Sesame Peanut Noodles With Crunchy Vegetables and Garlic-Scallion Chili Oil

August 30, 2024

Ingredients

1½ tablespoonssugar

¼ cupplus 1 tablespoon well-stirred tahini

¼ cup plus ½ tablespoonrice wine vinegar

3 tablespoonstoasted sesame oil

3 tablespoonstamari or soy sauce

2 tablespoonsnatural smooth unsalted peanut butter

8–10 ouncesdrysobanoodles(orspaghettiorlinguine)

1medium to large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin 2-inch sticks

2–3 cupsfinely shredded red cabbage or napa cabbage

2 packed cupsbaby spinach, roughly chopped or shredded into thin ribbons

½ cupshelled frozen edamame, thawed (optional)

2–3 tablespoonsGarlic-Scallion Chili Oil (page 177), plus more as needed

⅓ cupunsalted dry roasted peanuts, very finely chopped or processed in a small food processor

¼ cup plus 1 tablespooncanola oil

2scallions (white and light green parts only), finely chopped

1 teaspoonwhite sesame seeds

1–1½ teaspoonscrushed red pepper flakes

`large garlic clove, grated

Preparation

1. Make the sauce. Whisk together the sugar, tahini, vinegar, sesame oil, tamari, and peanut butter in a large bowl until evenly combined. Pour half the sauce in a 1-cup liquid measure or a small bowl; set both aside.

2. Cook the noodles according to package directions until al dente Drain and rinse under cold water, turning, until they are cold. Drain the noodles again. Immediately transfer to the large bowl with the sauce and toss to coat evenly.

3. Add the cucumbers, cabbage, spinach, and edamame (if using) to the top of the noodles, drizzle with about half of the remaining sauce, and sprinkle with the sesame seeds (if using). Lightly toss the vegetables in sauce without fully incorporating them into the noodles at first. Now, combine the vegetables and noodles, tossing, then add more of the remaining sauce to taste. Drizzle in 1–2 tablespoons of the Garlic-Scallion Chili Oil and toss until evenly incorporated.

4. Serve, topping with more chili oil to taste and a generous sprinkle of peanuts.

We collect sesame noodle recipes, like musicians do guitars. So when we saw this one in the new book The Vegetable Eater by Cara Mangini, we knew it was a keeper.

Crunchy, saucy, spicy—cold sesame noodles are a must for every vegetable-forward rotation. This recipe spotlights cucumbers, raw shredded cabbage, and spinach. The garlic, sesame, and scallion oil brings the whole dish to life with a kick of heat (it wakes up tired leftovers, too). You can use a store-bought chili oil, no problem, just add some sliced scallions to the noodles.