Sesame Chicken Cucumber Noodle Salad

By sunitagt

Calories 242
Fat 11 g
Saturated fat 2 g
Cholesterol 34 mg
Carbohydrates 17 g
Dietary fiber 3 g
Protein 18 g
Sodium 312 mg

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Chinese egg noodles, or other thin noodles or pasta, fresh or dried
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, or dry sherry
• 1 cup scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fresh ,optional
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, naturally brewed reduced-sodium
• 1 tablespoon Asian chile sauce, such as sambal oelek or Sriracha
• 2 heads baby romaine, or 1 head regular romaine lettuce
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cooked, sliced into 1/4-inch slices, and chilled
• 2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 large English cucumber, peeled, seeded, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from webmd.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Fill a large bowl with water and add ice cubes. Cook noodles in boiling water until just tender, 2 to 4 minutes if fresh, about 6 minutes for dry (or according to package directions). Drain and transfer the noodles to the ice water. When the noodles are cold, drain well and transfer to a very large bowl. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, whisk peanut butter, vinegar, sesame oil and Shaoxing (or sherry) in a bowl until smooth. Add scallions, cilantro, if using, soy sauce and hot sauce, and stir to blend.

3. If using baby romaine, half lengthwise, notch out the core, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. If using regular romaine, remove the tougher outer leaves. Halve lengthwise, notch out the core, halve again, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. You should have about 8 cups.

4. Add the lettuce, chicken, bell peppers and cucumber to the noodles. Add three-fourths of the dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining dressing if desired.

5. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl. Serve garnished with sesame seeds.