Friday, June 29, 2012

Szechuan Noodle Salad

Aunt Jane gave me this recipe - it was one of many good salads she served at the bridal shower she hosted for me many years ago.  Will and I made it often in the first half of our marriage, but then, somehow, forgot about the recipe until just a month or so ago.  Since then we have already made it twice - yum!
I didn't think to take many pictures, but I did think that the chopped veggies in the bowl were really pretty, so here's a picture of the veggies:
IMG_7528

Now just imagine adding shredded chicken, cooked oriental noodles, and a sweetish-spicy sauce - with chopped peanuts on top!  Fabulous - try it soon!
Szechuan Noodle Salad (I roughly doubled/tripled the recipe - very roughly, it's forgiving!)

4 oz. uncooked Oriental Noodles (I used Chinese 'egg noodles' style noodles)
3 T. oil
3 T. honey
1 T. Sesame Oil
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 1/2 t. grated gingerroot
1 t. crushed red pepper (I didn't add all of this - the most recent time I made it I used 1 t for a triple dressing recipe was mild, next time I'd add more.)
3 c. shredded cooked chicken
1 c. finely shredded red cabbage
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, shredded
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. dry-roasted peanuts (I used low-sodium)

Cook noodles as package directs (or until desired tenderness), drain, rinse in cold water.  Combine sauce ingredients. Mix noodles and veggies in a big bowl. Stir in dressing. Top with peanuts (at the table if you expect leftovers - the peanuts aren't very good soggy from the dressing the next day.