This Asian Noodle Salad is packed with crisp vegetables, soft noodles, and a flavorful ginger-sesame dressing that ties everything together. It’s simple to make and works for just about any meal—lunch, a light dinner, or as a side with grilled meat or seafood.
The best part? It’s easy to customize. Use any noodles or veggies you’ve got, and it still turns out great. It also stores well, so it’s perfect for prepping ahead and enjoying over a few days.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- Noodles – You can use soba, rice noodles, spaghetti, or ramen – they all work.
- Red cabbage – You can cheat and use half a bag of shredded coleslaw mix, then also skip the carrots.
- Carrots – Shred your own or buy matchstick carrots.
- Red bell pepper – Thinly sliced. Remove the seeds and slice it thinly. You could also use a yellow or orange pepper.
- Green onions
- Fresh cilantro – Use the tender stems, too! There’s lots of flavor in cilantro stems.
- Peanuts – I buy unsalted roasted peanuts for dishes like this.
For the dressing:
- Soy sauce – You can use low-sodium soy sauce.
- Rice vinegar – Use unsweetened rice vinegar if you can find it. If you can’t use 1 teaspoon of honey instead of 1 tablespoon.
- Sesame oil
- Honey
- Lime juice – Add more if you like it a bit tangier.
- Fresh ginger – Fresh ginger adds a punch of flavor and spice. Dried ginger is NOT the same.
- Garlic – Don’t go overboard on the garlic. 1 medium clove is fine.
- Sriracha – Add more if you like it spicy.
How To Make Asian Noodle Salad
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Whisk together all the dressing ingredients until fully combined. Taste and adjust with more lime juice, soy sauce, or sriracha if needed.
- Combine cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro.
- Add the noodles to the bowl with the veggies. Pour the dressing over everything.
- Toss thoroughly to make sure all the noodles and veggies are coated evenly.
- Top with chopped peanuts. Add sesame seeds or edamame if you like more texture.
- Serve right away, or chill it for 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.
Step-By-Step Process
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Rinse the noodles well after cooking to prevent sticking.
- Letting the salad sit before serving gives the flavors time to develop.
- You can add other vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini strips for variety.
Recommended
Make It A Meal
This salad works on its own but also goes great with grilled salmon, chicken, or tofu. Add veggie dumplings or spring rolls to make it a complete spread.
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Storage
Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir before serving, and add a splash of soy sauce or lime juice if needed to freshen up the flavor.
Asian Noodle Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 8 ounces noodles
- 1 cup red cabbage shredded
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup peanuts chopped
For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1-2 teaspoons sriracha
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Whisk together all the dressing ingredients until fully combined. Taste and adjust with more lime juice, soy sauce, or sriracha if needed.
- Combine cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro.
- Add the noodles to the bowl with the veggies. Pour the dressing over everything.
- Toss thoroughly to make sure all the noodles and veggies are coated evenly.
- Top with chopped peanuts. Add sesame seeds or edamame if you like more texture.
- Serve right away, or chill it for 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Rinse the noodles well after cooking to prevent sticking.
- Letting the salad sit before serving gives the flavors time to develop.
- You can add other vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini strips for variety.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.