A super simple noodle salad that’s ideal for the spring weather, and comes together in minutes. You can easily adapt this recipe using pasta shapes instead of noodles and whatever veg you’ve got in the fridge - crunchy is best!
Gut benefits: Did you know that cooked and cooled starchy foods like cold pasta are higher in resistant starch, a type of fibre that feeds your gut microbes? The dressing in this salad also contains two fermented foods; apple cider vinegar and miso. Research suggests the microbes from fermented foods may positively influence the gut microbiome, but beyond this they are also delicious!
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10–12 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Cooked soba noodles or wholewheat pasta – I used roughly 50g dry weight per person
160g frozen peas – defrosted
2 red peppers – fresh or roasted or 1 of each
2 carrots, grated, thinly sliced or cut into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
A chunk of red cabbage
Your choice of protein (optional) – I used crumbled smoked tofu, but shredded chicken or salmon would be great too
For the miso dressing:
2 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp olive oil
0.5-1 tbsp maple syrup
1-2 tbsp vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar but if you don’t have any try white white vinegar, cider vinegar or even a big splash of vinegar from a pickle jar)
To top:
30g mint
Sesame seeds to top
Method
Cook your noodles, then rinse with cold water and drain well. Toss with a little oil to stop them sticking, and refrigerate until needed.
When you're ready to make your salad, prep your veg: defrost the peas, thinly slice the red pepper into strips, grate or cut the carrots into small thin strips, finely chop the mint, and shred the red cabbage.
In a bowl or jar, mix together all the dressing ingredients until smooth. Keep testing as you go, adding more punch with the vinegar or adjusting the sweetness with a drizzle more maple syrup.
In a large bowl, combine the noodles, veg and your choice of protein. Pour over the dressing and toss everything together just before serving – if you're packing it for lunch, keep the dressing separate and mix just before eating.
Scatter over the mint and sesame seeds and then tuck in!
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