Cold Noodle Salad with Chicken
Imagine bouncy, chewy udon noodles with tender shredded chicken, tossed in a sweet and spicy sesame dressing. It is so good, you will want to lick the bowl clean!
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp crispy chilli oil plus more to drizzle
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp runny honey
- 400 g udon noodles
- 3 spring onions finely sliced
- 4 cooked chicken thighs shredded
To serve:
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
Instructions
- Using a box grater, grate the cucumber into a sieve and set over a medium-sized bowl. Add a generous pinch of salt, toss well using your hands, then leave to drain whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients (before using them later on, remember to give them a really good squeeze to extract as much of the water as possible).
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing: in a small bowl, mix together the tahini, crispy chilli oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and runny honey. Season to taste with salt. Add a little of the drained cucumber water (waste not, want not!), then whisk until you have a silky smooth consistency. Set aside.
- Boil the kettle, then pop the udon noodles in a large saucepan and pour over the boiling water. Cover with a lid and leave to stand for 5 minutes - or cook according to packet instructions. Drain well.
- To assemble: place the drained noodles into a large bowl and pour over the dressing. Toss well to coat. Add the spring onions and shredded chicken, then toss again.
- Spoon into bowls, drizzle with more chilli oil, if wished, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!
Notes
Chicken - I have used shredded chicken thighs in this recipe, but you could use leftover roast chicken, shredded chicken breast or rotisserie chicken. You don’t have to keep it a Cold Noodle Salad with Chicken - lots of other proteins would work, such as plump and juicy prawns or leftover turkey, pork or beef.
Vegetables - I often add extra veggies like shredded cabbage or sprouts, grated carrot, finely sliced peppers or cooked sweetcorn.
Make it plant-based: you can make this Cold Noodle Salad with Chicken vegetarian-friendly by swapping the shredded chicken for crispy fried or roasted tofu. It can also be made vegan-friendly by swapping the runny honey for maple syrup.