Let this sauce be the star of your brilliant chicken noodle salad
Knowing I have this sauce waiting in the fridge makes midweek cooking a little less daunting, adding a touch of magic to turn the ordinary into something special.
While noodles look like the hero here, the true star is the sauce – a fiery, zesty green tahini sauce. I’ve turned blending this sauce into a near-weekly ritual, storing it in a jar for easy access. I’ve drizzled it over ramen noodles, edamame beans, avocado and chicken to create a satisfying salad, but truth be told, its deliciousness knows no bounds – it complements almost everything, from roast vegetables (especially good over roasted pumpkin and sweet potato) to rice bowls and grilled meats and fish. Knowing I have this sauce waiting in the fridge makes midweek cooking a little less daunting, adding a touch of magic to turn the ordinary into something special.
Try my prawn noodle salad too.
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Green chicken noodle salad
If you don’t love coriander, substitute in more parsley and a splash of lime juice to give that zing. The sauce keeps in the fridge for 5 days.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 bunch (1 cup) parsley leaves
- 1 bunch (1 cup) coriander leaves
- 60g (¼ cup) tahini
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 60ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- ½-1 green chilli, deseeded (depending how hot you like it)
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Noodle salad
- 2 x 95g ramen or soba noodles
- ½ cup edamame beans
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- Coriander leaves, to garnish
- 1 tablespoon toasted black and/or white sesame seeds
Method
- To make the sauce, finely grate zest of 1 lemon into a blender or small food processor. Add lemon juice, garlic, parsley and coriander leaves, tahini, chilli, olive oil, salt and cold water. Blitz on high speed until brilliantly green and smooth. Taste and adjust accordingly.
- For noodle salad, cook noodles according to their instructions. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the frozen edamame beans to the boiling water. For noodle salads, I like to rinse noodles under cool water for a few seconds to get rid of starch and bring temperature down, this is especially important for soba noodles. Shake off excess water and transfer the noodles to a bowl along with the baby spinach leaves. Add about ¼ cup of the prepared sauce and toss to coat.
- Assemble on plates by adding the cooked chicken and avocado slices onto the noodle/bean/spinach mix, and garnish with spring onions, coriander leaves and sesame seeds. Alternatively, toss all the ingredients together in a bowl. Finish with a generous drizzle of the sauce.
Serves 2