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This Cold Noodle Salad recipe is so easy to make! It is a nice, fresh Asian noodle salad that is ready to enjoy in about 15 minutes. It will work as either a full meal or a delicious side dish, depending on how many you portion it for.
Recipe Difficulty – Very Easy
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
This cold Thai noodle salad is so perfect for summer! With its fresh veggies, peanut dressing, and cold noodles, it will leave you refreshed and excited for the next time you get to make it!
Aside from the amazing flavours, the texture of this rice noodle salad is to die for! The crunchy veggies along with the somewhat chewy noodles and the creamy dressing make for a perfect balance.
Even though this is a Thai Noodle Salad, you won’t even need to hit the Asian markets for most of the ingredients! Everything can be found at your local grocery store!
Ingredients to make Cold Noodle Salad
- Rice Noodles – are my favourite type of noodles for this dish. Plus their naturally gluten-free.
- Red Bell Pepper – gives a nice crunch and flavour to cold pasta salads.
- Red Cabbage – goes great with red peppers and adds a depth of flavour.
- Tomatoes – add a nice, bright flavour.
Peanut Salad Dressing
- Peanut Butter – you can use smooth or crunchy.
- Maple Syrup – is a great natural sweetener.
- Tamari Sauce – helps to keep this dish gluten-free as it is essentially a gluten-free version of soy sauce.
- Lime Juice – I prefer to use this fresh from a lime for it’s sharpness.
- Onion Powder – is a standard among savoury ingredients.
- Garlic Powder – pairs perfectly with onion powder.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Rice Noodles – are a great gluten-free option, but other noodles will work depending on your dietary needs. You could try soba noodles, ramen noodles, glass noodles, or even spaghetti noodles!
- Vegetables – When it comes to fresh vegetables, you can add or substitute them to your liking. Try green onions, snap peas, shiitake mushrooms, or red onion. Lots of veggies make for a more filling and more healthy meal!
- Red Cabbage – Green cabbage, purple cabbage, or napa cabbage would also work for this cold peanut noodle salad.
- Peanut Butter – If you have a peanut allergy, you can use almond butter or sun butter instead.
- Maple Syrup – Honey or a brown sugar mixture would also give the flavour needed.
- Seasonings – Some other great seasonings to use are fresh ginger or fresh garlic.
- Peanut Dressing – a sesame dressing would also be great in this noodle salad.
Variations
- Spicy – For a spicy peanut sauce recipe, add chili pepper flakes or chili oil while cooking to imbue heat into the dish. It would also be great with a sweet chili sauce on top!
- Deluxe – Top with sesame seeds and some fresh herbs for a fancy Asian cold noodle salad.
- Kid friendly – use your kids’s favourite veg in place of any they don’t like to help them enjoy this meal.
How to make Cold Noodle Salad
Step 1: Cook the noodles in a large pot of water according to package directions. Drain noodles and set aside. To prevent the noodles from sticking, toss the noodles with a splash of sesame oil or olive oil.
Step 2: Prepare the veggies; chop the red pepper and tomatoes, and grate or finely slice the cabbage.
Step 3: Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 4: Toss the cooked noodles with the other salad ingredients in a large bowl. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate before serving.
Hint: This is a very versatile recipe, so feel free to adjust seasonings and veg as desired.
Leftovers
Cold Noodle Salad will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
Recipe FAQs
My personal favourite is ice noodles as they are gluten free. Aside from that, it depends on the region you’re from. Some popular options are soba and ramen.
It is not required, but can help to cool the noodles down as well as keep them from clumping. I like to stir them with a splash of oil after draining to keep them from sticking.
More Noodle recipes
- Peanut Butter Noodles
- Salmon Noodles
- Vegan Laksa
- Vermicelli Noodles
- Thai Curry Noodle Soup
- Vermicelli Soup
- Vegan Pad Thai
- Chicken Satay Salad
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Cold Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 200 g rice noodles
- 1 medium red pepper, seeded, chopped
- 2 cups red cabbage, shredded
- 115 g tomatoes, chopped
Peanut Salad Dressing
- 3 tbsp peanut butter
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp tamari
- ½ juice lime
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to package directions. Set aside. To prevent the noodles from sticking toss the noodles with a splash of sesame oil, or olive oil.
- Prepare the veggies; chop the red pepper, and tomatoes and grate or finely slice the cabbage.
- Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Toss the cooked noodles with the cabbage, tomatoes, red pepper and prepared dressing. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate before serving.
Delicious and so easy to make! Didn’t have red cabbage and used broccoli instead, works out too 🙂
Thank you 🙂 so pleased you enjoyed it!
Delicious. I didn’t imagine so much flavour and how satisfying this would be
Thanks Johanna 🙂
Super easy, tasty salad! Will be making it again 🙂
Thanks Heather!