Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cashews
It’s been hot outside, and I didn’t want to cook a big, heavy meal, so I made this Asian noodle salad with chicken and cashews recipe. I loved the combination of crunchy veggies and nuts, with the tender meat and sweet mandarin oranges. My husband, son, and I loved this salad. Our daughter couldn’t get enough and had seconds for dinner, and requested the leftovers for lunch the next day. I love it when that happens.
Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cashews
Marinade and Dressing Ingredients:
- 6 tbsp of seasoned rice vinegar
- 5 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup of vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tsp hot chili sauce
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat
Chicken and Noodle Salad:
- 1 handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2 green onions, diced finely
- ½ red bell pepper, julienned
- ½ orange bell pepper, julienned
- 1 cup of shredded carrots
- 1 cup of snow peas, cut in half
- 1 cup of mandarin oranges, drained
- ½ cup of toasted cashews
- ¾ lb spaghetti noodles, cooked per instructions
How to Make an Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken and Cashews
Make the marinade and dressing by combining the seasoned rice vinegar, vegetable oil, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and chili sauce; mix thoroughly.
Marinate the chicken by pouring 3-4 tablespoons of marinade in a large zip-lock bag, adding the chicken, and marinating in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Set the remaining marinade/dressing aside so flavors can combine.
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted water per instructions, drain through a strainer, and rinse with cold water.
Add half of the remaining marinade/dressing to the noodles; toss to combine; and let it sit for 20-30 minutes (this allows the noodles to become very flavorful).
Prepare all the vegetables, and set them aside.
Grill chicken on a grill or hot grill pan over medium-high heat until cooked thoroughly (about 3-4 minutes on each side), allow meat to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into chunks.
Prepare the noodle salad by adding the vegetables, cashews, mandarin oranges, chicken, and the remainder of the dressing to the noodles.
Toss until well combined and serve. Enjoy.
Ingredients
Marinade and Dressing Ingredients:
- 6 tbsp of seasoned rice vinegar
- 5 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup of vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 2 tsp hot chili sauce
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat
Chicken and Noodle Salad:
- 1 handful of cilantro leaves chopped
- 2 green onions diced finely
- ½ red bell pepper julienned
- ½ orange bell pepper julienned
- 1 cup of shredded carrots
- 1 cup of snow peas cut in half
- 1 cup of mandarin oranges drained
- ½ cup of toasted cashews
- ¾ lb spaghetti noodles cooked per instructions
Instructions
- Make the marinade and dressing by combining the seasoned rice vinegar, vegetable oil, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and chili sauce; mix thoroughly.
- Marinate the chicken by pouring 3-4 tablespoons of marinade in a large zip-lock bag, adding the chicken, and marinating in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Set the remaining marinade/dressing aside so flavors can combine.
- Add half of the remaining marinade/dressing to the noodles; toss to combine; and let it sit for 20-30 minutes (this allows the noodles to become very flavorful).
- Prepare all the vegetables, and set them aside.
- Grill chicken on a grill or hot grill pan over medium-high heat until cooked thoroughly (about 3-4 minutes on each side), allow meat to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into chunks.
- Prepare the noodle salad by adding the vegetables, cashews, mandarin oranges, chicken, and the remainder of the dressing to the noodles.
- Toss until well combined and serve. Enjoy.
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I love almost every food, but The one thing I really dislike is cilantro and it seems it is everywhere these days. It is just too strong to me and overpowers every other ingredient. Is there something I can use in place of it? I love Asian recipes.
Linda,
Try using basil instead of cilantro. Basil works well in Asian cuisine.
Cheers,
Pam
Thanks, made the chicken noodle salad using basil. Great, I loved it.
I made this for a picnic last night and it was absolutely fabulous! I chose to use udon noodles instead of spaghetti for a more Asian feel to the dish. The noodles soaked up dressing and it was yum scrum! It actually held together very nicely through the afternoon (it was in the cooler for probably 6 hours before we ate it). Other picnic-goers were admiring our salad, so that’s always a sign that you did something right! This is a keeper!