Cold Peanut Noodle Salad
This Cold Peanut Noodle Salad with homemade peanut lime dressing is the perfect meal prep for summer! No reheating necessary.
Servings: 4 servings (about 2 cups salad each)
Calories: 557kcal
Equipment
- Sauce Pan
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
Peanut Lime Dressing
- 3 Tbsp peanut butter $0.19
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar $0.04
- 1 garlic clove minced, $0.06
- ½ tsp fresh ginger grated, $0.02
- 1 medium lime juiced, (2 Tbsp juice) $0.25
- 2 tsp soy sauce $0.04
- ¼ cup neutral oil $0.17*
Salad
- 8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti uncooked, $0.83**
- 4 cups red cabbage finely shredded, (about ¾-1 pound of cabbage) $1.00
- 2 carrots $0.23
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped, (about ½ cup) $0.43***
- 4 green onions sliced (about ½ cup) $0.36
- ½ cup peanuts chopped, $0.44
Instructions
- To make the peanut lime dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl or blender. Whisk or blend until smooth. Set the dressing aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil for the whole wheat spaghetti. Break the spaghetti in half to make it easier to stir into the salad ingredients later. Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti, and continue to boil until the pasta is tender. Drain in a colander and rinse it briefly with cold water to cool it off. Let the pasta drain well.
- Meanwhile, shred the cabbage as finely as possible using either a knife or the shredding attachment of a food processor. Shred the carrots using a large-holed cheese grater. Roughly chop the cilantro and peanuts. Slice the green onion.
- Combine the cooled and well drained pasta in a large bowl with the cabbage, carrots, cilantro, green onion, and peanuts. Toss the salad until the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Serve the salad and peanut lime dressing immediately, or divide the undressed salad between four containers (about 2 cups each) and divide the dressing between four smaller containers (about 2 Tbsp or slightly more each). Refrigerate up to 4-5 days.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Video
Notes
*Any mild, neutral oil will work in the dressing. Avocado oil is a great option, but it can be pricey, so I usually reach for inexpensive vegetable oil. Less expensive options also include canola, safflower, or grape seed oil.
**I like whole wheat spaghetti for its slightly nutty flavor and hearty texture, but regular spaghetti is usually cheaper ($0.62 for 8 oz. regular spaghetti!) so use what you prefer. Readers have also had success with soba noodles and rice noodles. Cook alternative noodles according to the package directions. For a gluten-free salad, use rice noodles or your favorite gluten-free noodles and replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari or soy sauce.
***If you don’t care for cilantro, simply leave it out or replace it with another fresh herb like parsley.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 557kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 30g | Sodium: 276mg | Fiber: 6g