A deliciously fresh and tasty noodle salad made with vermicelli noodles, fresh summer vegetables, herbs, and a yummy Asian-inspired dressing. Ready in 15 minutes, it’s a great lunch, supper or side dish.
I love using different kinds of noodles in my cooking. There are so many to choose from! Whether it’s chewy egg noodles with a vegetable stir-fry, twirly tagliatelle with a classic Italian sauce, or even tasty strands of lokshen in soup or a lokshen pudding, I love them all.
Asian noodles
Recently I started using Asian vermicelli noodles as the base for a fresh a delicious salad. These fine noodles are usually made with mung beans, and are sold under a variety of names. Look out for bean thread noodles, cellophane noodles or glass noodles. They are all variations on a similar noodle that cooks quickly and is delicious served cold with a tasty dressing.
You can also use fine rice noodles as a substitute. Although these don’t have the same transparent ‘glassy’ appearance when cooked, they have a similar taste and texture and work just fine in a salad!
Quick and healthy noodle salad
The following salad is a gorgeous way to turn these noodles into a quick and healthy lunch for one. But it can also be served as a side dish for two people, or scaled up to feed a crowd.
Although I’ve used Asian noodles and ingredients in the dressing for this noodle salad, it’s really just a vehicle for the delicious fresh summer produce that is available at the moment. The vegetables I’ve used are not particularly Asian, and in all honesty this salad is not an authentic Asian salad. But it is delicious! I think it’s a great example of different ingredients from around the world coming together to create something wonderful.
Simple steps to make a yummy noodle salad
This lovely noodle salad is very quick and easy to make. The bean thread noodles or rice noodles only need to be soaked in hot water for a few minutes, and don’t require boiling or lengthy cooking.
While they soak, you can start to prepare your vegetables. Then drain and rinse the noodles and add the dressing so the noodles can soak it up while you finish cutting the veggies.
Finally, mix everything together, arrange the noodle salad on a plate or bowl, and serve!
What kinds of vegetables to use?
I used a selection of fresh and delicious summer vegetables, but you can use whatever veggies you have to hand. Here’s a list of those I used plus some additional suggestions:
- Cucumber – quarter lengthwise and scrape out any wet seeds before slicing
- Spring onions/scallions – finely sliced
- Radishes – halved and thinly sliced, so pretty!
- Fresh peas – I added them raw as they were so fresh and sweet, but cooked peas (or leftover peas from another meal!) are also lovely
- Red or yellow pepper – diced into small cubes, nice and crunchy
- Carrot – grated/shredded or finely chopped
- Cherry tomatoes – halved or quartered, they add a sweet-sharp flavour
- Red or white cabbage – finely shredded
- Fresh herbs – I LOVE coriander (cilantro) in this salad, but parsley or mint are also delicious.
Simple dressing for noodle salad
I make a very simple dressing just using soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and rice vinegar. If you prefer a sweeter dressing you could also add a little maple syrup, honey or agave syrup. I don’t like to add a lot of seasoning as I don’t want to overpower the delicious fresh veggies. In my opinion this simple dressing gives the noodle salad just enough – it’s really tasty!
I also like to squeeze some fresh lime over the dish right before eating for extra zing!
Ingredients in quick noodle salad with summer vegetables
You can use whatever veggies you prefer, but to make a salad just like the one in the photos, you’ll need the following:
- Bean thread noodles or rice vermicelli – these are sometimes called glass noodles or cellophane noodles
- Soy sauce – I like tamari which is wheat/gluten free, but any kind is fine
- Rice vinegar – you can also use white wine vinegar
- Toasted sesame oil – such a delicious flavour!
- Cucumber
- Radishes
- Fresh peas – if you can get them in the pods and pop them out yourself, so much the better!
- Red or yellow pepper
- Spring onions – also called scallions
- Ripe summer tomatoes
- Fresh coriander (cilantro) – or other herbs of your choice
- Roasted peanuts, chopped or crushed
- Lime – for garnish and squeezing over the top!
FAQ and top tips
- What kind of noodles are used in this noodle salad?
I used bean thread noodles which are made from mung bean starch, but you can use any Asian vermicelli noodles. You can use fine rice noodles, or those made from sweet potato starch or tapioca. They are sometimes called glass noodles or cellophane noodles. - Is this noodle salad gluten-free?
Yes! Rice vermicelli or bean thread noodles are naturally gluten free, so the main part of this salad is fine for people who avoid gluten in their diet. The only thing to watch out for is the soy sauce in the dressing as this may contain wheat. Tamari, which is soy sauce made without wheat, can be substituted make sure the noodle salad is completely gluten-free. - Is the noodle salad suitable for vegans and vegetarians?
Yes! This delicious noodle salad is completely vegan and is a highly nutritious choice regardless of your dietary preference. The noodles provide carbohydrates for energy, the vegetables add fibre and a whole host of vitamins and minerals, and the crunchy roasted peanuts provide healthy fats and proteins. Yum! - Can this noodle salad be prepared ahead of time?
You can make this tasty noodle salad up to a couple of hours before you want to serve it. Store it in the fridge, but allow it to come up to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving. Garnish with herbs, chopped peanuts and lime wedges at the last minute. - How many people does this salad serve?
As written below, the recipe serves one person as a main dish, or 2-4 people as a side dish. You can easily scale up the recipe to serve more people using the buttons on the recipe card.
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Quick noodle salad with summer vegetables
Ingredients
- 50 g bean thread noodles or rice vermicelli (sometimes called glass noodles or cellophane noodles)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or use white wine vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cucumber
- 3-4 radishes
- 1 handful fresh peas (in pods)
- ⅓ red or yellow pepper
- 2 spring onions (scallions)
- 1-2 ripe tomatoes
- 1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro) – or to taste
- 1-2 tablespoon roasted peanuts, chopped or crushed
- 1 lime
Instructions
- 50 g (1 ¾ oz) bean thread noodles or rice vermicelli, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oilSoak the noodles in hot water according to the package instructions. Then drain, refresh under cold water, drain again, and combine with the soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Set aside.
- ¼ cucumberCut the cucumber into quarters lengthwise, scrape out the seeds if they are very 'wet', and slice into 3-4mm (<¼inch) slices.
- 3-4 radishes, 1 handful fresh peas (in pods), ⅓ red or yellow pepper, 2 spring onions (scallions)Top and tail the radishes, and slice thinly. Pop the peas from their pods. Dice the pepper. Trim and thinly slice the spring onions (scallions).
- Combine the prepared cucumber, radishes, peas, pepper and spring onion in a bowl. Add the noodles and their dressing and mix well to combine. Transfer to a serving dish.
- 1-2 ripe tomatoes, 1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro) – or to taste, 1-2 tablespoon roasted peanuts, chopped or crushed, 1 limeQuarter the tomatoes and arrange around the dish. Roughly chop the coriander (cilantro) and sprinkle over the salad together with the chopped/crushed peanuts. Serve with wedges of lime to squeeze over. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More delicious salad recipes
If you love eating fresh and tasty salads then how about:
- Tabbouleh salad with freekeh – a tasty twist on a classic
- Tomato salad with olives, basil and sumac – a delicious way to eat ripe summer tomatoes
- Classic carrot salad – a super-simple French salad with garlic, lemon and parsley
Kristen
This salad was delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Helen
My pleasure Kristen! So glad you enjoyed it!
Kushigalu
Refreshing and delicious salad recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Helen
Thanks Kushigalu – so happy that you enjoyed it 🙂
Tavo
This Quick Noodle Salad with Summer Vegetables is an absolute delight, hitting all the right notes of freshness and flavor. The combination of crisp veggies and perfectly cooked noodles is spot on, making it a go-to for any summer meal. You’ve nailed it with this recipe, making it both simple and incredibly satisfying. Great job!
Helen
Thanks Tavo! So glad to hear that you enjoyed making and eating this salad as much as I did!
Beth
This looks absolutely delicious. I love the combination of flavors, and I love how healthy it is, too. Perfection.
Helen
Thanks Beth! Healthy and tasty – I’m in!!!