Chicken Noodle Salad

Oh these hotter days at the end of summer, I start to look for ways to limit the stove use at the hottest part of the day. I love a cold salad that can have the cooked components that can be made in the morning, so that they fully cool before combining them for the dinner meal. This Chicken Noodle Salad is just what you need on those too hot to cook days. A spicy Thai-inspired cold noodle salad full of veggies and great flavor with a homemade lemongrass dressing.

This is a really great make ahead meal, as the longer it sits in the refrigerator the deeper the flavor gets. It is perfect for a trip to the lake, a potluck and prepping ahead for a weekend backyard party. The real key to success with making this ahead of time, is making sure you thoroughly rinse the noodles in cold water after draining them from the boiling water. This helps to prevent them from getting mushy and hold the noodle shape. Then coating them in the oil based dressing right away, you get another layer of protection.

If you wanted to change up the veggies in this you totally could. You could do green cabbage and red onion instead of the red cabbage and green onions. You could also do some daikon instead or in addition to the carrots. If you wanted to crank up the heat on it, you could add in some fresh sliced jalapenos. I also think it could be good with shrimp or beef instead of the chicken.

This is a pretty hearty salad – definitely enough for a fun entree. If you wanted to do more like a buffet style meal with multiple entrees, I would suggest halving the recipe and then serving it with maybe something like a Mongolian beef with rice. You could also add in some spring rolls or crispy wontons to complete a meal.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Chicken Noodle Salad

A spicy Thai-inspired cold noodle salad full of veggies and great flavor with a lemongrass dressing.

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American, Asian, thai

Keyword carrots, Chicken, cilantro, dressing, Garlic, ginger, lemongrass, noodles, peanut, rice vinegar, soy, soy sauce, thai basil

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2 lb Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless
• 1 qt Chicken Broth
• 1 tbsp Ginger Powder
• 2 lb Thin Spaghetti Noodles
• ½ Medium Red Cabbage Head shredded
• 1 cup Carrots julienned
• 4 Green Onions chopped
• 1 cup Roasted Peanuts rough chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup Cilantro chopped
• ¼ cup Thai Basil chopped

For the Lemongrass Dressing

• ¼ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• ½ cup Oil
• 1 tbsp Chili Oil
• ¼ cup Soy Sauce or Tamari
• 6 in Lemongrass stalk smashed and minced
• 3 Garlic Cloves minced
• 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger minced
• ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

Instructions

• Start water boiling for pasta.
• In a sauce pan over medium heat, add chicken broth, ginger powder and chicken. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely. Shred.
• Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain in colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water to stop cooking. Add to large bowl.
• Add dressing ingredients in a pint mason jar. Secure lid and shake vigorously to combine.
• Add remaining ingredient to noodles in large bowl. Add cooled and shredded chicken. Pour dressing over top. Toss to evenly coat. Serve right away or cover and store in the refrigerator or up to 3 days.