Name: Fifteen Minute Spicy Noodle Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 min
Ingredients: 1 packet glass noodles ((or use any noodles of choice)); 1-2 cups veggies of choice; 1-2 tbsp scallions ((for garnish)); 1-2 tbsp toasted peanuts ((for garnish)); 2-3 tsp minced garlic; 2-3 tsp crushed red chilli flakes/ gochugaru; 2-3 tsp toasted sesame seeds; 1-1.5 tbsp sesame oil; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp dark soy sauce ((sub with vegan oyster sauce)); 1-1.5 tbsp lime juice; 1 tsp brown sugar ((adjust according to preference))

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With over a million views on Instagram reels already (and counting!) – and happy feedback from those who have tried it – this spicy glass noodle salad recipe is one of those dishes you’re going to be making on repeat through a hot summer. It’s part sweet, part spicy and a riot of colourful flavours and crunchy textures.

The best part is that you need less than fifteen minutes to toss this dish together. As with all the recipes you can find here within this foodie’s diaries, this recipe is endlessly adaptable to the ingredients you have on hand and to your threshold for spice! You can tailor this to your taste with your favourite veggies, whilst calibrating the dressing to make it spicier if you like or more zingy instead.

This spicy noodle salad is a dish best served cold. It makes for a refreshing appetiser but is substantive enough to constitute a meal in itself too, especially if you decide to top it with protein.

Key Steps For Making This Spicy Noodle Salad

Prep your noodles: While we have used glass noodles for the base, you can really use any noodles of choice. Buckwheat soba would be an excellent choice too!
Prep your favourite veggies and add-in’s: Again, feel free to use whatever you like – the more colourful and crunchier, the better! While I have kept it simple here, do feel free to add in your cooked protein of choice – be it shrimp, chicken or even tofu. Here, we just have:
- Shredded purple cabbage
- Carrots, sliced length-wise into “matchsticks”
- Bell peppers, sliced length-wise
- Sliced spring onions/ scallions
Whisk together the chilli oil dressing: For this, we first prepare a chilli oil base in a heat-proof bowl with minced garlic, chilli flakes and sesame seeds. Pour hot sesame oil over this chilli-garlic mixture. Then stir in soy sauce, lime juice and a dash of sugar, adjusting the ingredients to taste.

Assemble your bowl: Arrange the the blanched noodles and colourful veggies in the bowl. Pour the spicy dressing on top and give it a good mix.
Finish with garnishes: Scatter toasted peanuts for crunch and/ or more sesame seeds for garnish. Serve cold and dive in!

Fifteen Minute Spicy Noodle Salad

This spicy glass noodle salad is a colourful riot of refreshing flavours and crunchy flavours, making for a refreshing yet substantive dish on a summer's day!

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 2 mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine Asian, Contemporary

Servings 3

Ingredients

1 packet glass noodles (or use any noodles of choice)
1-2 cups veggies of choice (e.g. shredded purple cabbage, carrots cut lengthwise into "matchsticks", bell peppers, sliced lengthwise, sliced spring onions etc)
1-2 tbsp scallions (for garnish)
1-2 tbsp toasted peanuts (for garnish)

For the dressing

2-3 tsp minced garlic
2-3 tsp crushed red chilli flakes/ gochugaru
2-3 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1-1.5 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce (sub with vegan oyster sauce)
1-1.5 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp brown sugar (adjust according to preference)

Instructions

Start by prepping your noodles of choice according to the package directions. Here I've used glass noodles – cooked according to the package instructions by first soaking in water for 7-8 minutes, following which the noodles were added to a pot of hot water and blanched for another few minutes / until cooked. The glass noodles should be soft and chewy. Drain and immediately shock with cold water.
Prep your favourite veggies, slicing / shredding them lengthwise.

Make the dressing

Add the garlic, chilli flakes and sesame seeds to a heat-proof bowl.
Gently heat the sesame oil and once hot, add it to the garlic mixture. Let the mixture sizzle, before adding the soy sauces, lime juice and sugar. Mix well to combine

Assembly

Arrange the blanched noodles and veggies in a bowl. Pour the spicy dressing on top.
Garnish with scallions, toasted peanuts and/ or sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!