NYT's Cold Noodle Salad that I took major liberties with:)

[deb-in-mi]

Hubby does not like peanut sauces with noodles (or anything). But he's fine if I swap it with tahini. Last night I decided to swap hummus for a recipe calling for peanut butter. (which is crazy coincidental because the NYT or Washington Post sent out an email about Pasta with Hummus this morning).

So I redid the recipe. It called for red pepper but I left it out because I didn't have any. But this recipe screams to add whatever you want to it

NYT’s Cold Noodle Salad adapted with Hummus
Serves 4

• 10 oz. Soba Noodles
• 1 Medium Cuke
• 2 Scallions
• Fresno Chilies (my addition)
• cilantro

Sauce:

• ½ cup hummus
• 1/8 cup soy sauce (I lowered it from 1/4 cup)
• 2 T. maple syrup
• 2 T. lime juice
• 1 T. sesame oil or more
• 2 tsp. chili oil or hot sauce
• Garlic minced

Boil water. Add soba noodles, stir to prevent sticking and cook according to package instructions until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cold


Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a med. Bowl combine all sauce ingredients. And ¼ to ½ cup water as needed, 1 T at a time until desired consistency is achieved.



Rinse noodles under cold water once again. Add sauce to noodles and add cuke/scallions/cilantro if using

 

[monj]

Hubby does not like peanut sauces with noodles (or anything). But he's fine if I swap it with tahini. Last night I decided to swap hummus for a recipe calling for peanut butter. (which is crazy coincidental because the NYT or Washington Post sent out an email about Pasta with Hummus this morning).

So I redid the recipe. It called for red pepper but I left it out because I didn't have any. But this recipe screams to add whatever you want to it

NYT’s Cold Noodle Salad adapted with Hummus
Serves 4

• 10 oz. Soba Noodles
• 1 Medium Cuke
• 2 Scallions
• Fresno Chilies (my addition)
• cilantro

Sauce:

• ½ cup hummus
• 1/8 cup soy sauce (I lowered it from 1/4 cup)
• 2 T. maple syrup
• 2 T. lime juice
• 1 T. sesame oil or more
• 2 tsp. chili oil or hot sauce
• Garlic minced

Boil water. Add soba noodles, stir to prevent sticking and cook according to package instructions until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cold


Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a med. Bowl combine all sauce ingredients. And ¼ to ½ cup water as needed, 1 T at a time until desired consistency is achieved.



Rinse noodles under cold water once again. Add sauce to noodles and add cuke/scallions/cilantro if using

Oh my, we were on the same wavelength! Your tweaks sound delicious.
I was asked to bring salad to a party on Saturday and I've been craving sesame noodles, so I took some liberties with this recipe Dawn Mo posted! Madame Wong's Cold Spicy Noodles
Folowed the recipe and added a tablespoon of Trader Joe's Thai Peanut Satay sauce, (which I don't find too p-nutty at all) a tablespoon of TJ crunchy onion oil, finely julienned carrots, and sesame seeds. Used linguine (10 oz) as it was an extra and didn't want to overwhelm the hosts. Turned out delicious and everyone enjoyed them.

 

[marilynfl]

ha! I made this too, but as written with the peanut butter. It was great initially while the peanut sauce was warmish, but I didn't like the salad when it was chilled. The peanut sauce no longer seemed a part of the noodles it was coating.. Maybe the directions said to bring it to room temperature, but it's stupidly hot here (NOT what I was expecting for NC in July, but I've always been in PA with my mom during July, so this is a first for me). So a chilled salad right out of the refrigerator was what I wanted.

I didn't eat the rest.

 

[marilynfl]

huh...I just watched the video. I missed the part in the written recipe about adding water to thin out the sauce. Also, I tossed the sauce with the noodles FIRST then added the veggies...NOT what she does in the video. She just dresses the top of the dish with the sauce. I kept the last of the peanut sauce (about 1/4 C) to try it again. Maybe I'll do it right this time.

 

[michael-in-phoenix]

Here's the original 'non-adapted' recipe:


Cold Noodle Salad With Spicy Peanut Sauce
By Hetty Lui McKinnon
Updated March 12, 2025

Yield: 4 servings

Soba, Japanese buckwheat noodles, are ideal for salads because they taste particularly great when served cold. Crunchy vegetables are highlighted here, adding lots of crisp, fresh texture. Substitute with any raw vegetables you have on hand, such as cabbage, carrot, fennel, asparagus, broccoli or cauliflower. The spicy peanut sauce is very adaptable: If you don’t want to use peanut butter, you can use any nut or seed butter, like cashew, almond, sunflower or even tahini. Both the soba and the peanut sauce can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge overnight, but wait to combine them until you are ready to eat for the best texture and consistency. The peanut sauce thickens as it sits, so add a tablespoon or two of water to loosen it up, if necessary.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

Kosher salt
10 ounces soba noodles
1 medium zucchini or cucumber (about 6 ounces)
5 radishes (about 4 ounces)
1 bell pepper (any color)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ cup roasted salted peanuts (about 2 ounces), roughly chopped
2 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
Handful of cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

For the Spicy Peanut Sauce

½ cup smooth peanut butter (not natural)
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons chile oil or hot sauce, plus more to taste
1 garlic clove, grated

Preparation

Step 1
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the soba, stir to prevent sticking, and cook according to package instructions until just tender. Rinse under cold water until the noodles are completely cold.

Step 2
Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, lime juice, sesame oil, chile oil or hot sauce, and garlic. Add ¼ to ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk until the sauce is a pourable consistency. Taste and add more chile oil or hot sauce as desired; set aside.

Step 3
Cut the zucchini or cucumber and radishes into ⅛-inch thick slices, then cut into thin matchsticks. Slice the peppers into ⅛-inch pieces. Place them all in a large bowl.

Step 4
Loosen the soba noodles by running them under some water, then allow to drain again.

Step 5
Add the soba noodles to the vegetables, add the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil and toss to combine.

Step 6
When you are ready to serve, drizzle with spicy peanut sauce and top with peanuts, scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately, with lime wedges alongside.

 

[michael-in-phoenix]

I made a similar recipe for a college fellowship meeting. It went over well, but I made a ton, so everyone took some home.

The family that hosted said their little two-year-old loved the dish, and his parents were amazed at how focused he was on picking up each noodle and examining it before putting it into his mouth. He was so happy with himself! Plus, it took a while for him to eat, so the parents tag-teamed watching him and doing chores...