Cold Noodle Salads
Cooking Skills: Noodles 1
Chapter 4 · Cold Noodle Salads
Skill goal
Cool noodles quickly and dress them well, so cold noodle dishes are springy, flavourful and safe to keep.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A good cold noodle dish has noodles that are springy, loose and well flavoured, not gluey, clumped or watery. Almost all of that comes from how you cool and drain them. This chapter covers the cooling method and then four cold dishes, from a toss-and-serve salad to a dipping bowl.
Choosing noodles for cold dishes
| Noodle | Pack time (about) | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thin egg or wheat noodles | 2 to 4 minutes | Tossed sesame and peanut salads | Rinse well; keep a little firm |
| Soba (buckwheat) | 4 to 5 minutes | Dipping bowls | Rub under cold water; usually contains some wheat |
| Somen (very thin wheat) | 2 to 3 minutes | Light dipping bowls and soups | Cook fast; they get soft quickly |
| Rice vermicelli | Soak 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water | Herb bowls | Delicate; rinse and drain very well |
| Glass (cellophane) noodles | Soak in hot water 5 to 10 minutes | Light salads | Cut with scissors; slippery |
Cooking times differ between brands, so follow the pack and use the times here only as a guide.
The cold-noodle method
- Plenty of boiling water and a good stir at the start, so the noodles don't stick.
- Cook about a minute under the pack time: the noodles keep softening a little as they sit in the dressing.
- Rinse under cold running water, rubbing gently with your hands. This stops the cooking and washes off the surface starch that makes noodles gummy.
- Drain very well (shake them in a colander, or press with a clean cloth). Wet noodles dilute the sauce.
- A drop of oil (sesame or vegetable) stops them clumping if you aren't dressing them straight away.
- Dress, then chill: into the fridge within about an hour.
Cold dishes and boiling water
Cooked noodles and cold dishes: cooked starchy foods left at room temperature can grow bacteria (rice is the best-known case, and cooked noodles are treated the same way). Cool noodles quickly under cold water, put them in the fridge within about 1 hour, keep them covered, eat within 1 day, and don't leave a cold noodle dish out for more than about 2 hours. This is general food-safety guidance in line with the Rice courses; I haven't found a rule written specially for noodles.Boiling water: drain noodles away from your face because the steam is scalding, use oven gloves for heavy pans, and tip the pan away from you. Rinsing hot noodles under cold water makes steam, so keep your hands clear until it dies down.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Sesame noodle salad
The simplest cold noodle dish: noodles tossed with a soy and sesame dressing and crunchy vegetables. Stir the dressing before you start so the sugar dissolves.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 200 g dried egg or thin wheat noodles
- 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
- ½ cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
- Whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, ginger and garlic in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves.
- Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water for about 1 minute less than the pack says, so they stay firm. Drain, then rinse under cold running water, rubbing gently, until completely cold. Shake well to drain.
- Add the noodles to the dressing and toss until every strand is coated. Add the carrot, cucumber and most of the spring onions and toss again.
- Scatter with the sesame seeds and the rest of the spring onions. Serve at once, or cover and chill within an hour.
Boiling water, knives and cold dishes
Boiling water: drain noodles away from your face because the steam is scalding, use oven gloves for heavy pans, and tip the pan away from you. Rinsing hot noodles under cold water makes steam, so keep your hands clear until it dies down.Knife safety: cut on a stable board (a damp cloth underneath), tuck your guiding fingertips back (the claw), and cut round vegetables like cucumber on a flat face so they can't roll. Cooking Skills: Knife Skills 1 covers this.
Cooked noodles and cold dishes: cooked starchy foods left at room temperature can grow bacteria (rice is the best-known case, and cooked noodles are treated the same way). Cool noodles quickly under cold water, put them in the fridge within about 1 hour, keep them covered, eat within 1 day, and don't leave a cold noodle dish out for more than about 2 hours. This is general food-safety guidance in line with the Rice courses; I haven't found a rule written specially for noodles.
Allergens: these dishes contain wheat (gluten) in most noodles and soy sauce, plus sesame, soy and (in some) peanuts, fish (fish sauce) and egg (egg noodles). Soba is often made with some wheat, so it isn't safe for coeliac disease unless the label says gluten-free.
Level 2 · Dipping
Soba with a dipping sauce
Cold soba is eaten dipped in a savoury sauce rather than tossed in it. The noodles are rinsed and rubbed hard to remove the sticky starch. The sauce here has no mirin or sake.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 200 g soba (buckwheat) noodles
- 150 ml vegetable stock or dashi, cooled
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 sheet of nori, cut into thin strips (optional)
- Mix the stock, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar in a small pan, bring to the boil to dissolve the sugar and cool completely, then chill. (Dashi powder and some stock cubes contain fish: use kombu or a vegetable stock for a vegetarian version.)
