Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad

Sesame ginger noodle salad is always a colorful favorite menu and easy to make. This recipe is great topped with grilled chicken or shrimp and keeps well for a couple of days making for great lunches.

Savory Sesame Salad

Fancy enough for company but easy to make!
Great as a side dish but hearty enough as an entrée salad! Perfect for workday lunches!
Swap out the cooked chicken for grilled chicken or shrimp if you’d like.
Use the homemade dressing below or swap for a store-bought sesame ginger dressing if you’re in a rush.
We love cutting our own julienne veggies but a fresh broccoli slaw or coleslaw mix can be added.

What’s in Noodle Salad?

NOODLES Rice noodles are the light and delicate noodle we love best. You can sub in ramen noodles, angel hair pasta, or spaghettini. For a low-carb noodle salad, use zucchini zoodles!

VEGETABLES Bok choy is also called Chinese cabbage and it’s fresh and crisp. Regular cabbage (or mix with red cabbage for color) can also be used. Add or swap out any of the veggies you’d like in this recipe.

EXTRAS The sesame ginger dressing and the garnishes pull the whole recipe together. Fresh lime juice, cilantro, and crunchy almonds, cashews, or peanuts create an amazing palate.

VEGGIE TIP:

This recipe involves a lot of cutting/chopping. This can be done in advance.
If you’re short on time, purchase washed chopped veggies or substitute your favorite prepared veggie mix or even coleslaw/broccoli slaw.
If you are planning for leftovers, swap out the purple cabbage for green cabbage. The purple can discolor if left in the dressing.

How to Make Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad

Cook, drain, & rinse noodles. Set aside.
While noodles are cooking, chop veggies (per the recipe below).
Place noodles in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients.
Toss well & chill for at least 1 hour.
Garnish with cilantro & chopped nuts.

What to Serve with Noodle Salad

Keep in mind, this sesame ginger noodle salad is hearty enough to be an entrée on its own, here are some ideas that really make it stand out!

For appetizers, who doesn’t love Fried Wontons, Soy Ginger Steak Bites, or some Crab Rangoon (crab & cream cheese-filled wontons)?

Skip the cooked chicken and top it with any of the following:

Shrimp
Grilled Pork
Baked Tofu
Honey Glazed Salmon
Chicken Breasts

Recipe Tips

For extra flavorful and crunchy nuts, toast them in a dry sauté pan until they are barely browned.
To extract the most juice from the lime, soften it by rolling it across the counter a few times before cutting it.
Rinse the noodles in cold water to stop them from cooking.
Keep in mind that the noodles will absorb the dressing as it sits so add a bit of extra dressing.

Storing

Store sesame ginger noodle salad in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Before serving, stir and season with a little lime juice or extra dressing.

Freezing noodle salad is not recommended as the noodles won’t thaw well, it’s just so much better to make a fresh bowl of this easy salad!

More Favorite Salads

Bean Sprout Salad – fresh & crisp
Cilantro Lime Coleslaw
Asian Chicken Salad – with homemade dressing
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Ramen Noodle Salad – a potluck fave
Greek Salad
Asian Chopped Salad – colorful & crunchy

Did you make this Sesame Ginger Noodle Salad? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!