Chicken and Thai Noodle Salad
I am addicted to Thai Chicken Noodle Salad. I crave that soy/chili/nutty/cilantro wonderfulness and can never stop myself from diving right in to the salad bowl.
Just a taste, I think, to make sure it turned out alright. And then I take another taste, and another, and another. It’s seriously as bad as cookie dough for me.
Should I thank my friend who introduced the original version of this salad to me? Or should I curse her name as I stuff my face?
Thank goodness this salad is actually healthy, so I only feel a little guilty when I eat my second (and third) bowl.
Thai Chicken Noodle Salad is a fantastic meal to tote to picnics, sporting events and potlucks (it’s gorgeous and delicious).
I was chowing down one night at my son’s baseball game when another spectator said, “Oh my. Look at her salad. It is so pretty!” I could not stop laughing. But, hey, she was right.
You can serve this salad as a complete meal in a bowl with shredded rotisserie chicken or go vegetarian and serve it as a side dish. The salad keeps well in the fridge and actually tastes best if you allow it to chill for at least an hour before serving.
Ingredients List
- 13 oz package angel hair (or thin spaghetti) multi-grain pasta
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh green onions, chopped
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1 cup broccoli slaw or shaved, then chopped asparagus (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts (cashews are great, too)
- 3 cups shredded, cooked chicken (I use the breast meat from a Rotisserie chicken)
- 1/3 cup reduced-fat peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Method
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Break the angel hair pasta into small pieces and add to the boiling water. Cook for the time directed on the package, drain and rinse gently with cool water.
In a very large bowl (this makes a big salad), toss together the cooled pasta, all veggies, chopped peanuts and shredded chicken.
In a small bowl, whisk together the reduced-fat peanut butter, tahini, rice vinegar and sweet chile sauce. Now also stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the noodle salad mixture and then gently toss until everything is coated evenly.
Refrigerate the salad until you are ready to serve.
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