Szechuan Noodle Salad

Number of Servings: 4

Salad Ingredients:

100 g (4 oz) dry linguine noodles

1 cup (250 mL) shredded or matchstick carrots
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped green onions

½ cup (125 mL) chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup (125 mL) chopped roasted peanuts

Dressing:

4 tablespoons (60 mL) smooth peanut butter (not natural or light)
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons (30 mL) rice vinegar
2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh lime or lemon juice
2 tablespoons (30 mL) soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 mL) brown sugar
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) powdered ginger
2 teaspoons (10 mL) sambal oelek (chili paste)

1 tablespoon (15 mL) roasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable or grapeseed oil

Sea salt; freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Make Dressing:  In a bowl of a food processor, place peanut butter, garlic, rice vinegar, juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and sambal oelek. Process/pulse until mixture is well combined.   Add the two oils, and continue to process until you have a smooth and creamy dressing. Season to taste.   Dressing can be made in advance so that it is well-chilled when it is added to the warm pasta.
2. Cook linguine in a pot of boiling salted water. Cook until al dente stage (8-10 minutes). Drain; give a quick rinse with cold water, and place in a salad bowl. Immediately stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the dressing. Ensure that the noodles are well-coated.
3. Gently fold in the remaining salad ingredients (except for cilantro and peanuts). Just before serving, fold in cilantro, some of the chopped peanuts, and add more dressing.
4. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts.

Questions and comments are always welcome    alex@chilipeppersandpears.com ^[1]