PW's Asian Noodle Salad

This is a delicious, light, flavorful salad. Having said that, it is substantially filling, b/c there is pasta in it...but it is served cool & dressed, like a salad. Eric loves the dressing that I make for it - he could practically drink it straight up (not really though...thankfully it's too rich for that!).

The salad is a delightful combination of texture and flavor; I LOVE making extra (and trust me, this recipe makes plenty) so I can eat it all week long for lunch!! It's very light, and though the prep (washing, chopping veggies) takes a little bit of time, it is the perfect spring/summer meal.

I found this awesome recipe on Pioneer Woman's cooking blog. Make sure you set aside some time to go browsing through her site, it is recipes upon recipes of delicious any and everything you could ask for. Sweets, salty, dinners, lunches, breakfasts, appetizers - she does it all. This happens to be her favorite salad and it is certainly high on my list too! I can't wait to start throwing in fresh veggies right from my garden! :)

Without further ado, here is the recipe:

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

1/2 - 1 package linguine noodles, cooked (but only to al dente), rinsed, and cooled

1/2 head sliced Napa cabbage

1/2 head sliced purple cabbage (I usually choose either/or for the cabbage...too expensive to buy both to only use 1/2...depends on my mood as to which I prefer, but its usually the purple one!)

1/2 bag baby spinach

2 red, yellow, or orange (or green!) bell peppers, sliced thin

1 small bag bean sprouts (also called “mung bean sprouts”)

1-2 sliced scallions

3-4 shredded carrots

1 small bag snap peas

1 basket cherry tomatoes

1 peeled, sliced cucumber
A few handfuls of cashews, lightly toasted in skillet

DRESSING:

Juice of 1 lime

8 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons sesame oil

8 tablespoons Bragg's Aminos (or soy sauce)

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely or "pressed"

1 jalapeños, chopped finely (leave out if you don't like your food to have a little kick!)

Mix together salad ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a separate bowl. If serving a large crowd, pour dressing over salad & mix with tongs to serve. If only serving a few people, only dress what you will consume immediately, as the salad should be stored separate from the dressing in the fridge.

Also, I want to point out that the ingredient list may look HUGE, overwhelming even. But make this salad your own! If you don't like peppers, leave 'em out! If you only have celery, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and snap peas on hand - use those instead of the listed ingredients above! You can add/subtract ingredients very easily...there is no formula for success on this - just guidelines. Don't have a lime? Use a lemon instead. Don't have sesame oil? Just add a little extra olive oil. If you love baby spinach, double it. No fresh ginger? Use the powdered ginger you have in your cupboard. I think you get the point I am trying to make: adjust as your own palate and pantry leads you!! And most importantly, ENJOY! :)

*Note to self: Take the 30 seconds required for an actually decent picture, rather than being so distracted by the gnawing hunger in your tummy that you settle for a blurry picture to get food in your mouth faster! Sheesh.... but, seriously, this recipe is so good, that you would have settled for a blurry picture too.