before serving.
Notes
Instead of ramen, you can use any other quick-cooking noodles (follow the directions on the package to cook). Use rice noodles or another type of gluten-free ramen or noodles to make this salad gluten-free.
Nutrition
Calories: 595kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 2113mg | Potassium: 788mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5289IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 5mg
