Description
A vibrant and fresh recipe featuring rainbow-colored vegetables and thin spaghetti tossed in a tangy Asian-inspired dressing. This dish combines the crispness of kale, cucumber, carrots, bell pepper, cabbage, and edamame with a bright, flavorful dressing made from avocado oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, lime, ginger, garlic, and chili crisp. Topped with fresh herbs and roasted cashews for a delightful crunch, this Rainbow Noodles recipe is perfect for a light, colorful, and satisfying meal served at room temperature.
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup avocado oil
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2-inch knob of ginger, finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- Zest of 1 lime
- ¼ cup lime juice (about 2 large limes)
- ½ tablespoon chili crisp
Salad
- 8 oz thin spaghetti
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, ribs removed and thinly sliced
- 1 English cucumber, sliced in half moons
- 1 cup julienned carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 cups purple cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 2 cups fresh herbs - mint, basil, cilantro, green onions
- 1 cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a salad shaker or mason jar, whisk or vigorously shake together avocado oil, low-sodium soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, grated ginger, grated garlic, lime zest, lime juice, and chili crisp until fully combined and smooth.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the thin spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and immediately transfer it to a large bowl.
- Prep the vegetables and herbs: While the pasta is cooking, prepare the salad ingredients by removing the ribs and thinly slicing the Tuscan kale, slicing the cucumber into half moons, julienning the carrots, thinly slicing the red bell pepper, shredding the purple cabbage, shelling the edamame, and roughly chopping the fresh herbs (mint, basil, cilantro, green onions).
- Toss noodles with kale and dressing: Toss the warm noodles with about one-fourth of the prepared dressing and the sliced kale. The warmth of the noodles will help soften the kale slightly.
- Add remaining vegetables and herbs: Once the noodles have slightly cooled, add the cucumber, carrots, bell pepper, cabbage, edamame, fresh herbs, and the remaining dressing. Toss everything together until well combined and evenly coated.
- Finish with cashews and serve: Gently fold in the roughly chopped roasted cashews. Serve the Rainbow Noodles salad at room temperature, drizzled with a little extra dressing and garnished with additional fresh herbs for added flavor and crunch.
Notes
- This salad is best served fresh but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 day; toss again before serving.
- For a spicy kick, you can increase the amount of chili crisp or add fresh sliced chilies.
- To make this dish gluten-free, substitute the spaghetti with rice noodles or gluten-free noodles.
- The kale softens nicely from the warm noodles, but if you prefer it more tender, massage the kale with a pinch of salt before adding.
- Feel free to swap cashews with toasted peanuts or almonds depending on preference or allergy considerations.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
