The hot weather days of late have had me looking all over for creative and cool meal solutions, so I thought it was a great opportunity to devise a new cold coconut curry gluten free noodle salad using loads of summer veggies.
I’ve always loved the combination of coconut and curry in warm dishes; in this Cold Coconut Curry Gluten Free Noodle Salad, the umami flavors take on a new richness and texture with loads of crisp veggies. It’s really quite something.
Don’t be daunted by the long ingredient list; you can add as many or as few of these vegetable ingredients as you like to this gluten free noodle salad – it’s really all about the delicious sauce!
I’ve given you the ingredients I used to make this gorgeous salad, as pictured, but the beauty of the recipe really is that you can tailor it to what you have in your refrigerator and to what kinds of veggies you most love.
I initially created this recipe when JSL Foods invited me to compete in their Blogger Recipe Challenge* (Note: not all their product offerings are gluten-free. The ones that are GF are clearly labeled and the company states that they “prevent cross contamination through our sanitation practices and controlling the flow of our workforce and then validate by testing the product for the absence of gluten.”)
But don’t feel constrained to using their pre-packed noodles. This delicious cold noodle salad is easily made using plain gluten free rice noodles you can find in any grocery store. Simply follow the package directions to boil or soak the noodles first, rinse them in cold water and pick up my salad directions from there.
If you love these Asian flavors, definitely check out my homemade Gluten Free Pad Thai recipe — it’s on weekly rotation in our house and doesn’t rely on any store-bought pre-packaged Pad Thai sauces!
And for one more cold summer salad idea, hop to my Chilled Mexican Pea or Lentil Salad recipe!
So grab what’s in your fridge or go crazy at the store and fill your bowl with colorful, flavorful veggies — either way, this cold salad is sure to please the palate!
Cold Coconut Curry Gluten Free Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces plain GF rice noodles cooked according to package directions OR 2 packs Fortune Gluten Free Rice Noodles with Coconut Curry Flavor Packets*
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1 Tbs. liquid coconut aminos
- {OR gluten-free Tamari sauce}
- 1 Tbs. lime juice ½ - 1 juiced lime (double if not using noodles with flavor packets)
- ½ tsp. chili oil
- 1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tbs. cumin if not using noodles with flavor packets
- 1-2 tsp. crushed red pepper optional
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup diced okra broccoli, 1 block firm tofu or other vegetables of choice
- 1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
- 2 zucchini squash spiralized
- 1 large carrot grated
- ½ cucumber chopped
- 3 scallions chopped
- 1 bunch Enoki mushrooms or 1 cup other mushroom variety of choice
- 12 – 15 grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 4-6 baby eggplant sliced thin
- ½ cup diced cilantro
- 1/8 cup sesame seeds
- 6-8 baby corn
- ½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped (omit for nut-free)
Instructions
- If using dry rice noodles, prepare according to package directions, rinse and set aside. If using refrigerated rice noodles, soak in warm water to help loosen and separate the noodles. Let the flavor packets stand at room temperature while preparing the remainder of the sauce and vegetables. After 5 minutes, gently pull noodles apart and drain in a colander.
- Using a food processor, immersion blender or standard blender, pulse to combine tahini, liquid aminos, lime juice, chili oil, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, cumin, red pepper (if using) and water. Add two coconut curry flavor packets (if using) and pulse once more to fully integrate.
- Taste the sauce and add more chili oil if more heat is desired. (If the sauce is too spicy for your taste, add coconut or other milk by the tablespoon until it suits your taste.)
- Sauté okra or other vegetables of choice and/or firm tofu (cut into squares) in 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil until lightly browned. Drain if necessary and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the spiralized zucchini, carrots, cucumber, scallions, mushrooms, tomatoes, eggplant and sautéed vegetables and/or tofu. Add drained rice noodles. Pour over the tahini coconut curry sauce and toss to coat all of the noodles and veggies. Stir in cilantro leaves and sesame seeds, if using.
- To serve, divide among bowls and garnish with baby corn and chopped peanuts sprinkled on top.
- Serves 6 as a main dish; 12 as a side salad.
** Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
*P.S. JSL Foods provided me with free noodle products for recipe testing. All opinions about their products are my own. To read my full disclosure policy click here. Some links provided herein for product reference may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through these links you will not pay a higher price but some small portion of the price will go to support the operation of this website and blog.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
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