Peanut Noodle Salad with Broccolette and Edamame

This Asian-style noodle salad makes the perfect meal on a warm evening or for a summer picnic.

One of the first salads I ever created was a noodle salad with peanut dressing.

I didn’t have much in the fridge at the time: a green onion, bag of shredded cabbage, some leftover noodles, plus a few random Asian-style sauces I’d bought for a past recipe.

Having always enjoyed noodle salads at restaurants and deli counters, I thought I would play around a little to see if I couldn’t make something similar at home. The result was delicious…or maybe not delicious, but good enough to inspire me to continue experimenting without following a recipe!

Since then, my Asian-inspired noodle salads have come in many forms and included all sorts of different ingredients and flavors.

I think this version – which I created in honor of National Salad Month – is my favorite one yet.

The star of this dish is the crunchy, subtly sweet Broccolette (a hybrid between broccoli and Chinese kale), which I had the privilege of sampling straight from the field last fall when I visited Earthbound Farm.

If you don’t eat peanuts or want to try something a little different – replace the peanut butter & peanuts in this recipe with tahini (sesame butter) and toasted sesame seeds, or creamy almond butter and sliced almonds. I’ve used all of these nut options and in each case the noodle salad turns out equally tasty.

For even more veggie crunch and a zestier bite, add a handful or two of Earthbound’s Zen Blend (a mixture of nine baby Asian greens) to your noodles. After all, the more veggies the better 😉

Peanut Noodle Salad with Broccolette and Edamame

 

Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

A veggie-packed pasta salad, perfect for a warm evening or summer picnic!

Serves: 4 main dish servings, 6-8 side servings

Ingredients

• For the Salad:
• 8 oz spaghetti noodles
• 10-12 stalks Earthbound Farm Broccolette, thinly sliced and bottom of stems trimmed
• 2 cups cooked, shelled edamame
• 2 large carrots, grated
• ½ cup sliced green onions
• Handful of fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup chopped peanuts
• For the Dressing:
• ⅓ cup natural peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• ⅓ cup rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp Siracha or other hot sauce
• 2 Tbsp refrigerated miso (optional)
• 2 Tbsp water

Instructions

1. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the Broccolette pieces to the pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, whisk all dressing ingredients together in the bottom of a large bowl.
3. When noodles & Broccolette are cooked, drain them, then rinse in cold water to prevent sticking. Drain again thoroughly (shake colander vigorously to release excess water) then add to the dressing.
4. Toss noodles and Broccolette with the dressing and allow to absorb for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add remaining vegetables and cilantro and gently toss to combine.
6. Serve at room temperature, or chilled, with peanuts on top for garnish.

Notes

For a different nutty taste, substitute tahini for the peanut butter and sesame seeds for the peanuts. And for added nutrients and crunch, add a few handfuls of chopped baby greens (like Zen Blend or Power Greens) before serving.

3.5.3251

This post is brought to you by Earthbound Farm, as part of my role as a (proud!) blogger ambassador for them. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for reading and supporting Eating Made Easy.