Looking for a quick, flavorful dish to beat the heat? This Thai-inspired cold noodle salad combines tender rice noodles, crisp vegetables, and a creamy, spicy peanut dressing. Ready in just 25 minutes, it's an ideal choice for meal prep, light lunches, or as a standout side at your next summer gathering.
Make this cold peanut noodle salad for a snack, a delicious side dish or for your weekly meal prep. The nutty flavor of the spicy peanut sauce recipe coating the cold noodles is perfect for your weekday lunches or backyard parties on a hot summer day.
Cold pasta salads are my favorite things to prep for a busy week. They're easy and versatile and you can load them with crunchy colorful vegetables, protein and fresh flavors. This is a simple dish with a deep depth of flavor to diversify your lunch or snack time!
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Ingredients
- Fresh veggies. I used broccoli florets, shredded carrots and scallions. Mix it up with your favorites or try snap peas, purple cabbage and red bell pepper.
- Rice noodles. I used Pad Thai rice noodles but soba noodles and glass noodles would also be good.
Sauce Ingredients
- Peanut butter. Use whatever you have in the pantry for the base of the creamy peanut sauce. I always recommend unsweetened peanut butter.
- Honey. Honey is a natural sweetener that balances out the ingredients. Substitute for maple syrup or brown sugar.
- Sesame oil. Sesame has a rich nutty flavor that compliments the peanut butter and rounds out the dressing.
- Coconut aminos or soy sauce. Salty, umami flavor for the base of any good Asian flavor profile.
- Red pepper flakes. Add subtle heat to cut the richness of the sauce.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Make gluten-free. Rice noodles are already gluten-free. Use coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce for a completely gluten-free dish.
- Other nut butters. Use your favorite nut butter instead of peanut butter.
- Add more protein. Use the dressing to marinate chicken breast, beef, pork or shrimp for some added protein. Or try it with 25-minute Orange Chicken.
- Add fresh ginger. Use a box grater to add some fresh ginger to the sauce or salad.
How to Make Cold Noodle Salad
Step 1
Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Steam broccoli for 5 minutes and set aside.
Step 2
Add the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and combine. Add the cooled noodles, vegetables and peanut sauce to a large serving bowl.
Step 3
Toss the ingredients to combine and evenly coat the noodles. Garnish with scallions, serve and enjoy!
Sarah's Top Tips
- Make it even simpler. Use a bag of coleslaw mix or pre-cut veggies for an even easier recipe.
- Cook just to al dente. You want to cook just to al dente for this recipe--only for cold pasta salads-- the process of rinsing with cold water prevents the noodles from cooking further and sticking together.
- Balance flavor. Aim for a balance of sweet, salty, spicy, and tangy in the sauce.
- Toss well. Toss the noodles, vegetables, and sauce thoroughly to ensure an even coating.
Serving
This cold noodle salad can be served alone or with Asian Meatballs and Honey Garlic Wings.
Storage & Reheating
Store the noodle salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
This recipe is not conducive to freezing.
More Recipes to Try
- Peanut Sauce Stir Fry30 Minutes
- Thai Green Curry Meatball Soup35 Minutes
- Sticky Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs (Easy Weeknight Recipe)47 Minutes
- Moroccan Couscous Salad (No raisins or almonds)30 Minutes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below—I’d love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Recipe
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Quick & Easy Cold Noodle Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
See the full post for extra tips and photos
Ingredients
- 2 cups broccoli , cut into small pieces
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- ¼ cup scallions, chopped
- 1 (8 ounce package) rice noodles
Peanut Sauce
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter, unsweetened
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup coconut aminos, or soy sauce
- ½ lime, juiced
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Toppings
- Chopped scallions
- Chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Cook noodles in boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Blanch or steam the broccoli for 5 minutes. Set aside. I did this in the microwave by adding an inch of water to the bottom of the bowl, covering it and microwaving it for 5 minutes.
- Make peanut sauce by combining all the ingredients in a jar or bowl.
- Add the noodles to a bowl with the vegetables and pour the peanut sauce on top. Toss to combine.
- Garnish with more scallions and chopped peanuts and serve.
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Sarah's Tips
- Make it even simpler. Use a bag of coleslaw mix or pre-cut veggies for an even easier recipe.
- Cook just to al dente. You want to cook just to al dente for this recipe--only for cold pasta salads-- the process of rinsing with cold water prevents the noodles from cooking further and sticking together.
- Balance flavor. Aim for a balance of sweet, salty, spicy, and tangy in the sauce.
- Toss well. Toss the noodles, vegetables, and sauce thoroughly to ensure an even coating.
- Store the noodle salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- This recipe is not conducive to freezing.
KITCHEN TOOLS NEEDED
- 1 Large pot or Dutch oven
- 1 Strainer
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