A flavor packed dressing with crunchy veggies, Sesame-Ginger Noodle Salad with Cashews comes together with ease. Make once, eat all week! Vegan + Vegetarian + Optionally Gluten Free
Easy summer dinners, early morning baking, picnic food, grab n go snacks and salads that can hang out in the fridge for days is my idea of spending less time in the kitchen during summer. Long, warmish days yield opportunities for outdoor fun and lingering a little longer at the beach, on walks or at Home Depot (sheesh).
You know how it is. One project after another whether it be home maintenance, weeds to pull, or on a Craig’s List mission to find that perfect thing.
I’ve been on the hunt for snowshoes.
It’s nice to be back in the Pacific Northwest after my visit to Texas. The summers here are absolutely gorgeous, although we could use some rain… no, really. We’re pretty much in a drought situation since Whidbey is located in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains.
Our grass is crunchy. I’m already looking forward to the cozy rainy days of fall.
I planted the herbs in the wrong spot this spring. The only thing that’s happy, and they are the easiest to grow, is the curly parsley and chives. After last year’s bumper crop of Thai and sweet basil, I just decided I would grow them in a new tucked away area of the yard given my success last year.
Nope.
And the deer have trampled them. I’m not mad at them, after-all, they were here long before I arrived. And I adore their company, especially when mamma brings her babies.
But still, epic fail.
So, upon my return home from Texas, and although it was watered regularly, I was met with a struggling herb garden. You can imagine my excitement upon a visit to the farmers market when I spied Thai and sweet basil and cilantro! What a relief!
There’s nothing like fresh herbs to make flavors pop in a recipe. Although Rob would argue otherwise. I always leave them off his food.
More for me!
Sesame-Ginger Noodle Salad with Cashews can hang out in the fridge for days and is ready when you are.
It comes together fast too!
While the noodles are cooking, toast the cashews and whip up the dressing. When the noodles are done, drain thoroughly and toss with the dressing. The noodles and dressing will hang out in the refrigerator to cool while the veggies are chopped. Finish the salad by tossing all the ingredients together and adjust seasoning to taste.
I typically give it a hearty douse of Sriracha! I do love spicy things.
This recipe makes a big salad, seven to eight servings, so it’s a good one to take to the office, potluck, picnic or toss in your loves lunch box.
It’s versatile too. Use whatever fresh veggies you have on hand. Sometimes I toss in julienned carrots or seeded, thinly sliced and quartered cucumbers. But one ingredient, especially during summer, that takes this salad over the top is sugar snap peas. I absolutely adore them. They have a crunch factor that is satisfying and they make this salad extra special.
If snap peas aren’t available, give snow peas a go. They make an excellent sub.
If you love crunchy, fresh salads and noodles, you’re going to love how easy Sesame-Ginger Noodle Salad with Cashews comes together. Versatile enough for lunch, dinner, an impromptu picnic or a lazy leftover dinner.
It’ll be waiting after the too long trip to Home Depot too (rolls eyes).
Sesame-Ginger Noodle Salad with Cashews
A flavor packed dressing with crunchy veggies, Sesame-Ginger Noodle Salad with Cashews comes together with ease. Make once, eat all week! Use your favorite noodle. Soba, whole wheat angel hair, spaghetti or gluten free varieties work beautifully! Picnics, potlucks, weekday lunch or summertime dinner... versatile and delicious! Vegetarian + Vegan + Optionally Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 3/4 C (100g) Raw Cashews whole
- 1/2 lb (230g) Angel Hair Whole Wheat Pasta (or soba noodles)
- 1 1/2 C (170g) Red Bell Pepper* (see note) sliced thin and into bite size pieces (about 1 large pepper)
- 1 1/2 C (150g) Sugar Snap or Snow Peas sliced long and thin
- 2 C (100g) Savoy or Green Cabbage or a mix of green and purple
- 2 Scallions green and white parts sliced thin
- 3 Tbs Sesame Seeds
- 3-4 Stems Fresh Cilantro and/or Thai Basil chopped for garnish
For the Dressing:
- 1/3 C (76g) Tamari
- 1/4 C (50g) Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbs Honey or Maple Syrup (use maple for vegan option)
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper ground (or use 1-2 tsp Sriracha - adjust to taste)
- 2 tsp Fresh Ginger microplaned or finely grated
- 2 Limes one juiced, one sliced for serving
Instructions
For the Salad:
Preheat oven to 350 and toast cashews for about 13-15 minutes. Alternatively, dry-toast the cashews on medium-low in a skillet tossing and flipping the cashews occassionally for about 5-6 minutes - watch these carefully as they burn quickly. They should be golden and fragrant when ready. Once cool, rough chop and set aside. (I like the oven method better with cashews as the pan method produces uneven toasting - but for the sake of leaving the oven off.. there's an option!)
Cook the noodles according to package directions. The noodles should be cooked al dente (to the tooth - not soggy). Meanwhile, make the dressing (see below). Set aside. Drain and rinse the noodles. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl, pour the dressing on and toss to coat. Rest the noodles in the refrigerator while you finish chopping/assembling all the veggies.
To the noodles in the large mixing bowl, add the bell peppers (and/or carrots), peas, cabbage, scallions, sesame seeds, herbs and chopped cashews. Toss well so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Chill at least 30 minutes prior to serving so the flavors have time to marry. Serve with extra lime wedges and Sriracha (if desired). Store in a covered container for up to four days.
