Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cilantro

By markemilw

Keep your cool in the kitchen with this no-cook noodle salad. This dish is also delicious with a pound of cooked shrimp in place of the chicken. The star of this recipe is the Vietnamese-style sauce, with ginger, garlic, jalapeno, rice vinegar, and sugar

Ingredients

• 1 * 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 * 1 jalapeno chile, minced (ribs and seeds removed for less heat if desired)
• 3 * 3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 3 * 3 garlic cloves, minced
• * Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 * 1/4 cup dark-brown sugar
• 3/4 * 3/4 cup rice vinegar
• 4 * 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded (from 1 whole chicken), room temperature
• 1 * 1 package (8.8 ounces) cellophane (bean-thread) noodles, prepared according to package instructions
• 1 * 1 English cucumber, cut into 3-inch sticks
• 2 * 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add jalapeno, ginger, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sugar and vinegar and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Refrigerate until cool, at least 15 minutes (or up to 1 week).
2. Combine chicken, noodles, cucumber, and cilantro. Drizzle with dressing just before serving.