Cold Noodle Salad with Chicken
Imagine bouncy, chewy udon noodles with tender shredded chicken, tossed in a sweet and spicy sesame dressing. It is so good, you will want to lick the bowl clean!
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp crispy chili oil plus more to drizzle
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp runny honey
- 14 oz udon noodles
- 3 scallions (spring onions) finely sliced
- 4 cooked chicken thighs shredded
To serve:
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
Instructions
- Using a box grater, grate the cucumber into a sieve and set over a medium-sized bowl. Add a generous pinch of salt, toss well using your hands, then leave to drain while you prepare the rest of the ingredients (before using them later on, remember to give them a really good squeeze to extract as much of the water as possible).
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, crispy chili oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and honey. Season to taste with salt. Add a little of the drained cucumber water (waste not, want not!), then whisk until you have a silky smooth consistency. Set aside.
- Boil the kettle, then pop the udon noodles in a large saucepan and pour over the boiling water. Cover with a lid and leave to stand for 5 minutes, or cook according to package instructions. Drain well.
- To assemble: Place the drained noodles into a large bowl and pour over the dressing. Toss well to coat. Add the scallions and shredded chicken, then toss again.
- Spoon into bowls, drizzle with more chili oil, if desired, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, and enjoy!
Notes
Chicken - I used shredded chicken thighs in this recipe, but you could use leftover roast chicken, shredded chicken breast, or rotisserie chicken. Lots of other proteins would work, such as plump and juicy shrimp (prawns) or leftover turkey, pork, or beef.
Vegetables - I often add extra veggies like shredded cabbage or sprouts, grated carrot, finely sliced peppers, or cooked sweet corn.
Make it plant-based: You can make this Cold Noodle Salad with Chicken vegetarian-friendly by swapping the shredded chicken for crispy fried or roasted tofu. It can also be made vegan-friendly by swapping the runny honey for maple syrup.
Nutrition
Calories: 783kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 1866mg | Potassium: 796mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 339IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 4mg