- Cook the soba in plenty of boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, or as the pack says, stirring so they don't stick. Drain and rinse in a bowl of cold water, rubbing the noodles between your hands and changing the water 2 or 3 times until it runs clear, then drain very well.
- Pile the noodles on two plates (a chilled plate keeps them cold), scatter with nori, and put the dipping sauce in small bowls with the spring onions and ginger beside them.
- To eat, stir the spring onion and ginger into the sauce, lift a few noodles and dip.
Gluten, boiling water and cold dishes
Allergens: these dishes contain wheat (gluten) in most noodles and soy sauce, plus sesame, soy and (in some) peanuts, fish (fish sauce) and egg (egg noodles). Soba is often made with some wheat, so it isn't safe for coeliac disease unless the label says gluten-free.Boiling water: drain noodles away from your face because the steam is scalding, use oven gloves for heavy pans, and tip the pan away from you. Rinsing hot noodles under cold water makes steam, so keep your hands clear until it dies down.
Cooked noodles and cold dishes: cooked starchy foods left at room temperature can grow bacteria (rice is the best-known case, and cooked noodles are treated the same way). Cool noodles quickly under cold water, put them in the fridge within about 1 hour, keep them covered, eat within 1 day, and don't leave a cold noodle dish out for more than about 2 hours. This is general food-safety guidance in line with the Rice courses; I haven't found a rule written specially for noodles.
Level 2 · Bowl
A vermicelli herb bowl
A fresh Vietnamese-style bowl: cool noodles, crunchy vegetables, plenty of herbs and a bright dressing. Build it in layers, noodles in the middle and the dressing at the end.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 150 g rice vermicelli
- ½ cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- 1 carrot, grated or cut into matchsticks
- 1 handful lettuce, shredded
- 1 handful fresh mint and coriander leaves
- 200 g firm tofu, pressed, cut into strips and pan-fried until golden
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
- 3 tbsp lime juice, for the dressing
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce for a vegetarian bowl), for the dressing
- 2 tbsp sugar, for the dressing
- 4 tbsp water, for the dressing
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed, and a little chopped red chilli, for the dressing
- Make the dressing: stir the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, water, garlic and chilli together until the sugar dissolves. Taste: it should be sweet, sour and salty in balance.
- Cover the vermicelli with boiling water in a bowl and leave for the time on the pack (usually 3 to 5 minutes) until tender. Drain, rinse in cold water and drain very well.
- Pat the tofu dry. Fry it in the oil over a medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning, until golden on all sides.
- Divide the noodles between two bowls. Arrange the lettuce, cucumber, carrot, herbs and tofu on top, scatter with the peanuts and pour over the dressing at the table.
Hot oil, raw vegetables and allergens
Cooked noodles and cold dishes: cooked starchy foods left at room temperature can grow bacteria (rice is the best-known case, and cooked noodles are treated the same way). Cool noodles quickly under cold water, put them in the fridge within about 1 hour, keep them covered, eat within 1 day, and don't leave a cold noodle dish out for more than about 2 hours. This is general food-safety guidance in line with the Rice courses; I haven't found a rule written specially for noodles.Bean sprouts: raw sprouts can carry bacteria, and the NHS advises pregnant women and other vulnerable people to cook them thoroughly until steaming hot. I have left them out of the raw salads here: use shredded cabbage or lettuce for crunch.
Allergens: peanuts, soy (tofu) and fish (fish sauce). Use soy sauce in the dressing for a vegetarian or fish-free bowl.
Level 3 · Sauce
Peanut noodle salad
A rich peanut dressing over cold noodles and crunchy vegetables. The sauce thickens as it sits, so thin it with warm water until it flows. Chapter 5 of this course goes deeper into sauces.
Ingredients (3 portions)
- 200 g dried egg or wheat noodles
- 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey or sugar
- 1 tsp chilli sauce, or to taste
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 4 tbsp warm water, to thin
- ¼ red cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 handful fresh coriander
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
- Whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, chilli sauce and ginger in a bowl, adding the warm water a spoonful at a time until the sauce is smooth and pourable like double cream.
- Cook, rinse and drain the noodles as in the sesame noodle salad (about 1 minute under the pack time).
- Toss the noodles with the sauce, adding more warm water if it is thick. Add the cabbage, pepper and coriander and toss lightly.
- Top with peanuts and serve at once, or chill within an hour.
