Noodle Salad with Oriental Dressing

These days I am on a roll.  I want noodle salad with oriental style dressing.  For health reasons I do better with less wheat and gluten so I am using rice noodles.  Soba (buckwheat noodles) is a great choice too.  Asian salad just hits the spot when the weather feels too cold for tossed green salad.

This recipe has many uses and many forms.  Any leftover cooked vegetables can be dressed with this.  Top with grilled chicken, or seafood to create a full meal.  

The Oriental Dressing also makes a great marinade, especially for grilled chicken or shrimp.  It can be noodle heavy, or have little noodle but lots of vegetables.  When there is a plethora is greens, this works well too.

Note:  Arame is a Japanese sea vegetable that looks like black noodles. Grab a pinch and soak it in warm water, Saki, Tamari or soy sauce. Sea veggies are loaded with minerals and are a wonderful source of iodine. Iodine feeds the thyroid gland and boosts stamina and immunity. 

 Oriental Dressing

 ½ Cup Brown Rice Vinegar or sushi style seasoned rice vinegar

½ Cup Agave Syrup (amber)

2 Tbs water

1 large clove garlic, minced fine

1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 Tlbs organic Grape seed oil or any mild tasting oil

½ tsp Toasted Sesame oil

1 tsp hot sauce or to taste (or more if desired) Here I use President’s Choice PC Choice Fiery Thai Chilli Sauce.  It is available locally and is the perfect balance of taste and spice.

1 tsp grated Lime Zest or 4 drops of Lime Essential Oil

Shake well and store in refrigerator

Have available wedges of fresh lime to squeeze over the top

Method:

Cook or soften any style of noodle such as Soba (Quick: I like vermicelli rice noodles that you soften by pouring boiled water over) until tender and rinse well under cool water.  Don’t overcook.  

Topping Suggestions:

Slice green, yellow and red sweet peppers sliver thin. Add fresh snow peas or even defrosted peas are great.  ¼ cup Arame Sea Vegetable soaked in a little Tamari Sauce or Soy Sauce.

Arame sea veggie has an appearance of thin black noodles in the salad. (Found in Health food Stores).

You can garnish with either black sesame seeds or brown. Gomasio (Japanese condiment) is good too.

I have on hand slivers of raw carrot that I have marinated in dill pickle brine.  They are softer and more flavourful than raw.  You can use raw carrots or blanch the carrots and run under cold water.

Top with greens: cilantro, basil, water cress, parsley, bruised kale, spinach……

Remember that the simplest of foods can taste good and be extra nourishing too.  ENJOY!