Oriental Noodle Salad

Carol Rosenstock
 
This is a great light version of Oriental Cole Slaw.  It uses less oil than similar recipes and is much lighter in taste.  I grate and chop the day before or earlier in the day and combine in a large bowl.  Right before serving, I add the crunch and the dressing.  I usually double this recipe for company because it goes fast.

Food Editor's note:  I first made this for a potluck dinner party and it was a great success.  It is very different from the typical side dish, with lots of taste and crunch, and a delicious Asian flavor due to the scallions and sesame ingredients.  The hostess of the potluck party was sending the leftovers home with the guests, but she insisted on keeping the small amount of this dish that remained!  The salad is very healthy, attractive, and pretty straightforward to make.  A food processor will make the shredding of the vegetables go very quickly.  I can make a meal of this salad, but you will want to serve it at lunch, dinner, picnics, barbecues, potlucks, or any buffet-style meal.
 
Ingredients
2 packages ramen noodle soup mix, noodles only (discard the seasoning packet)
1/3 to 1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 small green cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
2 medium carrots, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)|
1 bunch scallions, chopped (about 1 cup)

Sesame-Orange Dressing:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
 
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Crumble ramen noodles onto a large baking sheet with sides (discard seasoning packets).  Add almonds, sesame seeds and oil; toss to coat.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Stir and then bake for 5 minutes more, or until noodles are golden brown.  [Food Editor's note:  10 minutes was sufficient in my oven – be sure to check and remove when golden brown.]  Let cool in pan on wire rack.
3.  Grate cabbage and carrots and combine in a large bowl.  Chop scallions and add to grated mixture.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4.  Whisk or shake together all dressing ingredients until sugar has been dissolved.
5.  Just before serving add toasted noodle mixture and dressing to the vegetables.  Mix well.

Yield:  12 or more servings, depending on size

An empty nester, Carol Rosenstock and her husband Steven live in Needham.  They are the proud parents of two sons.  Carol enjoys cooking and baking and loves to try new recipes.  Carol is very active in Women’s American ORT and is currently chairing a cookbook committee at Temple Aliyah in Needham.  She is a fan of ShalomBoston.com and has shared several of her recipes with us.

Oriental Noodle Salad
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