Chicken Noodle Salad with Satay Dressing
I love to make this when I'm nearing the bottom of a jar of peanut butter. I mix the dressing right in the jar so every last bit of peanut butter is used. This makes a great summer dinner salad. Using rotisserie chicken, I only needed to cook the pasta in the morning, and the salad sat all day in the fridge. It's good for lunches as there is no mayo, and it's gluten-free if you can get the right pasta.
I love to make this when I'm nearing the bottom of a jar of peanut butter. I mix the dressing right in the jar so every last bit of peanut butter is used. This makes a great summer dinner salad. Using rotisserie chicken, I only needed to cook the pasta in the morning, and the salad sat all day in the fridge. It's good for lunches as there is no mayo, and it's gluten-free if you can get the right pasta.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 lb quinoa/corn spaghetti substitute with whole wheat
- 1/2 cup peanut butter softened
- 1/4 cup low sodium tamari sauce
- 2 t fish sauce
- 1 lime juice
- 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken shreaded
- 1 cup fresh spinach packed, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 1/4 cup carrots shredded
- 4 scallions; thinly sliced on an angle
- 1/4 cup peanuts
- 2 tablespoons cilantro or parsley chopped
- Carbohydrate 18.3286106288812 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 19.6311656323678 g
- Fiber 3.10017497809252 g
- Protein 14.2711500025843 g
- Saturated Fat 2.69465746999109 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (370g)
- Sodium 11179.5115625472 mg
- Sugar 15.2284356507886 g
- Trans Fat 0.72967921893107 g
- Calories 289 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook pasta drain and cool.
- In a bowl mix peanut butter, water, honey, tamari, fish sauce, lime juice, hot pepper sauce, garlic whisk together until ll the peanut butter is incorporated.
- Slowly add oils while whisking.
- Toss the noodles and chicken with the dressing and add carrots sprouts spinach cilantro leaves and onions tossing lightly to combine.
- Refrigerate salad so it has time to meld.
- Better the next day.
- Serve with peanuts sprinkled on top.
Building the Emulsion
Smooth peanut butter requires aggressive mechanical agitation to incorporate aqueous ingredients like tamari, lime juice, and hot water without splitting. Whisking the water and aromatics into the nut butter first creates a stable paste before you drizzle in the vegetable and sesame oils in a thin stream. Emulsifying this base correctly ensures the fat coats the pasta uniformly rather than pooling at the bottom of your mixing bowl. If a standard wire whisk fails to break down dense nut butters, a small immersion blender will force the suspension instantly.
Adapting for Dietary Needs
Quinoa or corn spaghetti substitutes offer a reliable alternative for gluten-free diets, but alternative grains demand careful thermal management during the initial boil. Rinse cooked alternative pasta thoroughly under cold running water to arrest the cooking process and wash away excess surface starches that otherwise cause the noodles to clump. When substituting whole wheat pasta, monitor the boiling time closely because whole grain varieties lose their structural integrity faster than refined semolina once dressed in acidic liquids.
Resting and Flavor Absorption
Chilling the tossed salad for at least two hours allows the dense proteins of the shredded chicken and the porous structure of the noodles to absorb the complex saline and umami notes of the fish sauce and tamari. Reserve the chopped peanuts until the final plating phase to maintain their distinct crunch against the softened bean sprouts and tender spinach leaves. Stored in an airtight container, this noodle dish maintains optimal textural contrast for up to three days in the refrigerator.
