Asian Noodle And Vegetable Salad

Total Time: 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 inch piece gingerroot, peeled (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)
• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (or to taste)
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar or 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 8 ounces thin rice noodles
• boiling water
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 1 sweet red pepper, halved and cut into thin strips
• 1/2 english cucumber, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil or 2 tablespoons mint, chopped
• torn salad greens
• chopped peanuts

Recipe

• 1 in a blender, purée garlic, ginger, peanut butter, milk, soy sauce and hot pepper sauce until smooth. with motor running, drizzle vinegar through hole in lid until blended; let stand for 10 minutes.
• 2 meanwhile, in a large bowl, cover rice noodles with boiling water; let soak, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until softened or according to package directions. drain and rinse under cold water; drain well. return to bowl.
• 3 pour dressing over noodles and add carrots, red pepper, cucumber and basil; toss gently to coat. line serving plates with greens and top with noodle salad. drizzle with dressing left in bowl and garnish with peanuts.
• 4 cooking tip: in place of rice noodles, cook 8oz. angel hair, vermicelli, or other long thin pasta according to package directions; rinse in cold water and drain well.
• 5 for the adventurous: reduce soy sauce to 2 tablespoons and add 1 tablespoons thai fish sauce and add 1 green mango cut into matchsticks with vegetables.