Formerly Your Homebased Mom

Leigh Anne Wilkes

Asian Noodle Salad

Name: Asian Noodle Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 lb linguine noodles (cooked, rinsed, and cooled); 3/4 lb Napa cabbage (sliced thin); 3/4 lb purple cabbage (sliced thin); 12 oz baby spinach; 1 red bell pepper (sliced thin); 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced thin); 1 orange bell pepper (sliced thin (if available)); 1 small bag bean sprouts (also called “mung bean sprouts”); 3 green onions (sliced); 3 cucumbers (sliced and peeled); 1/2 cup cilantro (chopped); 1 cup cashews (roasted); Juice of 1 lime; 8 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons sesame oil; 6 tablespoons soy sauce; 1/3 cup brown sugar; 3 Tbsp fresh ginger (chopped); 2 cloves chopped garlic; 2 hot peppers or jalapenos (chopped); 1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)

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By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 8/03/21Updated: 3/02/23

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This Asian Noodle Salad is sure to be a hit. Everyone loves it and the mix of textures and colors makes it so pretty.

Potluck Recipes

This summer we hosted a garden party for the ladies from church. Everyone is asked to bring a salad or a dessert to the party. I don’t know about you, but I have gotten some of my favorite recipes from potluck events.

I love to see the variety of food that shows up and then being able to taste a little bit of everything. Of course, for me, any dish I take needs to be two things, pretty and delicious. I decided to make this Asian noodle salad because it was both pretty and delicious and it makes a lot so it’s good for a crowd.

Eat the Rainbow

You are truly eating the rainbow when you enjoy this salad. So many amazing colors, flavors and textures all in one place!! I love how easy this salad is to make and prep ahead of time and then just combine everything and add dressing right before serving.

How to Make Asian Noodle Salad

Clean and cut up veggies. This can be done the night before or the morning of. Just store all the cut up veggies in an air tight container in the refrigerator to keep them fresh and prevent them from drying out.

Cook your noodles. I often cook my noodles ahead of time. I like to cook them al dente, so they are not too soft. After cooking them rinse them with water to remove any starch and then drain them. I like the noodles to be chilled for this salad so I always do this part ahead of time. After cooking the noodles I will place them in some kind of air tight container and add just a little bit of olive oil and toss them to coat. Adding the oil helps prevent the noodles from sticking together in one big lump. If they do stick together a bit, just run them under some water right before serving to loosen them up.

Make your salad dressing. This salad dressing will last for 2-3 days in the refrigerator without the cilantro, so you can prepare it ahead. Just add the chopped cilantro right before serving. The salad dressing is a delicious combination of lots of great flavors including, cilantro, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, jalapeno and sugar. Keep the dressing refrigerated until ready to use.

There is a bit of chopping involved with this recipe but it is worth the effort and it can easily be done ahead of time, even the night before. This recipe makes a TON so be sure and have a lot of mouths to feed. If you want to add some protein to this salad, some shredded chicken works great.

Can I Make this Salad Ahead of Time?

This is the perfect make ahead salad. Cut and prep all your veggies and kept them stored in the fridge.
Make your dressing ahead of time and keep refrigerated.
All you have to do right before serving is combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, remember, it makes a lot so grab a big bowl. Then just add your dressing and toss to coat.

Not only is it delicious but it is so pretty too. Your guests will be oohing and aahing over it!

Other favorite salads:

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