Description
A vibrant and refreshing Thai Peanut Noodle Salad that combines creamy peanut sauce with colorful fresh vegetables, aromatic herbs, and tender rice noodles. This recipe features a unique blend of flavors with toasted sesame oil, lime juice, and optional fish sauce, making it a perfect light lunch or side dish for any occasion.
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- ¼ cup all-natural salted peanut butter
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup feta cheese brine
- 1 cup water
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional, omit for vegetarian)
- Juice from 1 lime
Salad
- 2 ears corn, husk removed
- 10 ounces thick rice noodles
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 bunch radishes, sliced
- ½ cup mint leaves
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- ½ cup Thai basil leaves
Toppings
- Extra crumbled feta cheese
- Chopped peanuts
- Nori sheets, chopped
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Simmer sauce: Place all peanut sauce ingredients into a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle boil while whisking continuously until creamy. The sauce should be thinner than expected; add more water if necessary as it will thicken when combined with noodles.
- Cook corn: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add corn and cook for 7-8 minutes until tender. Remove with tongs and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut kernels off the cob.
- Cook noodles: In the same boiling water used for corn, add rice noodles and cook according to package instructions (usually 6-7 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the noodles, and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool.
- Mix salad: Return noodles to the pot. Add corn kernels, shredded cabbage, cucumber slices, julienned carrot, sliced radishes, and herbs (mint, cilantro, Thai basil). Pour the peanut sauce over the mixture and gently toss to combine.
- Adjust consistency: Add the reserved cooking water a little at a time, up to 1 cup, to loosen the sauce if the noodles feel too dry or thick.
- Serve: Plate the salad and garnish with extra crumbled feta, chopped peanuts, nori, and sesame seeds according to your preference. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- The peanut sauce should be thinner than expected because it thickens when mixed with the noodles.
- Omit fish sauce to keep this recipe vegetarian.
- Reserving cooking water from noodles helps in adjusting the sauce consistency perfectly.
- Feel free to add more fresh herbs for a brighter flavor.
- Serve immediately for best texture; sauce may thicken if left standing.