This week, we’ve been sweltering in rare heat – Bristol’s top temperature today is set to reach 34° C (93° F) – and as that’s not a common occurrence here it is pretty shocking for it to be this hot. My today’s recipe therefore is one for a bowl of satisfying cold noodle salad with scallion oil. It is literally what I have been eating on repeat this past week in an effort to stay fed yet cool and hydrated.
This noodle salad with aromatic scallion oil is satiating yet really simple. It features perfectly cooked al dente ramen noodles, a bunch of seasonal vegetables and an addictive scallion oil dressing. It is very much inspired by the traditional Shanghai noodles flavoured with toasted scallion oil.
This cold noodle salad is summery, super easy to make and it keeps well too. It makes for a fantastic beach lunch (if you are lucky) or an office lunch (if less lucky) or a quick, throw-together dinner. It has it all – the chewiness from perfectly cooked noodles, the crunch from sugar snap peas and radishes, the freshness from herbs and sliced cucumber, the nuttiness from toasted sesame, the creaminess from cubed avocado, the umami from toasted scallions and soy sauce and the spiciness from two types of chilli flakes. Oh and it also has edamame for protein, but if you desire even more protein or are particularly hungry, top it with your favourite tofu or tempeh for more protein and therefore more satiety. I really love this cold noodle salad right now and I hope you will too.
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
NOODLES: As it’s a noodle salad, noodles are an integral part of this recipe. I used ramen noodles by Itsu – one bundle per person. They need exactly 5 minutes of cooking time so in this case the instructions on the packet were spot on, but they are often wrong so be sure to taste towards the end of the stated cooking time to avoid overcooking. This is especially crucial when using something like soba noodles, which end up a sloppy mess if cooked even for a few seconds too long. If you are gluten-free, go for flat rice noodles in size small – basically the narrowest ones after vermicelli.
EDAMAME: Edamame – vibrant green young soy beans – are a delicious plant-based protein source. You can buy them already cooked, in little plastic tubs, in most supermarkets these days. If you cannot get hold of cooked ones, buy a bag of frozen ones and cook for 10 minutes (or until tender). They don’t keep super well (2-3 days on average, I found) so only cook as much as you are able to use up within that time.
CUCUMBER: Cucumbers are the ultimate hydrating vegetables so using them in this fresh cold noodle salad was a no brainer. I went for baby cucumbers, which look cute and have the added advantage of having a less watery core. If you are using a regular cucumber – English or Lebanese – you may want to core it first so that you don’t introduce heaps of unwanted moisture to this cold noodle salad.
SUGAR SNAP PEAS: I love sugar snap peas. My gran used to grow them and I remember snacking on them as a kid. They do not require any prep and they are sweet and crunchy and have tons of fibre. They are in season in the UK right now so look for British grown sugar snap peas wherever you get your produce.
RADISHES: Radishes are deliciously crunchy, slightly peppery and bring a beautiful vibrant pink colour to the plate. I sliced them thinly for this salad but you can also cut them into matchsticks.
AVOCADO: Avocados are a source of healthy fat and they bring a creamy texture to this simple noodle salad. If you don’t like them (I used to be one of these people) skip them or maybe give them another go – sometimes it’s about context too.
SCALLIONS/SPRING ONIONS: Scallions or spring onions are delicious when slow cooked in oil (fat in general). They infuse the oil with their delicious umami flavour and make for a delicious salad dressing.
HERBS: I used a combination of finely chopped coriander and mint as I adore them together, but either of them on their own will elevate this simple summery dish to new heights. Skip at your own peril.
NEUTRAL OIL: By neutral oil I mean oil that does not have a distinctive taste. In this case, it is also important that it has a high smoke point – meaning you can bring it to a relatively high temperature before it starts smoking. There are a bunch of oils that meet these two criteria like sunflower, peanut, rice bran, untoasted (!) sesame oil and grapeseed oil. I used grapeseed oil. Also, if making your own flavoured oil is too much, simply buy one. What you want is something often referred to as chilli crisp or rayu. I love peanut rayu by an Irish brand called Mausu, for example.
CHILLI FLAKES: A chilli kick isn’t 100% needed here, but I highly recommend it. If you only want a tiny kick go for milder chilli or use less of it. I used a combination of spicier red chilli flakes and much milder Korean chilli flakes known as Gochugaru.
SESAME SEEDS: I didn’t want the oil to have loads of different ingredients, which is totally possible so I settled on three: scallions, chilli flakes and sesame seeds. Sesame seeds add a bit of a crunch and nice nuttiness. I recommend using toasted sesame seeds for a greater depth of flavour, which you can buy or you can buy raw seeds and pan toast them yourself in a couple of minutes.
VINEGAR: I felt like I wanted a touch of vinegar to round off the flavours of this simple dressing. I used Chinkiang Black Rice Vinegar, but if you haven’t got it go for regular rice vinegar and a bit of sugar.
