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The perfect and refreshing meal for a hot summer day (or a chilly winter night, you do you!). This mouth watering vegan rice noodle salad is an absolute game changer. Your bowl l will be ready in less than 15 minutes. Spend more time enjoying a healthy meal and less on time consuming preparations.
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Rice noodles are made with rice flour and tapioca starch so most of them are gluten free. Just be sure to check the company’s packaging just in case. Thus makes it easy on digestion and opens up to all my gluten free friends out there.
Rice noodle packets can be found in wholesome grocery stores such as Whole Foods (or even Walmart, where I got mine). I’ve found Asian or other ethnic grocery stores usually have items like these for a very affordable price. This is the kind I used for this recipe and they were delicious.
Cooking the noodles | Vegan Rice Noodle Salad (with almond ginger sauce)
The noodles only have to be boiled for 5-7 minutes. It is imperative to set a timer as they are gluten-less and can turn into a cloudy mess in the pot if overcooked. Plus, why put in more time for a recipe that can be prepped in under 15 minutes?! (imagine me saying this in a very corny way)
After the rice noodles are cooked, I like to strain them immediately and run under cold water so that they do not cook any further. Once they’re rinsed, set aside as now it’s time to chop the veggies.
You can essentially use any type of vegetables for the vegan rice noodle salad, that’s what I love about rice noodle salads, they’re incredibly versatile.
Vegan Rice Noodle Salad: Veggies to Prepare
Here’s everything I used in this recipe.
- Red Cabbage
- Scallion
- Carrots
- Nori Sheets (dry seaweed) Use this link to purchase if you don’t already have them.
- Cucumber
- Cherry Tomatoes (A bit pricey but well worth it, trust me)
- Bell Peppers
You can add as many veggies or as little as you want with this. And of course if there is anything you don’t like, feel free to exclude it from your bowl. As a first generation immigrant who grew up in a Jamaican household, I don’t measure things. I let my heart and my ancestors guide my measurements. I strongly suggest the same for others as well. And if that fails you (hopefully it won’t) just go based off what your stomach says!
How hungry are you? If you’re hungry enough to eat a vegan horse then add more. If you’re in the mood for something light certainly add less veggies. I also love to add fresh jalapeños into my salad. As a spice lover, they add an exhilarating kick.
Chop all the vegetables into long strips. It makes a world of a difference if you have a vegetable peeler for the carrots. Chop the cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters. Slice the red cabbage thinly. Grab 3 snacks size nori sheets and chop finely. They will shrink once added to liquid and provide a comforting sea-y taste so those transitioning to a vegan diet who love fish will be happy with this one.
Lost in the Sauce (get it?)
Now it’s time for the fun part, the sauce! A good sauce can make or break any dish whether it may be a chickpea curry, jerk jackfruit, pasta salad dressing, or a simple rice noodle salad dish.
Vegan Rice Noodle Salad: Almond butter ginger sauce
- 2-3 tablespoons almond butter (or any nut butter, substitute sunflower seed butter for nut free)
- 1-2 tablespoon coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
- 1.5 teaspoons Ginger powder
- .5 teaspoon sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Red chili flake (I like it spicy so feel free to add less or more)
- 1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ⅓ cup of water or more for desired thickness
Be prepared to get your arm exercise in for the day because it takes a while to fully incorporate the nut butter with the other ingredients. Or be a cool cat and put everything in a mason jar and shake. It’s all up to you :p
Combine the veggies, noodles, and sauce
After the sauce is well combined, throw your rice noodles into a bowl and top with the veggies, drizzle over the heavenly nutty sauce and voila, you’re all done. Nice going vegan chef! Next, feel free to top with other additives such as jalapenos, more scallions, basically anything you desire.
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