Description
Cold Sesame Noodles are a refreshing and flavorful Asian-inspired dish featuring tender noodles tossed in a creamy, tangy peanut sesame sauce. This easy-to-make recipe combines soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and peanut butter with fresh ginger and garlic for a perfect balance of savory, sweet, and spicy flavors. Topped with crunchy vegetables and sesame seeds, it makes a perfect light lunch or dinner, especially on warm days.
Ingredients
Scale
Noodles
- 12 ounces spaghetti or Chinese egg noodles
Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Toppings
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber
- Chopped cilantro (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook the Noodles: Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the package instructions until they are al dente. Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool them down completely.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, smooth peanut butter, honey or maple syrup, grated fresh ginger, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Toss Noodles with Sauce: Add the cooled noodles into the bowl with the prepared sauce. Toss thoroughly to coat all the noodles evenly with the creamy peanut sesame sauce.
- Add Toppings: Mix in the sesame seeds, sliced green onions, shredded carrots, and thinly sliced cucumber to the noodles, ensuring an even distribution of all ingredients.
- Chill and Serve: Place the noodles in the refrigerator and chill for at least 20 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together. Garnish with additional sesame seeds, green onions, and chopped cilantro if desired before serving.
Notes
- These noodles can be made a day in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator for easy meal prep.
- Add shredded cooked chicken, cubed tofu, or edamame for extra protein to make it a more substantial meal.
- Adjust the spice level by increasing or omitting the red pepper flakes based on your preference.
- Use maple syrup as a vegan alternative to honey if desired.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute regular noodles with gluten-free noodles and use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
