Description
A refreshing dish of cold noodles tossed in a rich, nutty sesame sauce with crunchy toppings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz (340g) Chinese wheat noodles (or spaghetti, linguine, or soba)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1–2 tablespoons chili oil
- 3–4 tablespoons hot water or reserved noodle cooking water
- 1 English cucumber, julienned
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup (35g) roasted peanuts, roughly crushed
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- Extra chili oil for serving
- Fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Cook and cool the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reserve ½ cup of the water before draining. Cook the noodles to al dente. Drain immediately and rinse under cold running water, tossing as you rinse, until the noodles are completely cold — 60–90 seconds. Drain well. Toss with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Set aside.
- Make the sauce: Whisk peanut butter, tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, grated garlic, grated ginger and chili oil together in a large bowl until completely smooth. Add the hot noodle water one tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition until the sauce reaches the consistency of heavy cream.
- Toss and serve: Add the cold noodles to the bowl with the sauce. Toss thoroughly using tongs or two forks until every noodle is completely coated — spend 2 full minutes tossing. Top with julienned cucumber, sliced scallions, crushed peanuts and toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle extra chili oil over the top. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Notes
Cold sesame noodles can be made ahead, as the sauce keeps for a week in the refrigerator. The dressed noodles improve overnight as the sauce penetrates every noodle.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: No-Cook, Boiling
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg