Description
A refreshing and vibrant Kelp Noodle Salad featuring crisp vegetables and a creamy peanut coconut dressing. This quick, no-cook recipe offers a perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and spicy flavors, complemented with fresh herbs and crunchy sesame seeds. Ideal for a light lunch or a healthy side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 24 oz kelp noodles
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 mango
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 red chili pepper (sliced)
- 2 scallions (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup basil leaves (sliced)
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Peanut Coconut Dressing
- 5 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 4–5 tbsp coconut milk
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic (grated)
- 1 tsp fresh ginger (optional)
- 1.5 tsp hot sauce (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (replace with date paste for Plantricious compliance)
- 1 lime (juiced)
Instructions
- Prepare Kelp Noodles: Remove the kelp noodles from the package and rinse thoroughly in a bowl of water to remove excess saltiness. Drain well and transfer to a large salad bowl.
- Slice Vegetables and Fruit: Cut the red bell pepper, English cucumber, and mango into approximately 2-inch long sticks or matchsticks. Add them on top of the kelp noodles in the bowl.
- Make Peanut Coconut Dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk together creamy peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, grated garlic, fresh ginger if using, hot sauce, maple syrup, and lime juice until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust by adding more lime juice for tang or maple syrup for sweetness as desired.
- Combine Salad and Sauce: Pour the peanut coconut dressing over the kelp noodles and the chopped vegetables. Toss everything gently but thoroughly to ensure the noodles and veggies are well coated. Let the salad sit for a couple of minutes to allow the noodles to soften slightly and absorb flavors.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle sliced basil leaves, thinly sliced scallions, sesame seeds, and sliced fresh red chili pepper on top of the salad for extra flavor and presentation. Serve immediately or chilled.
- Optional Add-ins: For variety and extra nutrients, consider adding broccoli and carrot slaw, purple cabbage, radishes, cilantro, salty peanuts, snap peas, or edamame as suggested.
Notes
- Rinsing kelp noodles thoroughly helps remove any briny taste.
- The salad is best enjoyed fresh but can be chilled for up to 2 hours before serving.
- Adjust the spiciness by varying the amount of hot sauce and fresh chili added.
- For a vegan and gluten-free version, use gluten-free soy sauce (tamari) and ensure peanut butter contains no added dairy.
- Maple syrup can be substituted with date paste for a more natural sweetener compliant with specific dietary preferences.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Fusion, Asian-inspired
Keywords: kelp noodle salad, vegan salad, peanut sauce, no-cook salad, healthy lunch, gluten-free, Asian-inspired salad
