Asian noodle salad

About the recipe

Discover this fresh and vibrant Asian noodle salad recipe by Prue Leith. Packed with crisp vegetables, fresh herbs and a creamy peanut dressing, it's a quick and easy dish that's perfect for lunch, dinner or meal prep.

You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your taste by adding cooked chicken, prawns or tofu for extra protein, or increase the heat with fresh chilli or a drizzle of sriracha. It's also a great way to use up any crunchy vegetables you have in the fridge, such as shredded cabbage, sugar snap peas or edamame beans.

This colourful salad is rich in fibre and vitamins thanks to its mix of fresh vegetables and herbs, while the peanut dressing adds healthy fats and plenty of flavour. Served with rice vermicelli noodles, it's a satisfying meal that's ideal for warmer days or preparing ahead for the week.

Ingredients

For this recipe, you will need:

• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• Half a small cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
• 1 baby gem lettuce, finely sliced
• 1 pak choi, finely sliced
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• A small handful of torn coriander, mint and Thai basil leaves
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped to serve
• 200g vermicelli rice noodles

For the peanut dressing:

• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp clear honey or maple syrup
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp finely grated ginger

Method

1. In a salad bowl, first whisk all the dressing ingredients together, adjusting with warm water as necessary until you have a coating consistency.
2. Cook the vermicelli noodled according the packaging instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
3. Add all the salad ingredients and noodles to the bowl with the dressing and turn them gently.
4. Top with the chopped peanuts.