5 Refreshing Noodle Salads

When you think of noodles, you might picture a bowl of warm strands with a greasy sauce. So do I, when it’s cold outside. As soon as the sun comes out, I prefer to eat my noodles cold. Move over pasta salad, cold noodles are your new favorite food to take to the park. 

First of all, a tip that applies to all these recipes: rinse the noodles well under cold water after cooking. This prevents them from continuing to cook and leaving you with soggy noodles to chew. Yuck. Warm noodles also absorb more sauce than cold noodles. Especially when you’re taking them with you, you don’t want all the sauce to have been absorbed already, leaving you with a dry mouthful in your container. So go for the cold version. Pack any crunchy toppings in a sandwich bag and add them at the last minute. Enjoy!

Have you tried the refreshing Spanish drink horchata yet?

Spicy scallion oil

This is one of my absolute favorites. No wonder, since I love putting chili oil and scallions on every dish. My WhatsApp status isn’t The Asian for every occasion for nothing. With this recipe, you make an oil with chili and scallions—double the enjoyment. My advice: double the oil recipe; it’s also delicious over rice or a fried egg. Over pretty much everything, really.

Sesame noodles with chicken

After cooking, toss these noodles in a sauce made with, among other things, sesame oil and sesame paste. Thanks to the vinegar in the sauce, the noodles are not only savory but also wonderfully fresh. Don’t feel like making the chicken first? You can also fry some diced tofu and add it, or use leftover chicken.

Grilled eggplant and tomatoes

In the mood for Mediterranean flavors with your noodles? Martha Stewart’s got your back. This soba salad with grilled eggplant and tomatoes is what you’re having tonight.

Rice noodles with shrimp

Combined with a fresh Vietnamese dressing, these rice noodles make the ideal summer meal. Add some shrimp, ground pork and crunchy peanuts or fried onions, and you’re all set.

Green tea noodles with spicy sauce

This isn’t very suitable for taking with you, because the noodles quickly start sticking together, but at home this recipe with green tea noodles is a real winner. Don’t worry if you can’t find green noodles—soba works just fine too. The sauce is made with the Korean pepper paste gochujang, making it quite spicy. Serve the noodles and sauce separately. Time to dip!