I love pasta salad, I’ve posted quite a few on my blog over the years. It’s just such a great dish to make for any occasion really – BBQ, picnic, birthday. Part of why it’s so great is that it can be made ahead of time and can be served cold or at room temperature.

This recipe is based off an easy peanut ramen recipe I like to make, which is served hot. I don’t have an exact recipe because I always add the ingredients and adjust to taste, but that sauce is just made of peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha and maple syrup. It is so simple, yet delicious every time. This noodle salad today takes peanut ramen and turns it into the perfect summer recipe!

Today’s pasta salad has some Asian influence with the dressing. It is also packed with a variety of vegetables – carrot, pepper, cabbage, green onion – which give so much colour and crunch.

Just like with the ramen I mentioned above, this dressing has a base of peanut butter which makes it super creamy and rich. But I added a variety of other ingredients to provide some acid, sweetness and a little spice. It is all about balance of flavours!

And again, this would be a great side dish for dinner. But if you wanted to make it a full meal, you can serve it with any protein (ie. chicken, salmon, tofu). Happy eating!

Ingredients:

• 200g egg noodles, uncooked (vegan/GF: use rice noodles)
• 1 carrot, in half moons
• 1 small bell pepper, in thin strips
• 1 cup shredded cabbage (red or green)
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup halved peanuts
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (GF: use tamari)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp water (*plus more, if desired)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water and put into large bowl.
2. Place all vegetables and peanuts into bowl with the noodles.
3. In another bowl or measuring cup, combine all remaining ingredients to make the dressing. *It will be thick, but you can add extra water (1 tbsp at a time) to get desired consistency.
4. Pour dressing over noodles and vegetables, toss to fully combine.
5. Serve immediately or chill up to 2 days.