Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves: 6 to 8

Cathy Felkins of Sacramento enjoys the cold noodle salad served at La Bou. She was hoping for its recipe or one similar.

Marya Liberty of Sacramento also loves La Bou's noodle salad and found a recipe that's close in Mai Pham's "The Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking." Liberty adds chopped peanuts and reduces the sesame oil to 2 tablespoons.

Ingredients:

SALAD

1 pound dried (or fresh) chow mein-style noodles

½ cup soy sauce

3 cups broccoli florets, blanched, rinsed in cold water and drained

½ red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

3 cups bean sprouts

2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

6 cilantro sprigs, for garnish

¼ cup chopped peanuts, garnish (Liberty's addition)

DRESSING

2 tablespoons minced ginger

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dried chili flakes

1/3 cup good-quality dark sesame oil (Liberty uses 2 tablespoons)

Instructions:

Cook the noodles until just done, rinse and drain. Combine the cooked noodles with the soy sauce in a mixing bowl. Refrigerate at least two hours. (Can be stored two to three days in the refrigerator.)

For the dressing, place all the dressing ingredients except the sesame oil in a food processor and blend until creamy. With the motor running, slowly pour in the sesame oil and blend for about 20 seconds. Do not overblend.

Gently toss the noodles with the dressing, adding 2 to 4 tablespoons at a time. The noodles should be evenly coated but not soggy. Add the broccoli, red bell pepper, bean sprouts and green onions. Gently toss. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and chopped peanuts.

To reduce the sodium from 1,327 milligrams to 533 milligrams, use low-sodium soy sauce.

Note: The prep time does not include the two-hour chill time for the cooked noodles.

Per serving: 293 calories; 10 grams protein; 50 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams fat (1 saturated, 3 monounsaturated, 2 polyunsaturated); 0 cholesterol; 1,327 milligrams sodium; 4 grams fiber; 13 grams sugar; 20 percent calories from fat

This story was originally published March 8, 2010 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad."