
Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad
As anyone who knows me can attest, I love the Wow Bao. It’s a fast, health(ier) meal than your usual fast food selections. But the price tag, even on those tiny bao with their side salads, can quickly start hurting the wallet.
So this recipe can about because of the insatiable, one-ring-like obsession I had with the spicy peanut noodle salad over the weekend. Most of the recipes I found online called for a disturbing amount of ingredients for a dish I knew couldn’t be that hard to make. I was about to give up on the idea when Ming Tsai came to my rescue with his version of the salad that seemed closest to what I was looking for.
Yes, I may hate the man’s packaged potato chips, but I can still taste quality when I see it. I left out the peanut garnish simply because I didn’t have any peanuts sitting around the house. All the other ingredients are things you should have in your pantry, except maybe the sesame oil.
Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad
- 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon red chile flakes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 1 tablespoon coarse ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 pound spaghetti, cooked and drained
- 1 cucumber, halved and cut into 1/8-inch slices
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 bunch scallions, sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted (salted) peanuts for garnish (optional)
- In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, sesame oil, vinegar, chile, sugar, Dijon, coriander and soy until smooth.
- Whisk in the canola oil and check for seasoning.
- In a large bowl, toss dressing with the pasta, cucumbers, bell pepper and scallions.
- Adjust seasoning according to taste.
Filed under: Asian, Pasta, Peanut Butter, recipes, salads, vegetables, vegetarian | Leave a Comment »











By all rights, Katie should be the one on here posting this story. After all, she’s the one who decided to bake up the recipe. I simply stood by and sifted the flour when she needed it. Oh, and I ate the majority of them as well. That could possibly explain my complete lack of weightloss over the last 2 weeks.
The most opinionated, least researched show about Chicago, her suburbs, and her culture.
So when I saw this recipe, I knew I needed an excuse to make it. Luckily father’s day was the same weekend AND Katie’s family was grilling. Karma was looking out for me!