Bang Bang Chicken Noodle Salad
Full of bold spicy, nutty, salty, sweet and savoury flavour, this main meal salad is inspired by a Chinese classic and features a knockout sauce made in just 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- 200 g thin dried noodles e.g. rice vermicelli or mung bean
- 2 large skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cooked see Recipe Notes
For the dressing
- 2 rounded tbsp peanut butter
- 1 rounded tbsp tahini sesame paste
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped or grated
- 2 cm ginger root finely chopped or grated
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp black rice vinegar if unavailable, use white rice vinegar with a dash of Balsamic plus ½ tsp Chinese 5 spice
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 level tbsp hot chilli oil or sauce e.g. sriracha
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 level tbsp sweetener e.g. honey, sugar
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
Salad vegetables
- 1 medium red pepper
- 3 medium carrots topped, tailed and peeled
- ½ large cucumber
- 3 large spring onions
- 1 bunch radishes topped and tailed
- 1 red chilli thinly sliced
- 2 handfuls coriander leaf large stems removed
To serve
- toasted sesame seeds
- coriander leaf
- chilli oil e.g. Chinese crispy chilli in oil optional
Instructions
-
Cook the noodles
Cook according to the packet instructions then drain in a sieve and cool under a running tap.
Set aside when completely cold.
-
Shred the chicken
Put the cooked chicken on a board and hit firmly several times with a rolling pin or similar until it starts to break up.
Using your fingers, pull the chicken into chunky shreds then set aside.
-
Make the dressing
Put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth OR whisk in a large bowl until combined. Set aside.
-
Prepare the vegetables (add them to a large bowl as you go, reserving some of the chilli and spring onion for a garnish if liked)
Cut the pepper into thin matchsticks and finely chop the spring onions.
Cut the carrot and cucumber into thin matchsticks or, preferably, use a julienne peeler. Discard the cucumber seeds.
Slice the radishes and chilli thinly.
Add the coriander leaf to the bowl too.
-
Make the salad
Add the prepared noodles to the bowl and toss with the vegetables.
Pour in the dressing and toss again.
Add in the chicken and gently toss so that it is distributed evenly through the vegetable and noodles: try not to break it up any further.
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Divide the noodle salad between bowls, sprinkling each one with the toasted sesame seeds, coriander, plus any reserved chilli and spring onion.
Put the optional chilli oil on the table for diners to help themselves.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and eaten the next day.
Recipe Notes
You can poach, steam, fry, or bake the chicken. Boneless, skinless thighs can be used instead of breasts if preferred. If you poach or steam the chicken, you can use some of the cooking water in place of that listed in the dressing ingredients. A few slices of ginger and some onion in the poaching/steaming water will add more flavour.