Spicy Sesame Noodle Salad with Cabbage and Kale
We’ve been in a lunch rut lately, and my guess is you all have been to based on the response I got when I shared this salad on Instagram stories the other day.
For me, it’s all about mixing up the flavors lately to prevent boredom in the kitchen. After a year of eating mostly at home, the monotony is definitely wearing on us.
This salad is light + bright thanks to lots of fresh herbs and lime + packed with liver supporting cruciferous veggies like kale and purple cabbage. The rice noodles add the perfect element of chew + fun.
Spicy Sesame Noodle Salad with Cabbage and Kale
Serves two, generously
Ingredients:
4 ounces rice noodles (I use this or this)
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 medium carrot, thinly sliced half-moons
4 cups shredded cabbage + kale
huge handful chopped herbs (cilantro, mint, basil)
1-2 Tbs. toasted sesame or sunflower seeds
For the dressing:
2 Tbs. runny tahini (I like this brand)
2 tsp. white or yellow miso
2 tsp. hot sauce (or cayenne, to taste)
1 tsp. honey or maple syrup
1 tsp. coconut aminos
juice from 1-2 limes
juice from 1/2 lemon
2-3 Tbs. warm water, to thin
fine sea salt + fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Toss the kale and cabbage with a squeeze of lemon/lime and let sit for 10-minutes to soften while you prep everything else.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together, adding water at the end. Start with only a tablespoon or so of water and go from there. You want it just runny enough to coat the noodles and veggies, but still flavorful. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. I usually always add a bit more lime juice and salt.
For the noodles, bring water to boil and cook according to package directions. You’ll want to have the dressing and veggies waiting on the noodles, not the other way around. They generally cook in 4-8 minutes.
To assemble the salad, add cooked rice noodles to the bowl with the dressing and gently toss to coat. Then add the marinated cabbage/kale, bell peppers, carrots, and half the herbs. Toss again until well coated. If the dressing is thick, add a drizzle of olive oil to loosen everything up.
Plate and top with remaining herbs + toasted seeds.
This salad also keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Recipe adapted from Sprouted Kitchen
All the herbs.
You really can’t have too many in this salad. Plus, they are nutritional powerhouses loaded with polyphenols and antioxidants that support liver detoxification.
