I should call this a Thai inspired noodle salad because I am certainly not an expert in Thai cooking. Here's how this recipe came about...I had a glut of veggies and basil and I was looking to create some easy side dishes to munch on during the week. I saw that I had some rice noodles left in a package in the pantry and that gave me an idea. Now, I love Thai food...really love it, but I did not have time to stop processing all of those vegetables and go looking up an authentic recipe. Instead, I looked around the kitchen for what was available and I went to town.
Thai Noodle Salad with Zucchini and Carrots
2 medium zucchini
2 medium carrots
4 scallions
olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
freshly ground black pepper
Tamari
2 oz of roasted peanuts
2 oz of roasted cashews
red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups fresh basil
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
pinch of sea salt
Start by grating two zucchinis two carrots, add to large saute pan. Clean and chop 4 scallions, add to pan. Saute over medium heat in olive oil. Add four whole cloves of garlic, peeled but not smashed. Add pepper flakes, black pepper and Tamari and cook until just tender. Remove garlic cloves and drop into the bowl of a food processor.
While sauteing, prepare rice noodles according to package. When ready, strain and add noodles to saucepan, turning to coat. Set aside.
Add to the garlic (in the bowl of a food processor) basil, rice wine vinegar, peanuts, cashews, basil and sea salt. Drizzle in about a tablespoon of olive oil. Pulse to create sauce. Pour over noodle mixture, toss to coat. Serve.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it tastes good whether warm, cold or room temperature. And because it doesn't have any mayo or egg based dressing, it is great for a picnic or lunch on the go.
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