Peanut allergy and cold dishes
Peanuts and sesame: peanuts and sesame are common allergens, and a tiny trace can cause a serious reaction. Check labels, keep them away from anyone who is allergic, and label any dish you share. Peanut butter can usually be swapped for a nut-free seed butter, but check that too.Cooked noodles and cold dishes: cooked starchy foods left at room temperature can grow bacteria (rice is the best-known case, and cooked noodles are treated the same way). Cool noodles quickly under cold water, put them in the fridge within about 1 hour, keep them covered, eat within 1 day, and don't leave a cold noodle dish out for more than about 2 hours. This is general food-safety guidance in line with the Rice courses; I haven't found a rule written specially for noodles.
Allergens: these dishes contain wheat (gluten) in most noodles and soy sauce, plus sesame, soy and (in some) peanuts, fish (fish sauce) and egg (egg noodles). Soba is often made with some wheat, so it isn't safe for coeliac disease unless the label says gluten-free.
Experiments
Experiment
Rinsing
Cold, warm or not at all.
- Cook three small portions of thin noodles. Rinse one under cold running water, one under warm water, and leave one unrinsed. Toss each with a little oil and compare after 10 minutes.
Look for: The cold-rinsed noodles are loose and springy. The warm-rinsed ones are softer. The unrinsed ones clump into a gummy block.
Experiment
Dress now or later
How long the sauce sits.
- Dress half of a batch of sesame noodles straight away. Dress the other half after 2 hours in the fridge, keeping the sauce separate.
Look for: The noodles dressed early absorb the sauce and may clump and taste flat. The late-dressed noodles stay springy and the sauce tastes fresher.
Experiment
Fridge time
Fresh, 2 hours and next day.
- Keep a portion of dressed noodles in the fridge and taste after 2 hours and after a day.
Look for: The noodles firm up in the fridge and the flavours blend. After a day the texture is noticeably tougher: cold noodle dishes are best the same day. Don't keep them longer than 1 day.
Experiment
Noodle type
Egg, soba or rice.
- Dress three small portions of egg noodles, soba and rice vermicelli with the same sesame dressing.
Look for: Egg noodles are springy and rich, soba is earthy and slightly grainy, rice vermicelli is soft and delicate and absorbs the dressing more.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sesame noodle salad | ||||
| Soba with dipping sauce | ||||
| Vermicelli herb bowl | ||||
| Peanut noodle salad | ||||
| Rinsing | ||||
| Dress now or later | ||||
| Fridge time | ||||
| Noodle type |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Noodles clump together | Not rinsed, or left too long undressed | Rinse well under cold water; toss with a little oil |
| Noodles mushy | Overcooked, or not rinsed quickly | Cook a minute under the pack time; rinse straight away |
| Sauce watery | Noodles not drained | Shake or press dry before dressing |
| Peanut sauce too thick | It thickens as it stands | Thin with warm water a spoonful at a time |
| Flat flavour | Under-seasoned, or dressed too early | Taste before serving; add soy, vinegar or lime; dress late |
| Soba tastes gluey | Not rubbed under cold water | Rinse and rub in several changes of cold water |
Cold dishes, knives, allergens and boiling water
Cooked noodles and cold dishes: cooked starchy foods left at room temperature can grow bacteria (rice is the best-known case, and cooked noodles are treated the same way). Cool noodles quickly under cold water, put them in the fridge within about 1 hour, keep them covered, eat within 1 day, and don't leave a cold noodle dish out for more than about 2 hours. This is general food-safety guidance in line with the Rice courses; I haven't found a rule written specially for noodles.Knife safety: cut on a stable board (a damp cloth underneath), tuck your guiding fingertips back (the claw), and cut round vegetables like cucumber on a flat face so they can't roll. Cooking Skills: Knife Skills 1 covers this.
Allergens: these dishes contain wheat (gluten) in most noodles and soy sauce, plus sesame, soy and (in some) peanuts, fish (fish sauce) and egg (egg noodles). Soba is often made with some wheat, so it isn't safe for coeliac disease unless the label says gluten-free.
Peanuts and sesame: peanuts and sesame are common allergens, and a tiny trace can cause a serious reaction. Check labels, keep them away from anyone who is allergic, and label any dish you share. Peanut butter can usually be swapped for a nut-free seed butter, but check that too.
Boiling water: drain noodles away from your face because the steam is scalding, use oven gloves for heavy pans, and tip the pan away from you. Rinsing hot noodles under cold water makes steam, so keep your hands clear until it dies down.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can cook noodles firm, rinse them cold and drain them well.
- I can dress noodles so they stay loose and flavourful.
- I can build a cold noodle bowl with a balanced dressing.
- I know how long cold noodle dishes can safely stay out and in the fridge.
- I check for peanut, sesame, wheat and fish allergens.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Noodles 1, chapter 5 is Sesame, Peanut and Chilli Sauces: balancing salty, sweet, sour, nutty and hot.