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20-minute noodles · 20 minutes

Peanut-Lime Rice Noodle Salad with Crunchy Vegetables

Rice noodles and edamame soak in the same bowl of hot water, so the only cooking is boiling a kettle, and a sharp lime-heavy peanut dressing keeps it light.

Prep
15 min
Cook
5 min
Total
20 min
Serves
3
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VeganGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeStovetop

This is the noodle salad you make when it’s too hot to stand at the stove. Thin rice noodles don’t need boiling, just a soak in water from the kettle, and frozen edamame thaws in the same bowl. While they sit, you shred the vegetables, and by the time the dressing is whisked the noodles are ready.

The dressing is more lime than peanut on purpose. Plenty of juice, a little maple and a hit of chili keep it bright enough to coat a big pile of raw cabbage, carrot and bell pepper without weighing it down. It holds well for a day in the fridge, so it doubles as lunch.

The recipe

Peanut-Lime Rice Noodle Salad with Crunchy Vegetables

Prep 15 min · Cook 5 min · Total 20 min · Serves 3

Ingredients

Tap to tick off as you go.

For the dressing

For the salad

Method

  1. Step 1: Soak the noodles

    Boil a full kettle. Put the rice noodles and frozen edamame in a large heatproof bowl, cover with the boiling water and soak for 5–7 minutes (check your package), until the noodles are tender with a little chew.

  2. Step 2: Whisk the dressing

    Meanwhile, whisk the peanut butter, lime juice, tamari, maple syrup, sriracha, ginger and garlic, adding warm water until it’s smooth and pourable.

  3. Step 3: Prep the vegetables

    Shred the cabbage, cut the carrots, bell pepper and cucumber into thin strips, and tear the herbs.

  4. Step 4: Rinse and drain

    Drain the noodles and edamame and rinse under cold water until cool. Shake well, then snip the noodles a few times with kitchen scissors so they’re easier to toss.

  5. Step 5: Toss and top

    In the big bowl, toss the noodles, edamame and vegetables with most of the dressing. Pile onto plates, drizzle with the rest and finish with herbs, peanuts and lime wedges.

Good to know

  • Rice noodles go from chewy to mushy quickly. Start checking a minute before the package says and drain the moment they’re tender.
  • Snipping the noodles sounds fussy, but long strands tangle into one clump and the vegetables end up at the bottom of the bowl.
  • If you’re packing it for later, keep the herbs and peanuts separate and add them just before eating.

Swaps

Edamame
Cubes of baked or pan-fried tofu
Peanut butter and peanuts
Almond butter and toasted almonds, or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version
Red cabbage
A bag of coleslaw mix, which saves about 5 minutes of prep

Questions people ask

Are rice noodles gluten-free?

Noodles made from rice flour and water are naturally gluten-free, but some brands add wheat starch, so check the ingredient list.

Do you have to boil rice noodles?

Thin rice vermicelli only needs a 5–7 minute soak in just-boiled water. Wider rice noodles may need a brief boil; follow the package.

Can you make rice noodle salad ahead?

Yes, it keeps for about a day in the fridge. The noodles absorb dressing as they sit, so loosen it with a squeeze of lime before serving.

Get the red cabbage, carrots and red bell pepper from a farmer.

This recipe is only as good as what goes in it. Find a farmers market or CSA farm near you, or get a produce box delivered when there’s no market this week.

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