This quick cold peanut noodle salad is perfect for a super hot night. It takes 15 minutes to prepare and is super fresh and jammed packed with all the good stuff. It has become my go-to weeknight recipe for when we get back from the pool late with super hungry kiddos.
Quick and Easy Cold Peanut Noodle Salad
When the weather gets hot, hot, hot, and I can't stand to be in the kitchen for too long, this Cold Peanut Noodle Salad has become my absolute go-to.
It comes together so quickly, with minimal cooking time required.
You will need:
- rice noodles
- coconut cream
- peanut butter
- fish sauce
- coconut sugar
- lime juice
- spring onions
- orange bell pepper
- red bell pepper
- radishes
- romaine lettuce
- ripe tomato
- Avocado, cilantro (coriander), roasted peanuts, and lime wedges, and bean sprouts to serve
Simply cook the noodles, mix the sauce ingredients, chop the veg, mix it all together and dinner is served.
Can This Be Bulked Up If I Want More Protein?
Absolutely.
I use this as a basic weeknight recipe during the summer months.
As is, it is great.
However, sometimes hungry bellies need a little something extra, especially if they have been at the pool or the beach for the past few hours.
Feel free to add some:
- Cooked tofu: I usually cook mine in thin strips in the air fryer and add it just before serving.
- Cooked chicken: cooked strips of chicken breast or thigh, or if you want to keep it really easy you can just grab a rotisserie chicken and add some chopped chicken to the salad before serving.
- Cooked fish: this salad is quite light and fresh, and definitely lends itself well to some nice white fish, like barramundi. You can either add it in strips to the salad itself, or serve the salad alongside the cooked fish.
To make rice noodles in peanut sauce vegetarian or vegan, simply replace the fish sauce in the recipe with vegan fysh sauce, which can be found in most supermarkets.
How Can This Cold Peanut Noodle Salad Be Prepped Ahead Of Time?
Peanut noodles lend themselves so well to being prepped ahead of time.
Here are some tips for prepping depending on how much time you have on your hands:
- Chop all of the vegetables at the start of the week and store them in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use
- Mix the sauce ingredients together at the start of the week and keep in a glass jar with a lid in the fridge until ready to use
- The noodles can be made ahead of time, however, they are best made fresh. If you prefer to make them ahead, then mix them with the sauce ingredients and store in an airtight container in the fridge. You will need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to loosen them up when it comes time to serve.
If you would prefer to prep the whole salad ahead of time, then that works too. Just do not add the toppings (avocado, bean sprouts etc) until time to serve, or they may turn brown and/or soggy.
Prep one or two days ahead and keep stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
Tips For Kids and Cold Peanut Noodle Salad
Now that my kids are a bit older they will eat the salad as is.
I let them choose their favourite veggies and add them to a big mixing bowl, before tossing everything together.
I also pop all of the optional toppings:
- Avocado
- cilantro (coriander)
- roasted peanuts
- lime wedges
- and bean sprouts
on the table in individual bowls and let them serve up the toppings as they wish (watch the peanuts, you may lose the whole bowl!)
However, for the younger ones, I do a deconstructed version and serve the cold peanut noodles with chopped veggies on top for dipping, and it is always very well received.
Need More Noodle Dishes?
These rice noodles with peanut sauce make the perfect quick weeknight meal.
You can easily switch up the veg to include whatever you have in the fridge, making it perfect for those nights when you just can't even!
Check these other delicious and versatile noodle dishes:
- Crunchy Noodle Salad With Crispy Tofu and Cabbage
- Toasted Sesame and Miso Noodle Salad
- 15 Minute Spicy Pork and Miso Noodle Soup
- Zucchini Cilantro and Lime Udon Noodle Bowl
- Instant Pot Lemongrass Beef Brisket Noodle Soup Salad Bowl
- Vegetarian Pad See Ew Recipe (Thai Noodles)
Happy Eating
xx
Quick Coconut Peanut Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 200 g rice noodles
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 3 tablespoon peanut butter more if you want it more peanut buttery
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 3 spring onions white and light green part only, chopped
- ½ orange bell pepper sliced thinly
- ½ red bell pepper sliced thinly
- 3 radishes sliced thinly
- Half head of romaine lettuce sliced thinly
- 1 ripe tomato chopped
- Avocado cilantro (corriander) , roasted peanuts, lime wedges and beansprouts to serve
Instructions
- Cook rice noodles as per instructions on packaging. Once cooked, rinse under cold water to remove all the starchy residue and set aside
- Mix coconut cream, peanut butter, fish sauce, coconut sugar and lime juice together in a bowl and set aside. This will be your dressing
- Slice the spring onions, bell peppers, radishes, and lettuce thinly. Chop the tomatoes. Mix all the sliced veggies together in a large bowl. Add the noodles and toss well to combine
- Serve up a helping of the noodle and veg mix into a serving bowl. Top with sliced avocado, cilantro, peanuts, lime wedges, bean sprouts (if using) and a generous amount of the peanut sauce. Mix it all together and enjoy!
