We love a good Asian-inspired noodle dish about as much as we love anything in this world. No matter what type of restaurant we are dining at, if noodles are on the menu, we will always partake. One of the problems with dishes like drunken noodles or pad thai is that they do not typically reheat well and creating these types of recipes for a crowd can be a struggle to cook everything at the exact right time so that it comes out tasting fresh and texturally correct. Our solution to this problem is to serve the noodles we cook for more than a few people chilled. This allows for a more relaxed preparation and on a day we are having friends over, we can actually enjoy the company and the food.

The key to any chilled dish is seasoning the heck out of the ingredients. A recipe served chilled tastes significantly less seasoned than the exact same dish served hot. For that reason our dressing packs a punch. If you are making these for a particular meal we suggest serving them at room temperature right after cooking the noodles. If you want to make them for meal-prep and have this as a weekday lunch, chill the noodles completely before adding the other ingredients. This will help the vegetables stay fresh for a day or two before eating.

Chilled Sesame Noodles
Makes: 4 entree servings
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients for the Noodles:

• 1 lb noodles- we used pad thai noodles but soba are a great choice too
• 2 cups frozen edamame beans
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 bell pepper, sliced in half horizontally and then into thin matchsticks
• fresh cilantro, for garnish
• sesame seeds, for garnish

For the Dressing:

• 1/3 cup sesame oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs+ Sriracha or other chili paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbs fresh ginger, minced
• salt to taste

Directions:

• Heat a large pot of water on the stove top. Bring to a boil and cook the edamame, from frozen, according to package directions (approximately 4-5 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to remove the beans from the pot and set aside.
• Cook the noodles according to package directions, about 6 minutes. While the noodles are cooking, prepare the dressing.
• Mix the ingredients for the dressing (sesame oil – ginger) in a small mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine and season with salt. Set aside.
• Drain the noodles from the boiling water. Run the noodles under cold water until they are luke warm to the touch if you are serving right away, until they are cold if you are making this to serve later.
• Add the noodles and dressing to a large mixing bowl. Toss well to combine as the pad thai noodles can become sticky. Add the edamame, bell pepper, and carrots to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Season as needed and top with cilantro and sesame seeds for garnish, if desired.