Asian Noodle Salad tossed with a wickedly delicious dressing that’s creamy, peanutty, with a hint of sesame, tang of lime and mild hit of chilli. I would die a happy girl if I drowned in this dressing (morbid but true). Great lunch idea for work because it’s super tasty served cold!
Noodle Salad – Lunch Idea for Work!
This noodle salad is the sort of thing I used to take into work for lunch back in my corporate days. I was never a sandwich gal. I mean, let’s face it. Sitting in an air conditioned cubicle in front of a computer all day isn’t exactly stimulating. Most days, lunch was the most exciting part of my day.
Hence – skip the sambos.
Enter – Asian Noodle Salad with creamy peanut dressing! 😂
Great COLD lunch – and lasts for days!
There’s not many dishes other than salads that are genuinely great cold – or intended to be eaten cold. There’s even less salady type things that last for days, given that the moment salads are dressed they start to wilt and lose freshness.
And therein lies the reason why this noodle salad was a regular in my work lunch rotation. Adaptable, no need to heat it up, and it’s truly just as good today as it is tomorrow and the next day – and the next!
What you need
In case I hadn’t already made it clear – this noodle salad really is all about the dressing.😂 I use commercial peanut butter spread here ie the type loaded with sugar and extra oil and salt because all these flavourings are part of what makes the dressing so tasty.
If you make this with natural peanut butter, refer to the recipe notes – we need to jack up the flavourings a bit. 😇
For the noodle salad itself, the idea here is to use vegetables that won’t wilt into a watery mess the minute it’s dressed. I’ve gone with: beans, capsicum (bell peppers), carrots and bean sprouts. Other ideas for vegetables include:
Cabbage (white, green, red)
Zucchini (yes, raw, it’s great!)
Snow peas
Thinly sliced raw broccoli
Red onion
Lightly blanched asparagus, snap peas, cauliflower
Avoid things like lettuce, spinach, cucumber and tomato unless you’re consuming it on the day.
Best noodles?
I like to use any fresh thin egg noodles (ie pale yellow noodles sold in the fridge section) such as thin Hokkien noodles because I am partial to the slightly chewy, slippery texture in this noodle salad. But I’ve made this plenty of times with just about every other noodle I use – rice noodles, ramen noodles (toss the seasoning packs), dried egg noodles and yes, I’ve even used pasta!
Also a great Asian side dish!
I know I’m talking this up as a lunch idea for work, but this Noodle Salad is also a terrific option as a side dish for an Asian meal (or Asiany, you know the sort I mean!). I see this alongside things like:
Asian Chilli Garlic Prawns (Shrimp) or even non Asian Garlic Prawns
Thai Marinated Chicken (Gai Yang) or Southern Thai Grilled Chicken
Also, it would be great to serve as a side to make a meal out of small-bite type Asian things such as:
Chinese Lettuce Wraps (San Choy Bow ) (also the Thai version would be great)
All this tasty food talk is torture. I need to sign off and get into the kitchen to make dinner! ~ Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Noodle Salad With Creamy Sesame Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup peanut butter , preferably smooth (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil , toasted (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp canola oil (or other neutral oil)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (Note 3)
- 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha (adjust spiciness to taste)
- 2 tbsp lime juice (sub rice or cider vinegar)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 2 to 4 tbsp water , if needed
Salad
- 350g / 12 oz fresh egg noodles (about 4 cups, packed)
- 1.5 cups carrot , julienned (1 large or 2 small carrots)
- 2 cups beansprouts
- 1.5 cups green beans , halved
- 1.5 cups red bell pepper/capsicum , finely sliced (1 large)
- 3 green onion stems , finely sliced on the diagonal
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds (preferably toasted)
Instructions
- Prepare noodles according to packet directions (most just require soaking in hot water). Drain, rinse and set aside to cool.
- Dressing – Mix together Dressing ingredients, using water only if needed to loosen so it can be tossed through salad. If you reduce Sriracha, might need to add smidge more lime.
- Beans – Steam or boil green greens until just cooked, tender but still crisp. Drain under running water to cool.
- Toss – Place salad ingredients in a big bowl, toss with dressing.
- Garnish with sesame seeds then serve at room temp. Keeps 4 days in the fridge.
Recipe Notes:
- Shredded Cabbage (white, green, red)
- Zucchini batons (yes, raw, it’s great!)
- Snow peas, thinly sliced raw broccoli, red onion, corn
- Lightly blanched asparagus, snap peas, cauliflower
Nutrition Information:
Originally published July 2014, updated May 2019 with new photos, rewritten post, addition of recipe video and most important, added Life of Dozer! No change to recipe – it’s just as tasty as its been for the last decade I’ve been making it!
Life of Dozer
Dozer spent most of yesterday afternoon in the car with me as we travelled all over the north side of Sydney doing flower and foodie drop offs for Mother’s Day, to the various special mothers in our lives. ❤️
I saw you on tv ABC, and I said I must join your blob,
I feel so good and feel so happy and clever…..now. Thank so much in wanting to share your ability with us.