Notes
- Cooked tofu: I usually cook mine in thin strips in the air fryer and add it just before serving.
- Cooked chicken: cooked strips of chicken breast or thigh, or if you want to keep it really easy you can just grab a rotisserie chicken and add some chopped chicken to the salad before serving.
- Cooked fish: this salad is quite light and fresh, and definitely lends itself well to some nice white fish, like barramundi. You can either add it in strips to the salad itself, or serve the salad alongside the cooked fish.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Karissa says
I need some salad ideas because it's in the 100's a lot in the summer.
Whole Food Bellies says
I hope I can give you some inspiration Karissa 🙂
lifestyletalks.wordpress.com says
This looks so yummy! I could use some of your great salad! It's also stinking hot over here (Belgium)!
Whole Food Bellies says
It's funny how you spend so long waiting for summer to come, and then it heats up and you reconsider those previous wishes 🙂
Amber says
Wow this sounds so great! I'm so trying this next week!
Whole Food Bellies says
I hope you love it Amber 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
Haha, the kids version is pretty yummy too 🙂
Cindy says
Yum! I'm pinning to save for later!
Whole Food Bellies says
🙂
Chari says
This look YUMMY! Minus the radishes lol! Pinning! God bless!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Chari 🙂
Cori from the Blog Love Project says
This looks really yummy! I'm going to save this recipe. I love peanut thai yummy-ness.
Whole Food Bellies says
Me too Cori 🙂 Hope you enjoy if you give it a go 🙂
Mary says
I'm a sucker for noodle salads. I eat so many salads a noodle salad feels like a treat.
Whole Food Bellies says
Haha I am the same - it seems so much more fancy once you add some noodles...no idea why 🙂
Rebecca says
You can send some of that warm weather and that salad up here to Maine!
Whole Food Bellies says
Haha I would if I could! Hope to get up there one day, on the list 🙂
Justine Y @ Little Dove Creations says
Oh my goodness, that looks and sounds amazing! And 106 degrees?! Yuck!
Whole Food Bellies says
Yes, yuck is the right word 🙂
Shannon Peterson says
YUM! Its been 102 here and this sounds like an awesome refreshing salad!
Whole Food Bellies says
Once it pushes 100 it just gets ridiculous hey!!
Natalie Patalie says
Oh this sounds good! And not too hard, either! I kind of suck at cooking, hahah!
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh it's super simple - I would even trust my husband to do it 🙂
Beth@FrugalFroggie says
Such a gret recipe. Perfect for a hot summer day.
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Beth 🙂
Michelle says
Looks so yummy and perfect for summer!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Michelle 🙂
winifred jac says
yum. that looks amazing. where are you located? im in charleston and it is hooooooooot!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Winifred! We are in Sacramento, California. I have a few friends in Charleston, and they have been telling me how hot it is out there too!!
Kat from curlsnchard.com says
I totally get you with the heat! I normally need at least one hot meal a day, but on those really hot days I really can't be bothered to heat anything up. It's great how easily this converts to a meal for you kiddos 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh the heat is totally killing me! Yes, these days, everything has to easily convert into a kid friendly meal, or we are in big trouble 🙂 Oh how times change!
Monica Bruno says
This looks delicious and perfect for the summer! I've have to try it soon.
Whole Food Bellies says
Hope you do Monica 🙂
Jeanine says
Yum that looks really good. I'm pretty sure this would be a huge hit in my house, especially with my kiddos!
Whole Food Bellies says
I hope it is Jeanine 🙂
Julie @ Girl on the Move says
This looks quite delicious! And I couldn't agree more about summer being perfect for salads...I use my crockpot all winter and eat a lot of salads in the summer!
Whole Food Bellies says
Definitely the same over here Julie - my poor crock pot gets such a workout in winter!