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A white bowl of colorful Asian noodle salad with carrots, peppers, peanuts, cilantro, and lime wedges sits on a blue checkered napkin, with wooden utensils nearby. Some peanuts are scattered on the table.
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Asian Noodle Salad

Elevate your weeknight dinners with this vibrant Asian Noodle Salad featuring crisp vegetables and a creamy peanut sauce that perfectly balances sweet, savory, and spicy flavors - ready in just 30 minutes!
Prep Time30 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Asian
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 6 people as a side
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 8 ounces rice noodles
  • 1 cup shredded or julienned carrots
  • 1 cup julienned red and/or yellow bell peppers
  • 4 green onions chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts roughly chopped
  • Lime wedges for serving

For the Peanut Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar or honey
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons sriracha or to taste
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger peeled
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled

Instructions

  • Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside to cool.
    A square, white enamel tray filled with uncooked, translucent flat rice noodles soaking in water, on a light-colored surface.
  • In a mini food processor or blender, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut butter, sugar (or honey), sesame oil, sriracha, ginger, and garlic. Blend until smooth and creamy.
  • In a large bowl, toss together the cooled noodles, carrots, bell peppers, green onions, and cilantro.
    A white bowl filled with shredded carrots, sliced red and yellow bell pepper, chopped green onions, rice noodles, and peanuts, arranged in separate sections on a light surface.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Top with chopped peanuts and serve with lime wedges on the side.
    A white bowl of colorful Asian noodle salad with carrots, peppers, peanuts, cilantro, and lime wedges sits on a blue checkered napkin, with wooden utensils nearby. Some peanuts are scattered on the table.

Notes

Reasons to Love This Salad:
  • This salad is great served cold or at room temperature.
  • The peanuts are my favorite part of this dish so I always serve this with additional peanuts on the side because I always want a few more.
  • This dish is really easy to make vegan and gluten free with a few simple swaps. It's one recipe I keep on hand when feeding friends and family with those dietary needs!
  • Want to make it a meal? Add cooked shredded chicken, shrimp, or tofu. Grilled shrimp with this is a personal favorite. 
  • Taste and adjust the dressing! For a thinner consistency, add a tablespoon of warm water. For more tang, increase the rice vinegar. If you prefer less heat, reduce the sriracha or substitute with a milder chili sauce.
 
Add Cabbage: This salad is a lot like my Thai Chopped Salad with a really similar peanut dressing. And sometimes I like to further marry the two recipes by adding a few cups of finely chopped green or Napa cabbage to this recipe for a few more veggies. It goes really well with the noodles! It's the best of both worlds. 
Noodle Tips:
  • Follow the directions on the package for cooking your rice noodles. Often times you'll just soak them for 30 minutes in hot water and sometimes you'll cook them for a few minutes in boiling water like traditional noodles, it will vary by brand.
  • If you are cooking them in a boiling water method just give them some time to cool before adding everything else.
  • Room temp or even a little warm is okay for the noodles but you don't want them hot. They'll soak up all the dressing and make your veggies wilt. 
 
Storage & Make Ahead Option:
  • This recipes stores surprisingly well in the fridge and I'll often make it, portion it up for lunches and eat it all week long. 
  • Or just prep the ingredients ahead: Make the dressing and chop vegetables up to two days in advance, storing them separately in the refrigerator. This way, you can quickly assemble the salad when you're ready to eat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 695mg | Potassium: 330mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4928IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

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