Glass Noodle Salad with Peanut Butter Sauce
My favorite type of noodles for this summer without a doubt are glass noodles. They are light, tasty, take exactly 4 minutes to make and are great to eat hot or cold. For that (and much more), they are ideal to use in a salad. Glass noodle salad in a delicious peanut butter sauce. It has in it lots of crunchy vegetables, sliced as thinly as possible, all wrapped in a gorgeous sauce inspired by thai cuisine.
Glass noodles (also called cellophane noodles) name so because they get transparent after cooking. It usually made from mixing mung bean starch (or other starch) with water. Glass noodles can be prepared either by cooking or simply soaking. If cooking – 3 minutes in boiling water is enough. After that, immediately rinse in cold water (so that the cooking process stops) and strain excess water. If soaking – soak in a bowl with boiling water for about 5 minutes, and immediately afterwards rinse and strain excess water.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Ready in about 20 minutes, no oven required
- Crunchy, colorful vegetables in a rich peanut butter-sesame sauce
- Naturally vegan and easy to make gluten-free
- Great make-ahead lunch, keeps well in the fridge for days
How to make?
The vegetables used in this glass noodle salad with peanut butter sauce are mostly hard vegetables. I used carrots, kohlrabi, red cabbage, radishes, scallions and red chili. In addition, the salad has cilantro and basil, as well as coarsely chopped peanuts. That’s a crunchy salad for you! Slice the vegetables as finely and as thinly as possible. It’s more pleasant to eat and also lets the sauce be well absorbed. Ideally you should slice the vegetables using a mandoline slicer. However, if you don’t have one – a good knife will do the job. Just be careful with your fingers.
The salad dressing is important and dominant. I like making salad dressing in a jar with a lid. Place in a jar the peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, lemon juice, sesame oil and finely grated ginger. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, close the lid and shake until a thick and smooth sauce is obtained. Pour the sauce over the salad and mix well until all the ingredients are covered and well wrapped in the sauce. The salad is kept well in the refrigerator for two to three days. Enjoy!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Glass noodles (cellophane noodles) – thin, translucent noodles made from mung bean starch. Cook in just 3 minutes, or simply soak in boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Crunchy vegetables – carrots, kohlrabi, red cabbage, radishes, and scallions. Feel free to swap in bell peppers, white cabbage, cucumber, green beans, or beets, use whatever you have on hand.
- Peanut butter – a natural, no-sugar-added peanut butter gives the best sauce texture.
- For gluten-free, use gluten-free glass noodles and gluten-free soy sauce (tamari).
Pro Tips for Success:
- Slice the vegetables as thin as possible, ideally with a mandoline, for the best texture and sauce absorption.
- Rinse the noodles in cold water right after cooking to stop them from overcooking and turning mushy.
- Adjust the chili to your spice preference, start with less if you’re unsure.
- The salad keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days, great for meal prep.
FAQ:
- How do I make this gluten-free? Use gluten-free glass noodles and gluten-free soy sauce (tamari).
- Can I use different vegetables? Yes, swap in bell peppers, white cabbage, cucumber, green beans, or beets, whatever you have on hand.
- How long does it keep? Up to 2-3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Looking for more great recipes?
- Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Carrots
- Green Curry with Charred Tofu, Green Vegetables and Coconut Cream
- Sautéed Green Beans with Mushrooms
- White Corn and Miso Soup with Chili Oil
Glass Noodle Salad with Peanut Butter Sauce
Ingredients:
- 5 oz (125g) glass noodles
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 kohlrabi
- ¼ small red cabbage
- 2-3 radishes
- 3 scallions
- 1 red chili pepper more or less to taste
- ½ cup peanuts
- ¼ cup basil leaves
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
For the sauce:
- 3 tbsp natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp finely grated ginger (about 2 inches/5cm)
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Rinse all the vegetables well, and peel the carrots and kohlrabi. Slice everything as thin as possible with a mandoline or a sharp knife: carrots, kohlrabi, and radishes into thin sticks, red cabbage into thin strips, scallions and chili into thin rings. Chop the peanuts coarsely. Basil and cilantro leaves can stay whole or be roughly chopped.
- Cook the glass noodles either on the stove or by soaking. If cooking on the stove, place the noodles in a pot with plenty of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking, then drain well. If soaking, place the noodles in a wide bowl filled with boiling water for 5 minutes, then rinse in cold water and drain well.
- Make the sauce: in a jar with a lid, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, lemon juice, sesame oil, ginger, salt, and pepper. Shake well until thick and smooth.
- Place the cooked noodles in a large bowl. Add the sliced vegetables and chopped peanuts. Pour the sauce over everything and mix well until everything is evenly coated. Enjoy!
Notes:
- For a gluten-free version, make sure to buy gluten-free ingredients (eg GF glass noodles, GF soy sauce, etc.)
- You can vary the hard vegetables that are added to the salad and change according to your personal taste. Try using peppers of different colors, white cabbage, cucumber, green beans and beets.
- Adjust the amount of chili pepper depending on the degree of spiciness you like.
- Glass noodles often come in large packages. It is easiest to disassemble the package using sizers.
