The Perfect Summer Meal
One of my favorite dishes that comes with the summer is pasta salad, which also includes noodle salads. They’re just so easy and great to have on hand. It’s basically a prepped meal that you don’t even have to reheat. Lately, I’ve been loving this Coconut Curry Noodle Salad. It’s the perfect fix for when I’m craving curry but it’s way too hot outside to be eating it. Wavy noodles are tossed with carrots, cucumber, red cabbage, snap peas, and a creamy coconut curry dressing. It has so much flavor but is so fresh, making it the perfect summer meal!
The Ideal Noodle
Part of what makes this Coconut Curry Noodle Salad so fun to me — other than the flavor — are the noodles. It is a noodle salad, so obviously the noodles play a big role. I really love using Guanmiao Noodles. They have a springy, chewy texture and wavy edges help the coconut curry dressing clings to the noodles. They’re sold from various brands, so make sure to cook the noodles according to the directions listed on your specific packaging. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water until the noodles are cold. Set aside.
Bloom Your Spices
Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, and coriander, into a small heat proof bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan until hot. Pour the hot vegetable oil over the spice mixture and let it sizzle. Mix until well combined. This process is known as “blooming.” The hot oil releases the natural flavors of the spices, making them more robust. Pour the coconut milk into a bowl. Add in the spice mixture, lime juice, fish sauce, tahini, maple syrup, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix with a whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Add the cooked noodles into a large bowl along with the red cabbage, snap peas, carrots, cucumber, green onion, cilantro, and white sesame seeds. Pour the coconut dressing over top. Toss the noodles and vegetables together until everything is evenly coated in the dressing.
All The Flavors
This Coconut Curry Noodle Salad may be simple, but it has so much depth from the spices and various textures. The noodles absorb the flavors of the sauce so well and the coconut milk gives the dressing a creamy, velvety mouthfeel. While the spices are rich and bold, the fresh vegetables are the perfect contrast. I also really love the addition of the toasted white sesame seeds because their nuttiness rounds out all of the flavors so well. Let me know if you try out my Coconut Curry Noodle Salad and what you think in the comments below!
Coconut Curry Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz Guanmiao Sliced Wavy noodles
- 2 cloves Grated Garlic
- 1 ½ tsp Grated Ginger
- 1 tbsp Curry Powder
- ½ tsp Ground Cumin
- ½ tsp Ground Coriander
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Full Fat Coconut Milk
- Juice of 1 Lime
- 3 tsp Fish Sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp Tahini
- 1 ½ tsp Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 ¼ cup Shredded Red Cabbage
- ¾ cup Snap Peas (thinly sliced on a bias)
- 1 Medium Carrot (peeled into ribbons)
- 1 Persian Cucumber (thinly sliced)
- 2 Green Onions (sliced)
- 2 tbsp Chopped Cilantro
- 3 tbsp Toasted White Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until the noodles are cold. Set aside.
- Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, and coriander, into a small heat proof bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan until hot. Pour the hot vegetable oil over the spice mixture and let it sizzle. Mix until well combined.
- Pour the coconut milk into a bowl. Add in the spice mixture, lime juice, fish sauce, tahini, maple syrup, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix with a whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Add the cooked noodles into a large bowl along with the red cabbage, snap peas, carrots, cucumber, green onion, cilantro, and white sesame seeds. Pour the coconut dressing over top. Toss the noodles and vegetables together until everything is evenly coated in the dressing. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, or lime juice if needed. Enjoy!
