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A simple sesame noodle salad was the Desert Island Dish that Chef Rosie Lovell chose as the dish she eats most often – you can listen to the full podcast here. And while it’s not my place to say, I think it’s a great choice. I’m a big fan of noodle salads. They are hearty, yet light, and an egg noodle just doesn’t leave the same slightly heavy feeling in your stomach as spaghetti does. The noodles can be dressed up in a whole host of different ways and can be packed full of flavor. They can deliver quite the punch.
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A noodle salad also has the added benefit of being delicious cold. So if you want to be the envy of the office, whip this up the night before and eat these at your desk while trying to avoid the daggers of envy your colleagues are shooting you. If you are anything like me, knowing you have a packed lunch with you will occupy your every thought, and I always inevitably end up tucking into my lunch at around 9:33 am. I’m afraid I don’t have the answer to this.
I loved the sound of Rosie’s Thai-inspired noodles and so have created a recipe around that idea inspired by her choice.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- A very versatile recipe that works with the chicken, or you can switch to beef or make it vegetarian.
- The perfect way to clean out the fridge. Use leftover chicken and see what veggies you have that need to be used up!
- Quick and simple weeknight meal and an ideal lunch.
- Similar to Pad Thai, if your family loves peanut sauce Asian dishes, they’ll love this recipe.
Ingredients
- Peanut butter – Choose your favorite, though creamy peanut butter works better in the sauce than chunky.
- Soy sauce – Use low-sodium soy sauce, particularly if the chicken stock is not low-sodium, so the sauce doesn’t get too salty.
- Chili flakes – Just a little bit of spice gives the peanut sauce a nice kick.
- Sesame seeds – I like to toast sesame seeds, but it’s not necessary.
- Egg noodles – They’re quick to cook, but be sure to let them cool. The noodles also keep well in the fridge, making this a great use for leftovers.
- Cooked chicken – Using any leftover chicken makes this cold noodle dish very easy to pull together.
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- Chicken: Rosie tends to keep her noodles veggie-based, which is delicious. I have taken the liberty of adding some leftover cold roast chicken because it goes perfectly with the nutty, zingy sauce and the noodles. Stir-fried beef would also be particularly good.
- The peanut sauce: I have tried this peanut sauce many times now, and I am very happy with it. But it’s important that you keep tasting as you go and adapt it to your taste. It’s very easy to adjust to your personal preference, and I do find that when peanut butter is involved, preferences can vary a little.
- Bean sprouts: I loved Rosie’s top tip in the podcast about blanching the bean sprouts. I have since tried this out, and it makes a world of difference, so definitely worth trying if you too find raw bean sprouts a bit moldy-tasting.
- Veggies: As for the veggies, well, anything goes. Fresh red peppers, fried kale, blanched broccoli, raw carrots, bean sprouts…literally anything. Which, incidentally, makes this a wonderful dish to turn to when you are on a fridge forage. You know those days when you are rooting around in the fridge, staring aimlessly at the floppy-looking carrot and an old bit of cabbage. Transform those forlorn little veggies with this delicious dressing and a handful of noodles. Creating a feast out of humble beginnings is just about my favorite thing to do.
Frequently asked questions
Pad Thai is likely the most famous peanut sauce dish in Asian cuisine; this one’s just a little different and simpler. Many Pad Thai recipes use red wine vinegar or tamarind along with fish sauce and brown sugar, and it’s served over rice noodles. The peanut sauce in this recipe uses common ingredients you likely already have and serves everything over egg noodles. It’s also a dish that requires almost no cooking if you have leftover egg noodles and chicken available (simply fry the kale real quick).
Yes! Simply skip the chicken (some fried tofu might be nice!) and use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock. Also, for a vegan option, make sure your soy sauce doesn’t include anchovies or switch to tamari for a great umami flavor alternative, and use an alternative to egg noodles.
While I use egg noodles in the recipe, you can certainly change it up. Go with rice noodles for something a bit more like Pad Thai, or use udon noodles (try my Cold Noodle Salad with Chicken recipe). Rice and some smaller pastas would also work if you need to use leftovers.
Other recipes you might enjoy
If you can’t get enough of chicken and noodle dishes, try my Chicken Noodle Bowl or Chicken Satay Rice Bowls. For an Asian-inspired soup meal, you’ll love Wagamama Chili Chicken Ramen or Chicken and Prawn (Shrimp) Tom Yum Soup. Just like this recipe, you can swap a few ingredients to make any of these vegetarian.
Easy Dinner Recipes
Asian-inspired Gochujang Salmon Fishcakes
Vegetarian Dishes
Tofu Noodle Soup
Easy 30 Minute Meals
Wonton Noodle Soup
Chicken Recipes
Soy and Garlic Chicken
If you tried this Cold Peanut Noodle Salad with Chicken or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Cold Peanut Noodle Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
For the peanut sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp peanut butter, heaping; smooth is best
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp dried chili flakes
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp liquid chicken stock, or a crumbled stock cube
For the noodles:
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1.3 lb egg noodles, about 21 oz
- 5.25 oz bean sprouts, about generous 1 1/2 cups; blanched
- 4.5 oz kale (cavolo nero), about generous 1 3/4 cups; loosely packed, chopped
- 8.75 oz cold roast chicken, diced or shredded; about generous 1 3/4 cups
- 1.5 oz cucumber, peeled and diced; about 1/3 cup
- 0.75 oz radishes, finely sliced; about scant 1/4 cup
- 2 scallions (spring onions), chopped
Garnish:
- 2.75 oz salted peanuts, roughly chopped; about 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Whisk together all the peanut sauce ingredients in a bowl. Give it a taste and adjust accordingly.
- Cook the egg noodles, rinse under cold water, and pop into a bowl.
- Put the chicken, cucumber, radishes, scallions (spring onions), bean sprouts, and sesame seeds in with the noodles.
- Quickly fry the kale (cavolo nero) and then add it to the bowl.
- Pour over the dressing and give it a really good stir. Garnish with the chopped peanuts and enjoy!
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
Storage: This cold noodle salad can be made a day ahead and kept in an airtight container (making it a great grab-and-go lunch option). You might want to store the peanut sauce separately and add it right before serving to ensure it doesn’t get too soggy. Make-ahead: You can certainly prep all of the ingredients ahead, storing them in the fridge separately, then assemble the salad just before eating it.More quick tips
- Adapt ingredients to taste: With a salad like this, the exact measurements are not entirely important. I would suggest following the peanut sauce as instructed, though if you like a little more spice, add some extra chili and adjust the veggie and chicken portions to suit your taste.
- Swap the veggies: You can use any sort of vegetable you have in the fridge (the salad is a great way to use them up!). Fresh red peppers, fried kale, blanched broccoli, raw carrots, bean sprouts…literally anything.
- Vegan and vegetarian options: Skip the chicken (maybe try tofu instead) to make the dish vegetarian. Swap the soy sauce for tamari or make sure your soy doesn’t include anchovies, and use egg-free noodles to make this dish vegan.
- Choose your noodles: If you don’t have egg noodles, try this salad with udon or rice noodles.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
