Spicy Peanut Noodles with Chicken - Easy Main Dish Salad Pantry Recipe
Peanut noodles with chicken and vegetables is an easy main dish salad full of bold flavor, in a creamy peanut sauce that's ready in 30 minutes.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 348kcal
Equipment
- 6- quart pot
- Strainer
- whisk, blender, or hand-held blender
- Large bowl
Ingredients
- ½ to ¾ pound linguine, udon or rice noodles*
- 3 cups chopped cooked chicken** (about 4 thighs or 2 breasts) OR substitute cooked shrimp, pork or beef - see note for vegetarian option
- 1½ cups grated carrots (about 2 large)
- 1 medium sweet onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin matchstick-sized pieces
- 1-2 cups other vegetables: shredded cabbage, thinly sliced celery, snow peas, corn, etc.
For Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter (just peanuts and salt)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce (Sriracha), to taste (or other hot sauce of choice)
- 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or peanut oil, skimmed from the top of natural peanut butter
For Serving:
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (optional)
- 1/3 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions. When done, drain the noodles and rinse with cold water to cool them before adding the rest of the salad ingredients.
- While the noodles are cooking, make the dressing and prep the vegetables:
- Dressing: Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, Sriracha, honey, ginger, garlic, and oil in a glass measure and whisk until smooth (you can also use a food processor, blender, or hand-held blender to get the sauce really smooth).
- Chop all the vegetables and chicken, if needed, adding to a large bowl as you go.
- Add the drained and rinsed noodles to the large bowl with the veggies and chicken, pour on the dressing and mix well with a spoon or tongs.
- Serve topped with optional peanuts and chopped parsley or cilantro right away or refrigerate for up to a day (or more, depending on the type of noodle you use).
- Makes 8 servings
Notes
*We like less pasta and more vegetables, but if you need to feed more people, use the larger amount.
**No cooked chicken? Quickly pan-cook or grill chicken breasts or tenders – it will add just a few minutes to the recipe.
Want warm peanut noodles? Don’t rinse the noodles, heat the chicken and mix everything together while the noodles are warm and serve at room temperature.
Like to make this vegetarian? You can simply leave out the chicken or you can replace it with tofu or a can of beans.
Nutrition
Serving: 11/2 cups | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 716mg | Potassium: 493mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4610IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg
