This vibrant Asian Pasta Salad is packed with crunchy vegetables and tossed in a flavorful garlic-ginger soy vinaigrette. Serve it on its own for a light summer meal or alongside grilled meats or fish.
I love vegetables, and my husband is a serious vegetable fan as well. Early on we assumed all our kids would be the same—our two eldest do adore veggies, but the three youngest are pickier and only eat a handful of vegetables. This salad is for the vegetable lovers in the family: the big kids, my husband, and me.
Asian Pasta Salad is a celebration of fresh produce: purple cabbage, snow peas, green onions, baby spinach, Napa cabbage, three colors of bell peppers, cucumber, and pea shoots or bean sprouts are all included in generous amounts. Linguine provides a soft contrast to the abundant vegetables, but the focus is definitely on the produce rather than the pasta.
With its bright colors and varied textures, this pasta salad is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate. The recipe yields a large batch, which is a good thing—once you start eating it, it’s hard to stop.
Tips and notes:
- Cook the linguine to al dente. If the salad will sit for more than a couple of hours, softer noodles will become mushy as they absorb the dressing.
- This salad is at its peak within two hours of dressing: the vegetables are crisp and vibrant. It still keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days—flavors meld and some veggies become slightly tender without losing their appeal.
- Enjoyed solo, the salad is satisfying; paired with grilled chicken, fish, or pork it becomes a complete meal.
- There is a fair amount of chopping. To save time, consider pre-sliced purple cabbage or pre-sliced bell peppers when available.
- I recommend pea shoots for the fresh delicate flavor, but bean sprouts (mung bean sprouts) work well and are often easier to find. If fresh sprouts aren’t available, drained canned sprouts can be substituted.
Asian Noodle Salad
The combination of crisp vegetables, tangy-sweet soy-ginger dressing, and al dente pasta makes this salad a refreshing and satisfying dish for warm weather or for any gathering where a bright, crunchy salad is welcome.
Useful tools
– Chef’s knife
– Cutting board
– Large mixing bowl
– Citrus reamer
– Quart-sized mason jar (for dressing)
Asian Pasta Salad
For the dressing, combine the following in a quart-sized mason jar: juice of 2 limes, 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup brown sugar, about a 4-inch section of ginger (frozen and grated or peeled and minced), 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, 3 stemmed and seeded minced jalapeños, and 3 cloves garlic (peeled and minced or pressed). Use a fork to lift any brown sugar from the bottom, seal the jar, and shake vigorously until the sugar is dissolved and the dressing is well combined. Set aside.
For the salad, prepare and combine: 1 pound linguine, cooked per package directions, drained, shocked with cold water and chilled; 1 small head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced; 1 container baby spinach; 1/2 head purple cabbage, thinly sliced; 1 English cucumber (seedless, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced); 1 red bell pepper (or 3 baby red peppers), thinly sliced; 1 yellow bell pepper (or 3 baby yellow peppers), thinly sliced; 1 orange bell pepper (or 3 baby orange peppers), thinly sliced; 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced; 2 bunches cilantro, washed with tough stems removed and roughly chopped; 2 cups snow pea pods, roughly chopped on a diagonal; and 2 cups pea shoots or bean sprouts.
In a very large mixing bowl, toss together all the salad ingredients using your hands or tongs. Shake the jar of dressing again to recombine, pour it over the salad, and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in a tightly lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Asian Pasta Salad
Rebecca Lindamood
20 mins
20 mins
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- About a 4-inch section of ginger, grated or minced
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
For the Salad:
- 1 pound linguine, cooked al dente, drained and chilled
- 1 small head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 container baby spinach
- 1/2 head purple cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 English cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 bunches cilantro, chopped
- 2 cups snow pea pods, chopped on a diagonal
- 2 cups pea shoots or bean sprouts
For Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a quart-sized mason jar. Stir with a fork to lift the brown sugar, then seal and shake until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- In a very large bowl, toss all salad ingredients together. Shake the dressing again, pour over the salad, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 32 g | Protein: 6 g | Fat: 8 g | Sodium: 195 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Vitamin C: 81.9 mg
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate using your actual ingredients if needed.
If you like this salad, you might enjoy:
- Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad
- Creamy Tomato and Bacon Linguine
- Cowboy Pasta Salad
- Avocado Cold Pasta Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Originally published August 5, 2015. Updated July 2017 and July 2019.
