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Crispy noodle salad

Crispy noodle salad

Egg free
Dairy free
Lactose free
Peanut free
Shellfish free
High in dietary fibre
High in protein
2 serves veg or fruit

Sweet, tangy and fresh – and only 10 mins to prepare this no-cook dish – try our crispy Asian noodle salad at your next BBQ or picnic gathering.

Serves4
Prep time10 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups (150g) thinly sliced wombok (Chinese cabbage)
100g snow peas, thinly sliced lengthways
1 carrot, peeled, cut into long matchsticks
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups (80g) bean sprouts
1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
1 bunch coriander, leaves picked
1 bunch mint, leaves picked
3/4 cup (105g) roasted salted cashews, chopped
100g packet fried noodles
Thinly sliced red chilli, extra, to serve

Dressing

2 limes, juiced
2 tbs caster sugar
1 tbs light soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Nutritional information

Per serve: Energy: 1679kJ/402 Cals (19%), Protein: 10g (20%), Fat: 23g (33%), Sat Fat: 4g (17%), Sodium: 931mg (40%), Carb: 36g (12%), Sugar: 15g (17%), Dietary Fibre: 7g (23%).

Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.

Percentage Daily Intake information on our recipes is calculated using the nutrition reference values for an average Australian adult.

Method

Step 1
To make the dressing, whisk the lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Add the sesame seeds.
Step 2
Combine the wombok, snow peas, carrot, spring onion, beansprouts, chilli, half the coriander, half the mint and half the cashews in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Add the noodles and toss to combine.
Step 3
Transfer salad to a large serving platter. Sprinkle with the remaining coriander, mint and cashews and extra chilli.

Recipe tip

COOK. STORE. SAVE.
Use it up: If you don’t use all the crispy fried noodles, you can use them to make chocolate nests, a fun sweet treat!

Crispy noodle salad recipe

Sweet and juicy wombok makes the perfect pairing for crunchy fried noodles in this classic Aussie favourite. This salad with crispy noodles is the dish everyone piles onto their plate at a gathering, picnic or barbecue. And it’s a favourite for a reason – it’s fresh and light, and has that tantalising combo of sweet and sour in the delicious sesame and lime dressing. Most importantly, the wombok, noodles and nuts give it three different kinds of crunch. The beauty of this recipe is that many other veggies work well in it, too.

Tips for making the best Asian crispy noodle salad

Here are some top tips for making this salad:

For the noodles, grab any pre-fried crunchy noodles you can find at the supermarket. If you can’t find any, break up some instant noodles on a baking tray, spray them with oil and bake at 180°C for 10 minutes. Toss halfway through. They are ready if you can easily break them apart into even smaller pieces.
For the veggies, pick a firm and heavy wombok with minimal blemishes. If you’re not using wombok, choose veggies that you can slice thinly and that have a good crunch factor to them, like carrots, capsicum, bok choy or other kinds of cabbage.
You can swap the cashews in your salad with slivered almonds, peanuts, pine nuts or sunflower seeds if you prefer. Remember to toast the nuts or seeds in a pan over low heat, stirring, until just lightly browned. Nuts that are fully browned are over-toasted and can carry an unpleasant bitter taste.
Balance the sweet flavours of this salad with fresh and peppery thinly sliced spring onions.
The crispy noodle salad dressing has a distinct sweet soy, sesame and tangy flavour. To make the salad as close to the original as possible, you need to include soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and something to add a zingy lift. You can use lime juice, rice wine, white wine or apple cider vinegar for this tangy component.

Serving and storing crispy noodle salad

This salad is a great side to go with grilled, roasted or barbecued meats, chicken or seafood. If you’re vegetarian, pair it with a main dish like a zucchini slice. To make it ahead for a potluck, picnic or barbecue, you can put all the salad ingredients together, except the noodles and dressing. Toss in the noodles and dressing just before serving to ensure your salad is nice and crunchy. If you have any leftover salad that has already been dressed, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, but bear in mind the noodles will no longer be crunchy.