Today's recipe: A traditional pasta salad but lightened with more vegetables and less dressing. Vegan.
Look familiar? It should. It's that noodle salad (well, one of all those noodle and macaroni salads) which makes its way onto every potluck table. And it's a favorite in my Canadian family (hi to Ingrid!), probably every family.
But then again, it shouldn't. Because I 'vegged it up', turning an all-noodle 'salad' into something of substance, still keeping the noodles front and center but using vegetables to bulk it up for flavor and crunch.
I made it recently for friends whose daughter was being married and whose home was thronged with hungry bridesmaids and starving groomsmen. It happens to be a vegan salad - though I don't think the most ardent carnivore would notice - so 'safe' for groups where people's eating choices aren't known.
GARLIC REMINDER If you're in the middle of the northern hemisphere, mid-October -- now!! -- is the time to plant garlic for harvesting next July. Here's all the information needed to grow garlic at home - no garden required!
MAKE IT A POTLUCK I'm such a fan of recipes that make up ahead and are easy to carry and serve that there's a whole group of potluck recipes in the Kitchen Parade archives.
SPICY THAI NOODLE SALAD
Hands-on time: 10 minutes for dressing, 35 minutes for noodles & vegetables
Time to table: 45 minutes (but likely better after sitting awhile)
Makes about 16 - 20 cups
Time to table: 45 minutes (but likely better after sitting awhile)
Makes about 16 - 20 cups
DRESSING
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons chili sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2 teaspoons Thai chili paste
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (vs the 2 teaspoons suggested)
Freshly ground black pepper
Whisk. Refrigerate until ready to use, whisk again before using.
NOODLES & VEGETABLES
1 pound good pasta (I used spirals because I love how they look! the inspiring recipe calls for a full 2 pounds of spaghettini or vermicelli)
(All vegetables and amounts are variable based on what you like and what's available)
Green onion, chopped by hand -- I used 8
English cucumber, skin left on, chopped by hand - 1/2 a cucumber
Cilantro, chopped by hand - 1 large bunch
Red radishes, grated in the food processor -- 8 ounces
Fresh fennel, grated in the food processor - 1 bulb
Red cabbage, grated in the food processor - 1/2 a small head
Napa cabbage, grated in the food processor - 1 small head
Carrots, grated in the food processor - 1/2 pound
Cook the pasta in well-salted water according to package directions. Drain well in a colander but be sure to have dressing ready before the noodles cool. Toss drained but still-warm noodles in as much dressing as needed to wet. Stir in vegetables and toss with additional dressing -- use only as much as needed.
KITCHEN NOTES
The inspiring recipe says that the 1-1/2 cups of dressing is enough for 2 pounds of pasta. I used about 2/3 of it on 1 pound of pasta and the vegetables -- which by the way, makes one big PILE of pasta, 16 - 20 cups is my estimate, so much that two extra large bowls were needed for mixing. Ingrid says that the dressing improves if made a day or so in advance.
MORE FAVORITE RECIPES for POTLUCKS
~ Classic Seven-Layer Salad ~
~ Mom's Potato Salad ~
~ Fresh Green Bean Salad with Asian Dressing ~
from A Veggie Venture
~ Cauliflower Salad with Fresh Herbs ~
~ Confetti Potato Salad ~
~ Holy Slaw! ~
~ more salad recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade
~ Classic Seven-Layer Salad ~
~ Mom's Potato Salad ~
~ Fresh Green Bean Salad with Asian Dressing ~
from A Veggie Venture
~ Cauliflower Salad with Fresh Herbs ~
~ Confetti Potato Salad ~
~ Holy Slaw! ~
~ more salad recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade
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Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007
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