Protein packed peanut pasta salad

I’m not big on salads, so when I do make them they have to be different enough to keep my interest – and this salad does the trick (thanks mom for the inspiration!).

In this salad I call for edamame and mung bean fettuccine – which is of course optional – but if you are feeling adventurous I highly recommend trying it. You can purchase these noodles from major grocery stores in the UK and US, and they pack a HUGE protein punch (especially compared to normal wheat pasta); 100 grams of this stuff packs a whopping 42.3g of protein! It is also made of only two ingredients, so there’s nothing weird lurking in the noodles, and they have a really interesting flavour with an adente bite – making them ideal for salads.

In terms of what veggies to use – it’s really up to you. I like to have a mix of really colourful veggies so that I feel like I’m eating the rainbow and packing in as many nutrients as possible. But if you wanted to swap the cabbage for something like small broccoli florets, knock yourself out! You can really play around with the veggies or just throw in whatever is left over in your fridge at the end of the week.

The peanut sauce is a very simple dressing to make – but one that gives this entire dish an exotic twist. To create this peanut dressing, you simply chuck everything into your high speed blender until you get a rich, creamy consistency. You can also play around with the heat (sometimes I’ll add a red chilli into mine) and also adjust the water to get the consistency you like. Sometimes I prefer a thinned out dressing, and other times I like to lay it on thick.

Incredibly easy to make and so colourful, this salad is great for a midweek dinner or portioned out for lunches throughout the week (if you’re big into meal prep like I am). You can also add spicy baked tofu or strips of seitan to the salad if you want to bulk it out even more.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

For the salad: 

• 200g mung bean edamame fettuccine
• 2 large handfuls of rocket
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 100g red cabbage, diced (about 2 handfuls)
• 60g sweetheart cabbage, shredded (about 2 handfuls)
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 large handful of coriander, roughly torn
• 4-5 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds

For the sauce: 

• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon agave syrup
• 1 glove of garlic, peeled
• 1 inch ginger, peeled
• Juice of half a lime
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Put all the sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until very smooth (about a minute or so). Adjust the flavour for salt, and add more water to get the consistency you want. Set aside.
2. Cook the mung bean noodles according to the instructions.
3. Add all the veggies into a large bowl and mix well, reserving some coriander and spring onions.
4. Drain the noodles once they are cooked, and let cool for a few minutes. Then add the noodles to the bowl with the veggies and mix well.
5. Top with the extra coriander and spring onions and drizzle on the peanut sauce.
6. Enjoy!

Be sure to check out my video below to see how I put the salad together!