Glass Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing

If there’s one thing I make almost every week, it’s this glass noodle salad. Partly because I love it, and partly because it’s a great way to use up whatever vegetables are left in the fridge.

Almost any crunchy vegetable works here — from cabbage and carrots to bell peppers and cucumbers. The only thing that really matters is to slice everything very thinly, so you don’t end up with a bite that’s mostly a big piece of cabbage and a couple of noodles you can barely feel.

And one more very important thing: cilantro and mint. The more, the better. If you don’t like cilantro, just leave it out — but don’t replace it with parsley, it really doesn’t belong here. You can also add a bit of finely chopped chives.

Glass Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing

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Serves: 3-4 Prep Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1/2 package glass noodles 
• 1 zucchini or 2 firm cucumbers
• 1/2 red onion, peeled
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves
• 1/2 bunch mint leaves
• 1/2 fresh red chili

For the Peanut Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or water
• 3/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped or halved

Instructions

- Place the glass noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for about 8 minutes, until soft but still slightly firm, then drain. - Cut the zucchini and carrot into very thin matchsticks. You can use a julienne peeler, or slice thinly with a regular peeler, stack the slices, and cut into thin strips. - Slice the red onion and chili into very thin strips. Roughly chop the herbs or tear them by hand. Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. - In a jar, combine all the sauce ingredients and shake well, or mix in a bowl until smooth. - Drizzle with as much dressing as you like, toss, and serve.

The herbs do all the work here, so be generous with them.

Notes

- Other vegetables that work well here: very thin cabbage (green or purple), halved cherry tomatoes, thin slices of cauliflower, green onions, seaweed, sliced mushrooms, thin bell pepper strips, and more. - You can also add soft fruit — mango or nectarine strips work beautifully. In that case, it’s better to switch to a more soy-based Asian-style dressing. - If the peanut sauce is too thick, add a little water or olive oil and mix until you reach a consistency you like. - Avoiding gluten? Use a gluten-free soy sauce. - Serving later? Wait with the dressing. You can prepare everything else ahead and keep it in the fridge, but serve at room temperature.