The dressing for this salad is based on one from the Cosmopolitan Vegetarian Cookbook, by Amanda Grant, but uses much less oil. The salad itself is inspired by too many cookbooks and magazine articles to count! At some point I plan to try topping this with chopped dry-roasted peanuts (thanks to Dacia M for the idea). This really is a very flexible salad; if you don't have all the vegetables specified then use more of the ones you do have, or substitute. I just made this today with no vegetables other than lots of thinly sliced red cabbage, and some sliced onion.
Serves 2 as a main dish
1. Cook the noodles as directed on the packet, drain well, rinse under cold running water until cool, and toss with blended sesame oil to coat. (Optionally, cut them into short lengths with a pair of scissors or a sharp knife—this makes the salad easier to eat, if that's an issue.)
2. Meanwhile, cut all the vegetables into julienne strips (see hints on how to julienne various vegetables). Make the dressing.
3. Mix together the noodles, vegetables, tofu if using, and dressing. Nice served chilled, or at room temperature. Keeps well in the fridge, good for packed lunches.
Based on a dressing from the Cosmopolitan Vegetarian Cookbook, by Amanda Grant, but uses much less oil. The “blended sesame oil” referred to below is the cheaper type of sesame oil that is actually toasted sesame oil mixed with a bland-tasting vegetable oil. If you have the real thing (very strong-tasting; you only need a few drops to flavour a dish), use sunflower oil or extra olive oil instead, and add the sesame oil (drop by drop) to the dressing, to taste. Don't be concerned that the dressing appears quite thin—this matters far less for noodle and grain salads than it does for leaf salads.
Makes about 200ml (12 tbsp, 3/4 cup)
1. Mix everything in a jar, and shake vigorously until blended.
Kake's (Vegan) Cookery Site - http://www.earth.li/~kake/cookery/
This page added 16 Jul 1999
(last altered 18 Aug 2002)
- comments and questions to
Kake L Pugh (kake@earth.li).