Cold almond noodle salad

Cold noodle salads
travel well; you don’t
have to worry about
them going limp, or
leaving them out in
the sun since they’re
mayo-free. For a spin
on the traditional
peanut noodle salad,
add red pepper,
cucumber, broccoli
– any type of veggie
your family likes or
you happen to have
in the fridge. For a
more substantial meal,
add chopped roasted
chicken, pork or
shrimp.

(Developed by Julie for the
Almond Board of California.)

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1/2 lb (250 g) steamed Asian noodles
  or rice vermicelli
• 6–8 asparagus stalks, trimmed and
  cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup (250 ml) sugar snap peas

Almond butter sauce:

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) almond butter
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) honey or brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, finely crushed
• 2 tsp (10 ml) grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) curry paste or powder
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) sriracha or other chili paste
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup (125 ml) chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. In a medium pot of boiling water, cook the noodles for
3-4 minutes, or according to the package directions,
until just tender. Add the asparagus for the last minute
of cooking. Drain in a colander, running under cool
water first to stop noodles from cooking. Transfer to a
large bowl and add the remaining vegetables.

2.
Meanwhile, combine the almond butter, rice vinegar,
soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, curry paste and sriracha
in a small saucepan set over medium heat; whisk
until smooth, warming only as necessary to make the
almond butter easier to stir.

3.
Drizzle the almond butter sauce over the noodles
and vegetables and toss to coat. If you like, cover and
refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Sprinkle with toasted
almonds and cilantro, if desired, just before serving.

Serves 4.

Per serving:

442 calories, 24.4 g fat
(2.1 g saturated fat, 15.7 g monounsaturated fat,
6.6 polyunsaturated fat), 43 g carbohydrate,
0 mg cholesterol, 16 g protein, 10.5 g fibre.

Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, July 2013.