Chicken and Cellophane Noodle Salad
You can substitute 2 cups of water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes for the chicken broth.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
- 1 8-ounce package cellophane noodles
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- Red chili paste or cayenne pepper to taste
- 2 large cucumbers
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 4 cups salad mix
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- ¼ cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
Add the noodles and chicken broth to a saucepan; soak the noodles for 1 hour. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer; simmer for 10 minutes, or until the noodles are tender. Drain off the broth. Cover and cool in the refrigerator.
Add the peanut butter, hot water, and red chili paste or cayenne to a small bowl; whisk to mix, adding more water if necessary to bring the mixture to the consistency of heavy cream. Pour the mixture over the noodles; toss to mix.
Peel, seed, and cut the cucumbers into julienne strips. In a small bowl, mix the cucumber strips together with the vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil.
To assemble each salad, arrange a cup of salad mix on a plate or in a salad bowl. Top with ¼ of the cellophane noodles, ¼ of the chicken, ¼ of the cucumber, and 1 tablespoon of chopped peanuts, in that order.
A Noodle by Any Other Name
Cellophane noodles — sometimes referred to as bean threads, glass noodles, and sai fun — are commonly made from bean starch. These delicate noodles easily absorb the flavors they are cooked with. You can find them in the Asian foods aisle in most supermarkets.
