This Asian glass noodle salad makes such a great lunch! It’s light, refreshing, super easy to make, and entirely vegan. Cucumber, carrots, bell pepper, and fresh herbs are tossed with a tangy and creamy peanut sauce for this healthy salad.
Why This Recipe Works
I love making this recipe for a healthy, easy, and light lunch. The recipe for this noodle salad couldn’t be much easier and it comes together in less than 20 minutes. So it’s perfect for busy days!
For the base, I used glass noodles, which are insanely easy to make. Just place them in a large bowl and cover them with boiling water and let them soak for about 5 minutes. Glass noodles are naturally vegan and gluten-free.
Spiralized carrots and cucumber and thinly sliced red bell pepper add some nice crunch to this salad. Freshly chopped green onions, mint, and cilantro provide it with lots of flavor and their flavor goes perfectly with the peanut sauce.
The peanut sauce is a real star in our kitchen and I use it for all kinds of recipes. It goes perfectly with summer rolls, Asian pasta dishes, and it also makes a great dressing for salads. It only takes 5 minutes to make and it’s bursting with flavor.
It’s also a great side dish for BBQs in the summer. I also love brining it to potlucks.
What Goes Into This Recipe
Salad:
- Peanuts – you can use salted or unsalted peanuts. Whatever you like better.
- Mint and Cilantro – generously use fresh mint and cilantro.
- Glass Noodles – they’re sometimes also called “cellophane noodles” or “mung bean vermicelli”. They’re made from a variety of starches (usually mung bean starch).
Peanut Sauce:
- Coconut Milk – use canned full-fat coconut milk. Don’t use coconut milk in a carton (like almond milk) because it makes the sauce too thin.
- Peanut Butter – use unsweetened creamy peanut butter.
- Red Curry Paste – use a vegan brand. Not all brands are vegan as some use shrimp paste and other non-vegan ingredients, so make sure to check the label. Adjust the amount of curry paste if the brand you’re using is very spicy.
- Soy Sauce – use low-sodium soy sauce if you prefer. For a gluten-free version replace it with tamari.
How To Make This Recipe
1. Step: Soak the glass noodles in hot water for about 5 minutes or as directed on the package.
2. Step: Wash the cucumber and cut off the end. Then either use a spiralizer or a handheld spiralizer to cut them into long thin strips that resemble spaghetti. Peel the carrots and spiralize them as well. Cut the red bell pepper into long thin strips. Cut the green onion into rings.
3. Step: Finely chop the mint and the cilantro.
4. Step: Make the peanut sauce. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
5. Step: Stir until well combined.
6. Step: Place the glass noodles, the vegetables, and the herbs in a large bowl. Add the peanut sauce and stir well a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve immediately or store it in the fridge for later.
Recipe Notes
- Are you allergic to peanuts? Then replace the peanut butter with almond butter. The taste will be a bit different but still super delicious.
- If you want your salad to be a bit spicy, you could add a bit of sriracha to the peanut sauce or sprinkle red pepper flakes over the noodle salad.
- If you don’t have a spiralizer, you could also use a julienne peeler for the cucumber and the carrots. Or just cut them into thin long strips with a sharp knife.
FAQs:
What’s the Difference Between Rice Noodles and Glass Noodles?
Glass noodles are sometimes confused with rice vermicelli, but they’re made of different ingredients.
Glass noodles are made from vegetable starch, mostly from mung beans. After being soaked in hot water, they look clear and glass-like, which explains why they’re called glass noodles.
Rice noodles are made from rice flour, water, and tapioca or cornstarch. They are white and don’t have a translucent and glass-like look like glass noodles.
Where can I Find Glass Noodles?
You can most likely find glass noodles in the Asian food aisle at your local supermarket. You can also buy them at Asian supermarkets or of course online.
How Long Does This Salad Last?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this salad lasts up to 3 days. However it’s best on the first two days.
Related Recipes
- Vegan Pad Thai
- Peanut Noodles
- Yaki Udon
- Rice Paper Rolls with Mango and Peanut Sauce
- General Tso Tofu
- Vegan Peanut Noodles
I Love To Hear From You!
I hope you like this noodle salad as much as we do around here.
If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Noodle Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 7 oz glass noodles
- 3 carrots
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 green onions
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1/2 bunch mint
For the Peanut Sauce:
- 1/4 cup unsweetened peanut butter
- 3 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- juice from 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon canned full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons warm water
Instructions
- Soak the glass noodles in hot water for about 5 minutes or as directed on the package.
- Wash the cucumber and cut off the end. Then either use a spiralizer or a handheld spiralizer to cut them into long thin strips that resemble spaghetti. Peel the carrots and spiralize them as well. Cut the red bell pepper into long thin strips. Cut the green onion into rings.
- Finely chop the mint and the cilantro.
- Make the peanut sauce. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Stir until well combined.
- Place the glass noodles, the vegetables, and the herbs in a large bowl. Add the peanut sauce and stir well a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve immediately or store it in the fridge for later.
Notes
- Glass noodles are sometimes also called "cellophane noodles" or "mung bean vermicelli". You can most likely find glass noodles in the Asian food aisle at your local supermarket or at Asian supermarkets.
- Are you allergic to peanuts? Then replace the peanut butter with almond butter. The taste will be a bit different but still super delicious.
- If you want your salad to be a bit spicy, you could add a bit of sriracha to the peanut sauce or sprinkle red pepper flakes over the noodle salad.
- If you don't have a spiralizer, you could also use a julienne peeler for the cucumber and the carrots. Or just cut them into thin long strips with a sharp knife.
So delicious! My 11 year old and 8 year old loved it too!