I was after a light and fresh dinner option recently and this peanut herb noodle salad was the perfect answer. It’s super quick to prepare and ultra healthy, but also absolutely packed with flavour. Zesty, spicy, herby and delicious!
I amended a recipe from the River Cottage Veg cookbook (an excellent cookbook!).
Ingredients List
- 2tbs rice vinegar
- 1tsp brown sugar
- 1tsp sesame oil
- 1/2tsp soy sauce
- Zest and juice of a medium lemon
- 1 small chilli
- 1 clove garlic
- 200g thin egg or rice noodles (choose rice if you need it to be vegan friendly)
- 100g snow peas
- 100g green beans
- 1 small cucumber
- 6 spring onions
- 10-12 thai basil leaves
- 1/3 cup fresh mint
- 1/3 cup fresh coriander
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
Steps
- Combine the rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce and lemon juice and zest in a large bowl
- Finely chop the chilli and mince the garlic and add to the bowl, whisking to combine all dressing ingredients
- Cook the noodles following the packet instructions then drain and rinse under a cold tap. Add to the dressing bowl and toss to coat, then set aside to cool
- Trim the snow peas and beans and then cook until just tender (approximately 3 minutes) and then drain, refresh in cold water, then drain again
- Halve the cucumber lengthwise then thinly slice, and then finely cut the spring onion
- Add the snow peas, beans, cucumber and spring onions to the noodles and toss to combine
- Roughly chop the herbs and add to the bowl with the peanut and toss everything to combine
That’s all there is to this peanut herb noodle salad! It’s best served fresh and doesn’t hold up super well as leftover as the beans and snow peas go less crunchy if they are left in the dressing for too long. You can prep the noodles and dressing in advance though and just cook the veggies as you need them which still makes it a super quick dish!
I love the crunch the peanuts bring to this dish, but the dressing is really the star. It’s such a great balance of heat, zest and sweetness, and letting the warm noodles sit in it while they cool is such an excellent step. It’s such a simple dish, but it’s seriously not lacking in flavour!
Who wants to add this peanut herb noodle salad to their menu plan this week?
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I Spy Plum Pie is Liz, an early 30s kiwi-born, Melbourne raised girl who is passionate about the environment and sustainability, food, exploring and learning new things. Join me on my journey to a happy, sustainable life!