SOY SAUCE: Soy sauce seasons this dish and as well provides it with depth of flavour. I used all purpose soy sauce but it’s also nice to add a teaspoon or two of dark soy sauce for colour. If you are gluten-free, use non wheat based tamari instead.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
1) MAKE SCALLION INFUSED OIL
Start off by making a simple scallion / spring onion flavoured oil. This amount of oil is enough for 6 to 8 portions but as it keeps well you can simply store whatever you don’t use straight away. Simmer scallion segments (leave the dark green parts for garnish) in a neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point. I used grapeseed oil, but sunflower, untoasted sesame oil, peanut and rice bran oil are also great options. The key thing is to cook the scallions / spring onions very slowly – on just a whisper of a flame – until caramelised but not burnt as this will make your oil taste acrid.
2) POUR INTO CHILLI FLAKES
Combine chilli flakes (I used a mixture of red chilli flakes and Gochugaru – Korean chilli flakes) and toasted sesame seeds in a deep bowl. Stir a teaspoon of cold oil through them just to make sure they don’t burn. Once scallion oil is ready, pour it into the bowl. It will bubble vigorously so be mindful of that. Next, make a dressing in a separate bowl. Combine two tablespoons of scallion oil with soy sauce and vinegar.
3) CUT ALL YOUR VEGGIES
Prepare all your vegetables. If using regular cucumbers (I used baby ones), core them to get rid of excess moisture first. Slice cucumbers and radishes thinly, chop your herbs (I used both coriander and mint) finely, slide sugar snap peas on a bias and cut your avocado into cubes.
4) COOK THE NOODLES
Cook your noodles according to the instructions on the packet, but taste early so that you do not overcook them. I used dry ramen noodles but you may want to use soba noodles (although they are harder to cook right) and if you are gluten-free, go for small flat rice noodles.
5) ASSEMBLE
Once your noodles are ready, drain them, rinse in cold water, then stir the dressing through them. Next toss chopped herbs and vegetables through the noodles, apart from avocado which I prefer to scatter on at the end as it’s fragile. Divide between bowls and enjoy.
SCALLION OIL (makes enough for 6-8 portions)
- 8 small scallions / spring onions
- 120 ml / ½ cup neutral, high smoke oil (I used grapeseed)
- 1-2 tbsp chilli flakes*
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
SALAD
- 30-45 ml / 2-3 tbsp scallion oil (or shop-bought – SEE NOTES*)
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari if GF), more to taste
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp Chinkiang Black Rice Vinegar*
- 125 g / 4.4 oz dry ramen noodles (or flat rice noodles if GF)
- 1 small cucumber or 2-3 baby cucumbers
- 100 g / 3.5 oz sugar snap peas
- 100 g / 3.5 oz cooked edamame
- 1 avocado
- 10 radishes
- a handful of mint and/or coriander
SCALLION OIL (makes enough for 6-8 portions)
- Clean and trim your spring onions/scallions. Cut dark green parts off your spring onions/scallions – save them for garnish. Cut white and light green parts into 1.5 cm / 0.5″ segments.
- Place chilli flakes and toasted sesame seeds in a deep bowl. Stir a teaspoon of cold oil through them.
- Place the segments and the rest of the oil in a small pot and set it on a whisper of a heat. Allow the spring onions/scallions to cook in the oil to infuse it with flavour until beautifully caramelised. You can push it quite far, as long as you don’t burn them as it will make your oil taste acrid.
- As soon as you are done, carefully pour the oil into the bowl with chillies and sesame seeds. It’s going to bubble quite a bit so be sure there are no cats or kids running around.
SALAD
- Combine 2 tbsp of the oil you prepared earlier (or shop-bought chilli oil/rayu) with soy sauce and vinegar in a small bowl, set aside.
- Cook noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Taste a little earlier to make sure you don’t overcook them – packet timings are often too generous.
- As soon as noodles are done cooking, rinse them under the cold tap, drain well and toss in the dressing.
- I used baby cucumbers. If using a regular cucumber, core it first. Slice the cucumber and radishes thinly, cut sugar snap peas on the diagonal, chop your herbs finely and dice your avocado.
- Combine cucumber, radishes, sugar snap peas, edamame and chopped herbs with dressed noodles. Divide between 2 (or 4) bowls and top with cubes of avocado. Drizzle with a little more scallion oil and soy sauce if needed.
*CHILLI FLAKES: Adjust the amount to your taste and depending on what you use. I used a mixture of red chilli flakes, which I spicier and Gochugaru, which is far less spicy. I landed on 1 tbsp of red chilli flakes and 2 tsp of Gochugaru and the level of spice was perfect for me. If using just red chilli flakes, which can be found in every supermarket, I would start off with 1 tbsp on your first iteration and see how you like it.
*VINEGAR: instead of Chinkiang Black Rice Vinegar, use regular rice vinegar and a teaspoon of sweetener like maple syrup or sugar.
*TOFU: If you are making this cold noodle salad as a main meal, rather than a side salad, I recommend adding tofu prepared in your favourite way. Tofu will up the meal’s protein content and make it more satiating. I tend to cube three blocks of smoked Tofoo (this makes 6 generous portions) or about three 400 g / 14 oz packets of regular tofu (pressed). I marinate the tofu in 3 tbsp / 45 ml of soy sauce and sometimes a tablespoon of neutral oil and bake at 200° C / 390° F for about 30 minutes. This makes The leftovers keep in the fridge for 4-5 days and make a great and healthy addition to many of my weekday meals.