Asparagus Noodle Salad

I'm a big fan of Asian noodle salads when the warm weather hits. They're just so good with grilled meats. This particular salad was served alongside grilled chicken thighs with a teriyaki glaze.

By the way, teriyaki sauce is quite easy to make so there's no reason to buy the expensive bottled stuff. Look for a recipe soon in the Pantry Basics series.

This salad is very adaptable (which is good, as asparagus season is over here in my garden). I've made it with green beans and red peppers, and I use whatever long noodle I have in my pantry, buckwheat soba, chuka soba, Chinese wheat noodles, or like this time, regular spaghetti noodles.

OK, these are the dressing ingredients: soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and vegetable oil.

For the salad I used carrots (not from the garden - some are almost ready,though!), and green onions. Not pictured is the asparagus, noodles, and parsley and sesame seeds I used as a garnish.

I chopped up the last harvest of asparagus. See how I've got some very big spears and some little ones? That's what happens here all asparagus season. I'll get super thick stalks and very thin ones all from the same plant.

From what I read before I started growing them, I thought they'd start out thick and get thinner as the season progressed which then would indicate that I needed to stop picking and let the ferns grow. But I get the same spears all season, thick and thin. I just go by the six weeks harvesting date, now, which I hope is OK. They seem to be doing fine.

Start the salad by boiling the noodles. Set the timer for 2 minutes before they will be done.

Then add the chopped asparagus to the boiling noodles and cook the remaining 2 minutes. This is one of the reasons I like noodle salads. I like being able to add the items that need to be blanched or cooked right to the cooking noodles. Saves time and pots and clean-up, yea!

When the noodles and asparagus are done, drain and rinse them right away with COLD water. This is a salad, and you want the noodles cold and the vegetables to stop cooking so they will remain crisp.

Now while the noodles are cooking, make the dressing. I use a cup measure to make the dressing so it's easy to pour over the salad. Combine the soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar.

You can use cider vinegar if you don't have rice vinegar, but there really is a nice, distinctive flavor with rice vinegar and it's not expensive, so I always try to have it in my pantry. I use it for lots of Asian dishes.

Grate the ginger (easy on the lovely Microplane!) right into the dressing. I used about a tablespoon. Then add chopped garlic and a couple shakes of red pepper flakes.

Lastly, add the sesame and vegetable oils and whisk well.

Now, put the noodles and asparagus back into the pot (or a large serving bowl, if you want to serve in a bowl), and add the sliced carrots and green onions.

Pour the dressing over all and mix well.

I like to serve noodle salads on a platter when I can to show off all the lovely colors. All the vegetables don't all go to the bottom of the bowl, too, so I find it's easier to serve.

Garnish with some sesame seeds (chopped almonds would be good, too), and chopped parsley (or cilantro, if you're one of those people!).

Ta da! Start to finish, 20 minutes and costs less than $3.00, good for you and good flavor. Wow, all that in one dish- what are you waiting for?

Asparagus Noodle Salad

• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 2 TB. sugar
• 1/4 c. rice vinegar
• 1 TB. grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 1 TB. sesame oil
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1 lb. asparagus spears, trimmed
• 1 lb. noodles (spaghetti, soba, etc.)
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 4-6 green onions, sliced
• sesame seeds and chopped parsley for garish

1. Boil noodles in a large pot of salted water. Set the timer for 2 minutes before they will be done.
2. Slice the asparagus spears diagonally into 1-inch pieces. Add to the boiling noodles when the timer goes off, and cook for the remaining 2 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water.
3. Make the dressing: Combine the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper in a small cup measure. Whisk in the sesame and vegetable oils.
4. Return noodles and asparagus to the pot for mixing (or a serving bowl). Add the carrots and onions and pour the dressing over all. Mix well.
5. Place salad on a platter (or leave in serving bowl), and garnish with the sesame seeds and chopped parsley.
6. Serve immediately or can be made ahead and refrigerated a few hours. Serves 6-8.