Hi Helen, I’m so glad you’re loving the recipes!!
Made this tonight was so moorish!! Didn’t have all the veggies and added roast chicken. Will definitely be making again and again. Thanks Nagi another winner!!
It’s so versatile Navy you can just use what you have on hand! – N x
Nagi this looks incredible!! Any low carb suggestions? I’m on a diet but I really want to make this, my mouths been watering over it for weeks! I thought maybe less noodles or swap out for uncooked zoodles?
Hi Sharrona, you could use konnyaku (0 calorie noodles) or zucchini noodles 🙂
Thank you so much! Grabbed the Ingredients today for meal prep tomorrow, can’t wait!
Made this last night for our small community group and DANGIT!… there wasn’t even enough left for my lunch today! So tasty… will definitely make again. Thanks a million for all your great recipes!
Give Dozer a hug from me!
Wahoooooo So happy it was a hit Joanne! Will give Dozer a million hugs ☺️
My 15yo daughter put this together thinking it would be good for her lunches. She’s decided she doesn’t like it. Which is excellent news for me because it is delicious and now I don’t have to share.
Oh no, I’m so sorry she doesn’t like it (but that’s great new for you 😈)
Oh, Wow! This is everything I’d imagined it would be. It is so good. Really good!! Really, really good!!!
Wahoo! Awesome Wynn ❤️
Can I freeze this?
Delicious by the way!
Hi! I wouldn’t think the veggies would thaw nicely with this one unfortunately – N x
Nagi, it’s a good thing there was a sub for the lime juice becaise I got home with the groceries and forgot the limes! Fortunately, I had rice vinegar. My only problem with prepping this was making sure I didn’t consume all the dressing before mixing with the salad I ingredients. 😉
I feel your pain Lourdes, I love this dressing so much!!
Do you think a package of cole slaw mix (red and green cabbage and carrots) would work in this??
Yes totally Jane!
make it yesterday with the cole slaw, asparagus and red pepper….YUM!!
Whenever i see your recipe my tongue craves for more. Thanks a lot for amazing recipes!
You’re so welcome Emma!
Sensational!!! I made this alongside the Asian salmon you’d suggested and my whole family were gushy with the oohs and the ahhhh!! So so good!!! Perfect in fact!!! Thank you (again!!!!!).
Love the salad and also mostly reach for hokkien noodles. Your dressing somewhat different from my usual lunchtime treat so shall copy soonest. Always add red onion and hope that there are snow peas and zucchini in the fridge, A yearlong treat . . . and hope Dozer got one at each place he graciously visited on Sunday !
Awww! That was sweet N, you must of made alot of mother’s happy yesterday! ❤
I can’t wait to make this dressing and I love that you have so many suggestions to make it your own for everyone!
Dozer must of thought it was raining meatballs, when he hit the table! 😂
My husband insists he doesn’t like cold pasta but I am going to make it anyway because I love cold sesame noodles! And maybe he will even try it! 😉
Oh yum!!! All things noodley and peanutty count me in! A little salty, a little sweet, a little spicy, with some veg and sesame? Oh yeah, that stuff speaks to me loudly, and will be luring me to the fridge again and again once it’s prepared!
Ooooo! What a great bring-along dish for a party or barbecue, or to include for a party buffet! (We are now heading toward summer here, but just had some snow flurries. Those noodles will be a more frequent feature as soon as it warms a bit more, too.)
Hi Nagi, this sounds wonderful and I will be making it today. I would love it if you shared more of your work lunch ideas. What to take is always in question for me. Thanks so much.
Oh Nagi – you are killing me! I am at work, and your blog post arrived in my email at 8:00 a.m. I am drooling for this, and unfortunately I can’t make it till I get home. Looks delicious and can’t wait to try it! I will add cucumber right before I eat it – easy enough to have it cut up on the side. Excellent vegetable suggestions, BTW.
So good!!!! Love our peanut butter sauce recipe. YUM.
husband allergic to peanuts would almond butter work?
A combination of cashew butter and tahini, maybe? If he’s not allergic to tree nuts.
Oh Wow! This salad tastes sensational. I usually have these ingredients in my fridge and pantry, so it was so easy to make at last minute. I didn’t use bean sprouts or beans . But I added a green capsicum and some shredded red cabbage instead. The sauce is amazing. This is so quick to make, my husband absolutley loved it. It will be my go to recipe for family gatherings. Yummmmmm!!!!! Keep the recipes coming Nagi, my family just love them (not that I wasn’t a good cook before LOL, it’s nice to have new recipes) I do like to change recipes sometimes to suit my palate. But not very often I change yours they are full of flavour which is what I look for.
I WILL NEVER STOP!!!😂
Would we be able to achieve the same taste using rice noodles instead?
Similar! It will still be super tasty 🙂