You’ll want this: a savory, spicy noodle salad that stays delicious for ages
Whether or not picnic weather is on the way; I’ll come up with an excuse to make a bowl of this delicious noodle salad! And the secret ingredient that makes sure this dish stays delicious for so long without getting soggy? You might have a whole drawer full of it…
Because as we know from not-so-well-made pasta salad, there’s nothing fun about eating cold, wet pasta that has been tossed around in a bowl with mayo or dressing for far too long. You need to time it carefully to prevent the pasta from absorbing all the moisture, swelling up, and becoming floury and soggy. But you won’t have that problem with this type of noodle!
Instant success
The trick is to use instant noodles. And really just the noodles—not the packets of powders and oil or sauce that come with them in the package. They’re not good for you anyway, and you’re better off making your own sauce or using good stock, but we also know that one day you’ll simply stir them into a pan of nasi goreng…
Deep-fried happiness
After you cook them according to the package instructions, instant noodles stay al dente/chewy for much longer than fresh noodles or other noodles that haven’t been fried. Yes, fried—let’s not beat around the bush. That’s what makes instant noodles so crisp and also helps them retain their desired texture for longer after cooking.
Delicious for longer
And it’s precisely that lasting chewy texture that makes this noodle salad from Epicurious so perfect to prepare in advance and/or take with you. What you do toss through it beforehand is wonderfully tasty garlic oil (homemade and ready in no time), which gives the noodles extra flavor when you serve the whole dish. Make a spicy Asian dressing to take along separately in a jar, add crisp, fresh romaine leaves and rings of spring onion, and, if you like, grilled chicken thigh fillet or crispy fried tofu.
All easy to prepare ahead of time, and undoubtedly a hit at your next picnic or simple dinner party!
How to make the instant noodle salad with garlic oil
- In a clean jar, make a dressing with 50 ml apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, and 2 chopped red chili peppers (remove the seeds and membranes if you want it less spicy). This can be made a day in advance.
- Finely chop 5 garlic cloves and fry them over medium heat until golden brown in 50 ml sunflower oil.
- Remove from the heat and strain over a heatproof bowl.
- Store the oil and crispy garlic separately in their own jars. This can also be done a day in advance.
- Coarsely chop 2 handfuls of unsalted peanuts, cut 3 spring onions into thin rings, and wash and tear a head of romaine lettuce.
- Cook the instant noodles (without the accompanying powder and oil) according to the package instructions and drain.
- Return the noodles to the pan, add lukewarm water, stir briefly with a wooden spoon, and drain again.
- Repeat once. This removes as much starch as possible, which will benefit the noodles’ fresh bite later.
- Mix everything together just before serving.
- In the photo, the salad is served with grilled chicken thigh fillet marinated in ground coriander stems, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Delicious! But if you want to make a vegan version (also omit the fish sauce and use soy sauce in the dressing), add crispy tofu, which you can fry until truly delicious with this trick!
Also read:
- The truth about (those irresistible) instant noodles
- Tasty list: the best instant noodles out there
- Vegan gets furious about non-vegans eating tofu
Source and image: Epicurious
