Cold Thai Noodle Salad is the perfect meal for a steamy hot day! Made with glass noodles, vegetables, edamame, and a spicy dressing, it's great for either lunch or dinner. This easy recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
Thai Inspired Cold Noodle Salad
We've reached that time of year when it's too hot to cook. Even with air conditioning, the idea of heating up the kitchen on a hundred degree day seems ridiculous. So for meals, I’ve been preparing salads and sandwiches, as well as cold noodle dishes.
This Thai-inspired noodle salad is one of my favorites for this time of year. I don't even turn on the stovetop to boil the water – I use my electric kettle instead. Gadget cooking at its finest!
Glass Noodles
I'm guessing that glass noodles get their name from the fact they're clear once they've been cooked. They're a lifesaver on hot days, because they only need a little hot water to reconstitute them.
They’re made from plant-based starches such as rice, mung bean, or potato, and they’re sold dry. Also known as bean threads, cellophane noodles, or thin rice noodles, they can be found in the Asian food aisle in the grocery store.
They’re usually packaged and bundles, and once reconstituted, they can be quite long, so they might need to be snipped with kitchen shears.
What You Need
- Cellophane noodles
- Lime juice
- Tamari
- Rice vinegar
- Garlic chili paste
- Toasted sesame oil
- Agave
- Edamame
- Carrots
- Mung bean sprouts
- Cucumber
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Scallions
- Red chili pepper
- Peanuts
- Sesame seeds
- Lime
See the recipe card for the exact amounts.
How to Make Thai Noodle Salad
This recipe is super easy to make!
- First you reconstitute the noodles by placing them in a large bowl with hot water for 4 minutes. You drain them and rinse them and then allow them to cool.
- While the noodles are cooling, you whisk together the lime juice, tamari, rice vinegar, garlic chili paste, and toasted sesame oil in a small bowl.
- Then you toss together the noodles and dressing until they noodles are well coated.
- Next you mix in the edamame, carrots, mung bean sprouts, cucumber, basil, cilantro, scallions, and chili, and gently toss to combine.
- Finally you garnish your noodles with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, and lime wedges.
Recipe Notes
This recipe is incredibly versatile, and can be made using just about anything veggies have on hand.
You can serve your noodles cold or at room temperature.
If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your noodles and tamari are gluten-free.
Vegan Thai Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 4 ounce package cellophane noodles
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon garlic chili paste
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon agave
- 1 ½ cup edamame shelled
- 2 carrots shredded or julienned
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts
- ½ English cucumber thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves lightly packed, chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves lightly packed, chopped
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 red chili pepper thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons toasted peanuts chopped
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand until softened, about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse the noodles. Allow to cool.
- While the noodles are cooling, whisk together the lime juice, tamari, rice vinegar, garlic chili paste, and toasted sesame oil in a small bowl.
- If the noodles are long, you may want to cut them with kitchen scissors after they cool.
- Place the noodles in a large bowl along the dressing and toss to combine. Add the edamame, carrots, mung bean sprouts, cucumber, basil, cilantro, scallions, and chili, and gently toss to combine.
- Divide the noodles among 4 plates or bowls. Sprinkle with peanuts and sesame seeds. Garnish with lime wedges.
Other warm weather recipes you might enjoy include:
- Peanutty Pad Thai Zoodles
- Sesame Noodles
- Zucchini Noodles with Spinach Pesto
- Carrot Noodles with Peanut Sauce from Vegan for Everyone by Laura Theodore
More Noodle Recipes Include:
- Thai-Inspired Tofu Noodle Bowls
- Tofu and Shirataki Noodle Stir-Fry
- Tahini Noodles
- Stir-Fry Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Cadry
Such a good idea! I love cold noodles, but I always forget about making them. This dish looks perfect for this balmy time of year.
Dianne
Thank you, Cadry!
Becky Striepe
This looks like a perfect summer supper! I love Thai flavors!
Dianne
Thank you, Becky!