For the Dressing:
In a small bowl whisk together the Tamari, sesame oil, honey or maple syrup, cayenne (or Sriracha), lime juice and ginger. Set aside.
Recipe Notes
*I like to use carrots as a sub for red bell pepper, or sometimes I throw both in.
Adding to the meal plan for next week!!
Hooray! Thank you Andrea. Hope you enjoy it!
I made this today and loved it! It’s really yummy and healthy really… Me and my friends enjoyed this. Sorry about your herbs garden. Be happy It will fine very soon… Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe with us. Looking forward to more recipes. Regards xoxo
Thank you for your note Supriya! What fun to share all these noodles with your friends!
I’ve had a hard time with my garden this summer too! Basil is the only thing that survived and my tomatoes are turning red without growing. They’re like little mini grapes or something. Terrible.
I’m glad you were able to find some thai basil at the market to make this salad. It looks like summer perfection! Fresh ginger sounds so refreshing for this warm weather too.
Oh no Sarah… Whaaaa on the tomatoes? I guess there’s always something to learn when growing veggies. But what fun! You’ll have fresh basil! I’m sure I ate way too much of this scrumptious salad… It’s time to make more! LOL
I made this today and loved it! A great afternoon meal on a hot summer day. The sugar snap peas added a wonderful crunch and sweetness. I accidently added a teaspoon of cayenne which really made this spicy, but I was able to cool it down with a little more maple syrup and tamari. Loved this salad despite a little extra spiciness!
Thank you for your note Corie! Oh myyy that cayenne! You really turned up the heat – talk about mouth water!! hehe! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!
I love this for an easy and colorful summer dinner – the flavors are perfection!
Thank you Laura!
Stunning. The little perfect pea pod and the cilantro look so delicious I can’t stand it! And I think you need to bottle and market that dressing, seriously!
Pea pods are so cute and I adore their crunchy goodness! That dressing Sue! OMGeeee!
I love that you toasted the cashews, they take on such an amazing flavor that way! This is a gorgeous, perfect summer dish!
Toasting really brings back out their sweet/nutty goodness! I love them so much and they’re so versatile! Thank you so much Sam!
Such a great recipe . I can see myself making this often! The pics are gorgeous!
Thanks so much Jenny! :D
Your salads are always the prettiest Traci! And always so packed with fabulous flavor! Sorry about your garden. I don’t have the greenest of thumbs, so it’s the farmer’s market for me! And my brother-in-laws garden! Love the dressing on this one too!
Thank you so much Mary Ann… I eat a lot of them, especially during Summer. How great is that… your brother-in-law’s garden! What a treat! :D
Love a big noodle salad like this, Traci – filled with crunchy goodness – colorful and tasty! Perfect for these hot summer days – ready for dinner and then pack it up for lunch the next day. Sorry the herb garden was a bust. I do all my veggie gardening in pots or earthboxes so I can move them around if need be – still have caterpillars and pests to deal with though! Have a great weekend!
Don’t you just love leftovers! So much goodness to look forward to for an easy lunch :D I’d love to learn from your gardening skills, Geraldine! I can imagine how beautiful your garden is, and I imagine it is packed with tomatoes right now! I’ve gotta do more veggie pots.. it makes so much sense. I think next season I’ll use my largest pots for veggies instead of plants. Love that idea! xo
What a wonderful reminder that as long as you have fresh veggies and a few pantry staples, a delicious and colorful meal always an option. I love versatile noodles bowls like these, and the sesame ginger dressing sounds delightful. This is such a perfect recipe for using up all those odds and ends CSA veggies that I end up with every week. :) Good luck finding snowshoes! We have some and love using them!
So true Emily… I always have pasta and grains on hand, so with a few fresh veggies, something delicious can be created. I’m so excited to get my hands on some snow shoes for winter… I need to get your tips on layering. I don’t like being cold! :D
Made this tonight – really delicious. Great summer evening supper with a glass of wine!
Thank you for your note Jane! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I hope you have leftovers for an easy Saturday… and more wine, of course!
This sounds so good Traci! Sorry about the herb garden… next year will be better!
Next year.. lessons learned, right? Thank you Sophie xo
Ceyanne Pepper spelled incorrectly. Not a big deal but your photos and blog are such perfection I thought you would want to know. This recipe looks fab. My son and I have pledged to cook a new dish each week this summer from his Gordon Ramsey cookbook. He’s 19. But I think this recipe gets my vote for this week’s cooking adventure. We are both noodle lovers.
Chow,
Heide
Ooops! Fixed and thank you Heide! What a fun adventure for you and your son. My brother loves GR’s cookbook and just tackled the beef wellington… He said it was the best thing he ever made. I hope you two enjoy the recipe and making it together – the best part!
Love all the layers of flavor (and colors!) here, Traci. This is my kind of bowl. Sorry about your herb garden, but lucky that we have farmers markets to save the day! We are having the opposite problem here this Summer – too much rain. It just never seems to hit the right notes – either drought or water logged. Guess it’s always something! I can’t wait to make this. Maybe I’ll try to do it this week before my trip! XOXO!
Thank you Liz… gardening is such a learning curve. I’ll replant next season and am already planning where – I think I’ll plant in a few large pots in a sunnier area. Hope you enjoy the salad and have a fuuun trip! xo