Chicken Noodle Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
Yield: 4 servings
Cook Time: 8-12 minutes (for pasta)
Tips: If you'd like a more tender texture to your bell pepper slices, simply place in a vegetable steamer over boiling water and steam for 1 to 2 minutes, then immediately place in icy water to stop cooking process. Alternatively, this salad can be made without the bell peppers, if desired.
Suggestion: Also delicious served in slightly different form as a hot pasta dish.
Chicken Noodle Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing is a colorful salad with distinctively vibrant flavor! Chunks of chicken breast, al dante linguine pasta and thinly-sliced orange sweet bell peppers are tossed with a peanut dressing that has just the right amount of spice and tanginess. The Spicy Peanut Dressing is made by combining peanut butter,
rice vinegar, soy sauce, Asian sesame oil, fresh ginger root, cayenne pepper and a little sugar, and brings the salad ingredients to life!
As with most salad recipes, this salad can be tweaked to suit your own personal preference, simply by making a few minor changes. For instance, while the crunchiness of the bell peppers appeals to many, others might prefer a more tender texture to blend with the tenderness of the noodles. To do this, simply place the sliced bell peppers in a vegetable steamer over boiling water and cook, covered, for 1-2 minutes, then immediately transfer the steamed pepper slices to a bowl of ice water until cooled, then drain and blot dry. Alternatively, you can omit the bell peppers altogether. If desired, you can also toss into the salad 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of peanuts. Lastly, if you'd rather make this salad as a hot pasta dish, see Chicken Linguine with Spicy Peanut Sauce.
As with most salad recipes, this salad can be tweaked to suit your own personal preference, simply by making a few minor changes. For instance, while the crunchiness of the bell peppers appeals to many, others might prefer a more tender texture to blend with the tenderness of the noodles. To do this, simply place the sliced bell peppers in a vegetable steamer over boiling water and cook, covered, for 1-2 minutes, then immediately transfer the steamed pepper slices to a bowl of ice water until cooled, then drain and blot dry. Alternatively, you can omit the bell peppers altogether. If desired, you can also toss into the salad 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of peanuts. Lastly, if you'd rather make this salad as a hot pasta dish, see Chicken Linguine with Spicy Peanut Sauce.
Recipe▼
Ingredients
- Salad
- 1 12 1/2-oz. can cooked chicken breast (or 1 cooked cooked chicken breast)
- 1 large orange bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch strips
- 8 oz. uncooked linguine
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 5 or more large lettuce leaves
- Spicy Peanut Dressing
- 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon Asian Sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger root
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Garnishes
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped
Directions
Spicy Peanut Dressing
Drain chicken, reserving 1/4 cup of the broth. Set chicken aside. (Note: If using a cooked chicken breast instead of canned cooked chicken, packaged chicken broth or chicken broth made with bouillon and water may be used in place of the broth from the can.)
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup of reserved broth, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger and cayenne until blended. Store in refrigerator while preparing the rest of the salad.
Salad
Cook linguine according to package directions until al dante (just until done - no longer). Drain pasta in a collander and rinse with cold water until completely cooled, then drain again.
Transfer pasta to a medium or large mixing bowl. Add chicken, bell pepper strips and chopped green onions. Pour dressing over all and toss until thoroughly coated.
Line a large serving bowl (or line individual serving bowls) with lettuce leaves. Transfer noodle salad to the bowl (or each serving bowl) and place over lettuce leaves. Garnish with sprinkles of the chopped peanuts and chopped cilantro.
Drain chicken, reserving 1/4 cup of the broth. Set chicken aside. (Note: If using a cooked chicken breast instead of canned cooked chicken, packaged chicken broth or chicken broth made with bouillon and water may be used in place of the broth from the can.)
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup of reserved broth, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger and cayenne until blended. Store in refrigerator while preparing the rest of the salad.
Salad
Cook linguine according to package directions until al dante (just until done - no longer). Drain pasta in a collander and rinse with cold water until completely cooled, then drain again.
Transfer pasta to a medium or large mixing bowl. Add chicken, bell pepper strips and chopped green onions. Pour dressing over all and toss until thoroughly coated.
Line a large serving bowl (or line individual serving bowls) with lettuce leaves. Transfer noodle salad to the bowl (or each serving bowl) and place over lettuce leaves. Garnish with sprinkles of the chopped peanuts and chopped cilantro.
