A super simple kelp noodle salad recipe covered in creamy, homemade peanut sauce and topped with warm sesame shiitake mushrooms.
Since you don’t have to cook them, kelp noodles are much faster to make than other noodles. No boiling or straining. Just drain the liquid from the bag, cut them up, and toss together a meal in a flash. You just chop them up, toss them with some sauce and add-ins, and you’re ready to rock! They also only have 6 calories per serving but give you 15 percent of your daily calcium and 4 percent of your iron for the day, which is awesome.
More easy vegan salads: Superfood Quinoa Salad, Easy Kale Salad with Walnuts and Shallots, Raw Collard Greens Salad
I know, I sound like an infomercial for kelp noodles, but they’re not a sponsor or anything like this. Now that we have a toddler in the house, I’m just thrilled for any healthy food that I can make quickly. It means I don’t give in to the urge for take out so often. Yay!
Where to Buy Kelp Noodles
Last time I talked about kelp noodles, folks were wondering where to buy them. I got mine at Whole Foods. They’re on the pricey side at just under $6 per package, but that’s still a whole lot cheaper than ordering delivery for supper. Even when you account for the other ingredients below, this meal cost me less than $15 to make, and it was enough to feed me and Dave with leftovers for two lunches.
You can also order them online directly from the company that makes them: Sea Tangle Noodle Company. I’ve only seen their plain noodles at Whole Foods, but the green tea and mixed sea vegetable ones sound awesome! The only downside to ordering from the company is that you have to order a case, which is a big commitment if you’ve never had them. I love them, but what if you don’t?
Amazon has them, too, and from what I’m seeing they now cost about the same as the ones at Whole Foods (they used to cost more). The ones linked here don’t have to go in the fridge, so you don’t have to worry about making space for them!
This kelp noodle salad combines chilled noodles in a creamy peanut dressing with hot-off-the-stove sesame mushrooms. The combination of flavors and textures is so nice!
Kelp Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce package kelp noodles, cut in half (Your noodles will come out of the package in a big bundle. Slice that bundle in half, so you end up with two small, fat bundles. Otherwise, the noodles are super long and hard to wrangle when you’re eating them.)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 green onions, chopped (green parts only)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2-1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (optional. Or more, to taste, if you like a spicy sauce.)
- 2″ piece of fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- dash of salt
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Directions
- Toss the noodles, carrots, and green onions together in a large bowl, separating the noodles as much as you can.
- Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, water, hot sauce, and ginger in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Taste and add extra Sriracha, if you feel like it’s not hot enough for your taste.
- Toss the noodles in the dressing and set them in the fridge to chill until you’re ready to serve.
- Heat the sesame oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until they soften, about 5-7 minutes. You may need to add a little bit of extra oil by the teaspoon, if things get dry. Transfer to a plate with a clean dish towel or napkin on it, so any extra oil can drain off.
- Divide the noodle/sauce mixture between 4 bowls. Top the whole thing with the mushrooms, sprinkle on the sesame seeds, and serve.
Republished with permission from Glue and Glitter.
