Be prepared to be popular if you go ahead and make this salad, it is an absolute favorite! You can make it with or without the grilled chicken. I will generally make it with if I’m serving it for dinner and without if I’m bringing it to add as a salad for a potluck. If not using the chicken, make a half recipe of the dressing as the other half is used as a marinade.

The flavours in this dish are well balanced and exciting but you do need some ingredients that may be new to your pantry; don’t worry they are all available at most grocery stores and I have added links to pictures so they can be found easily… here’s a hint, they are all found in the international aisle of the store.

For those of you who want to keep it nut free, simply don’t add the peanuts as a garnish, there are no nuts in the dressing itself.

This recipe seems complex and time consuming but it actually comes together very quickly and I make it often for my family. The ingredients are fairly inexpensive and you can make a large amount for a buffet or potluck without breaking the bank.

Thai Noodle Salad

Dressing

100g Miso paste (soy bean paste)

10g Orange zest

90g Orange juice

15g Fresh ginger

100g Oil (canola or other neutral)

100g Mirin

16gRice wine vinegar

12g Fresh garlic

16g Toasted sesame oil

30g Honey

30-50g Sambal Chili paste

I make the dressing in a blender to make it as easy as possible. It’s a lot of ingredients but it comes together very quickly. The dressing can be made well in advance (2-3 days) and kept in the fridge until needed.

Divide the dressing in half and keep one half in the fridge, the other half will be used as a marinade for the chicken.

Chicken Marinade

6 Chicken thighs or 3 Chicken Breasts

1/2 Recipe of Dressing (above)

Simply place the chicken in a zip lock bag and add marinade. Smoosh the closed bag around with your hands to coat the chicken fully. Place the bag in a bowl to prevent leakage and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 2 days. Grill chicken on medium flame if using an outdoor grill to avoid flare ups. Cook chicken fully and set aside to cool.

Salad

2 Bell peppers, assorted colours cut julienne

4 Carrots, peeled and julienne

1 Bunch green onions, sliced diagonally

1/2 Jicima, julienne (optional)

2 Cups Red cabbage, shredded (optional)

1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

1 Cup Peanuts, salted (optional)

1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)

1 Package (454g) Steamed Chow Mein Noodles

To julienne the veggies please invest in a julienne peeler, it will make your life much easier and they are inexpensive.

Start a large pot of water to boil. Julienne the carrots and jicima (if using). Cut the peppers, green onions and cabbage and chop cilantro. Add all veg to a bowl with sliced/cooked chicken, cilantro and peanuts (if using) and the second half of the dressing.

When the water is boiling, add the chow mein noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. Strain and rinse with cold water to immediately cool the noodles. Continue to drain all remaining liquid and add to the bowl of veg. Toss together and serve in a bowl with a wedge of lime. Enjoy!