Thai Noodle Salad

Total Time Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Yield 8 servings

This Thai Noodle Salad recipe takes inspiration from pad thai but uses whole wheat spaghetti, cooked chicken and peanut sauce instead of rice noodles, shrimp and tamarind. It's a great option for a vegetable-heavy meal in a bowl and is perfect for using leftover protein.

Ingredients

12 ounces uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
2 large carrots, julienned
3/4 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons molasses
4-1/2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 cups finely shredded Chinese or napa cabbage
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
2/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons unsalted dry roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook spaghetti according to package directions, adding the carrots during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk peanut butter, water, lime juice, molasses, soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes until blended. Drain spaghetti and carrots; place in a large bowl. Add cabbage, chicken and dressing; toss to coat.
Sprinkle with cilantro and peanuts. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/2 cups: 400 calories, 12g fat (2g saturated fat), 27mg cholesterol, 298mg sodium, 51g carbohydrate (11g sugars, 9g fiber), 25g protein.

I combined several recipes to come up with my healthier twist on traditional pad thai. My version has only one-third the sodium of frozen versions you find in the store. —Beth Dauenhauer, Pueblo, Colorado

Recipe Creator