The transition

Asian noodle salad
There's always that time of year when I put away my heavy sweaters, coats and flannel sheets and take out my shorts and skirts from storage. Just as I do with clothing, I change my diet--I start drinking iced coffee instead of hot, and crave salads instead of stews. It's a little bit like flipping a switch--one day it's a spicy Asian noodle soup, the next a cold Asian noodle salad.


I found this recipe a while ago while searching for uses for cilantro. A quick Google search turned up this food blog, the first I've ever read. It was very entertaining and led me to one of my favorite meals ever. And how could you resist a recipe called My Favorite Salad Ever. Ever, Ever, Ever!?



I made my own modifications, using soba noodles instead of linguine (I say that Asian flavors call for Asian noodles). I simplify the dressing, using just soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil and olive oil (the combo of soy sauce and sugar is a very common dipping sauce that I grew up with for foods like tofu and mandoo, which is probably the reason why this salad is so tasty to me). In this case, I added jalapeno* and sesame seeds. My proportions for one very generous salad are:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• approx 1/4 cup of olive oil

I usually make double or triple this though, mixing together the soy sauce, lime juice and brown sugar first, setting aside some of it in the fridge so that on another occasion I can just add the oils (because if you add the oils and then refridgerate, it gets kind of gloopy; also I feel like when you add sesame oil at the last minute, the flavor is stronger). Notice I said 'occasion' because I've definitely eaten this salad more than once in a single day.


For veggies, I added red cabbage, red bell peppers, spinach, and of course, cilantro. Other veggies that are good to add are snow peas (briefly blanched), red onion, cucumbers and romaine lettuce. It's all about crunchy, bright and fresh.


Because look at how gorgeous these colors are! Oh sure, it's been raining cats and dogs, and the temperature outside feels like early fall, but all I want to do is eat my summer foods. What's great also is that you can add and subtract as you wish, or as the farmer's market allows. And if you find there is not enough dressing, just add a splash of soy sauce, an extra squeeze of lime and maybe some more oil. Pile up on a pretty plate and enjoy! But I'm not going to lie--I usually eat this straight out of the giant bowl.

*All those warnings about being careful when handling jalapenos are true. Wear gloves or take out your contact lenses beforehand. Because despite washing my hands several times with soap, my eyes stung like crazy when I tried to remove my contacts (hours later!) and I had to throw them out. My contacts, not my eyes.