I don’t know about you but sometimes, the more I cook, the more everything ends up tasting the same. These days my salads somehow all end up with some form of quinoa, avocado, tomato and feta. So today I decided to live with intent 🙂 and changed up the flavor palette completely. This Asian-influenced cold noodle salad takes a little bit of organisation but it looks beautiful and tastes heavenly. You’ll notice that I use two dressings: one that I mix in right away to infuse it with flavors, and the other that I add at the last minute to give it extra yumminess. You really need both.

It is perfect as a vegetarian main, but you could also serve it with fresh grilled fish, prawns or chicken.

Serves 4 main courses, 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

The salad

• 1 package brown rice vermicelli (Soba could also work nicely here)
• 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil + 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
• 1 bunch of chopped cilantro
• 1/2 bunch of chopped fresh mint (chop mint by hand, it will get black if chopped in a machine)
• 2 cups of cubed butternut squash
• 2-3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• 1 cup tender stem broccoli, lightly steamed
• 1/3 cup of toasted cashew nuts, slightly crushed
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 limes, cut into quarters

Dressing phase 1: Goop-style carrot ginger dressing
(Heavily inspired by Goop.com’s recipe)

• 2 medium carrots
• 1/4 cup of peeled and cubed fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup of rice vinegar
• 2-3 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp white miso paste or tamari/soy sauce *
• 1/3 cup rapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
• Zest of 1 organic lime

Mix all the ingredients until the form a really creamy consistency.

*While white miso adds a distinctive taste, if you’re like me, you might not have it in your cupboard at all times. If that’s the case, then tamari/soy sauce can also work.

 

Dressing phase 2: Sesame-lime dressing

• 1/3 cup of rapeseed oil
• 2-3 tbsp sesame seed oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

Mix all ingredients and set aside.

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 300 F
2. Toss the butternut squash with coconut oil, powdered ginger and tamari or soy sauce
3. Place the squash on a cookie sheet and put in the preheated oven until cooked through and golden, between 20 and 30 minutes
4. Once cooked, remove squash from oven and let cool
5. While the squash is cooking, cook the noodles as per package directions (do not overcook!). When done, throw them in cold water for a few minutes and strain. Place in a separate bowl
6. Toss the noodles in the rapeseed and sesame seed oils. This will give them a nice taste and will keep them from getting sticky
7. Once the noodles are cooled, toss in 2/3 of the Goop-style carrot ginger dressing
8. Add cilantro, mint, cooled butternut squash and broccoli. Give it another toss and then chill for an hour or two
9. Right before serving, mix in the sesame-lime dressing
10. Top the salad with the remaining Goop-style dressing, sesame seeds and cashews. Serve quartered limes on the side