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Easy Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles with the BEST Peanut Sauce Recipe
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4.59 from 24 votes

Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles

This Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles recipe is made with the most irresistible peanut sauce, and easy to customize with your favorite noodles and veggies (plus chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu, if you'd like).  Perfect for weekly meal prep or served as a quick and easy dinner recipe.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: 30 minute, pasta, vegetarian
Servings: 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

Noodle Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces Chinese egg noodles (or your preferred kind of noodle¹)
  • 2 large carrots grated² or diced
  • 1 English cucumber grated or diced
  • half of a small red cabbage finely chopped
  • 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
  • toppings: chopped peanuts toasted sesame seeds, extra cilantro, lime wedges

Sesame Peanut Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon each: garlic powder ground ginger, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Cook the noodles al dente according to package instructions.  Drain, then rinse with cold water in a colander until the noodles are chilled.
  • Meanwhile, make your sesame peanut sauce.  Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until combined.  Taste and add extra soy sauce, if needed.  Also, if the sauce seems too thick (it should be thin enough to drizzle), whisk in a tablespoon or two of water.
  • Add noodles, carrots, cucumber, cabbage, cilantro, green onions and sesame peanut sauce to a large mixing bowl.  Toss until evenly combined.
  • Serve cold, topped with your desired garnishes.  Or transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Notes

¹ Feel free to substitute in your favorite kind of noodles (such as rice, soba, ramen, udon noodles, or even plain spaghetti) if you prefer.
² I use my food processor with the grater attachment to grate vegetables quickly.  But a hand grater would also work well!
This recipe would also be delicious with cooked chicken, steak, pork, shrimp or tofu added in.