Pasta salad - but with a twist. That's my new Thai-style pasta salad. Made with rice noodles and a flavorful Thai dressing, this healthy dish will prove a big hit at your next potluck, picnic, BBQ, or dinner party. Makes a great summertime salad, lunch, snack, or side dish that's also low in calories and fat, plus it's wheat and gluten free. It can also be made vegetarian (instructions included). Once you've tried it, you'll never go back to regular pasta salad again!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: SERVES 2 (Main Dish) OR 4 (Side)
Ingredients:
- 8-10 oz. thin dried rice noodles (vermicelli size), available in the Asian section of your supermarket
- 2 tomatoes, cut into small slices
- 5 green onions, sliced finely
- 1 can miniature corn cobs, drained and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups snow peas, steamed or boiled until bright green but still firm
- 1-2 cups bean sprouts
- 1 cup fresh coriander/cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts OR cashews, left whole or lightly chopped
- 1 can cooked shrimp / Or for vegetarians: 1/2 cup deep-fried tofu, cut into small cubes
- GARNISH: fresh basil, fresh coriander, and chopped peanuts
- DRESSING:
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce OR 2 extra Tbsp. soy sauce if vegetarian
- 5 Tbsp. soy sauce (use wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets)
- 1 fresh red chili, de-seeded, OR 1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili or cayenne pepper
- 1-2 Tbsp. brown sugar (to taste)
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Preparation:
- Dunk noodles in a pot of boiling water. Remove pot from heat and allow noodles to soften in the hot water 10-15 minutes, or until soft enough to eat ('al dente'). When ready, drain and tip noodles into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the bean sprouts while noodles are still hot and gently toss (the residual heat from the noodles will lightly cook the sprouts).
- Mix the dressing ingredients together in a cup, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test for a sweet-sour balance, adding more sugar if too sour for your taste. Note that the dressing will taste quite strong/salty now, but will be milder when combined with the salad.
- To the bowl of noodles and sprouts, add the tomates, green onion, corn cobs, shrimp or tofu, and fresh coriander. Toss to mix (If you're having trouble combining the noodles with the other ingredients because the noodles are too long and tangled, cut them several times with a pair of clean scissors - this is a great tip I picked up while in Asia!).
- Now add the dressing, fresh basil, and nuts, tossing well to incorporate.
- Taste test the salad. If not salty enough, add more fish sauce or soy sauce. If not spicy enough, add more chili. If too salty, add a little more lime juice.
- Eat immediately, or cover and allow to sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two, or until cold. Place on a serving platter or in a salad dish and sprinkle with fresh basil, coriander, and peanuts. Serve with wedges of lime, and ENJOY!
Storing this Salad: This salad tastes best when eaten fresh, as rice noodles tend to dry out when left longer than 2 days. Until then, place in a covered (sealed) container in the refrigerator, and enjoy!
