Raw Vegetable Noodle Salad (Printable)

Crisp spiralized vegetables in tangy sesame-ginger dressing for a light, refreshing meal ready in 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 large zucchini, spiralized
02 - 1 large carrot, spiralized
03 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
04 - 1 cup red cabbage, thinly shredded
05 - 1 cucumber, spiralized
06 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
07 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

→ Sesame-Ginger Dressing

08 - 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
09 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
10 - 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
11 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
12 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
13 - 1 clove garlic, minced
14 - 1 teaspoon lime juice
15 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, optional

→ Garnish

16 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
17 - 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts or cashews, optional

# Step-by-step Directions:

01 - Spiralize zucchini, carrot, and cucumber. Thinly slice red bell pepper and green onions. Shred red cabbage and chop cilantro. Transfer all prepared vegetables to a large mixing bowl.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, grated ginger, maple syrup or honey, minced garlic, lime juice, and chili flakes until thoroughly combined.
03 - Pour dressing over vegetables and gently toss until evenly coated.
04 - Let the salad rest for 5 to 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld together.
05 - Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds and nuts. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired. Serve immediately for optimal texture and freshness.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you can order takeout, and tastes like you spent actual time.
  • The dressing is bold enough to make plain vegetables sing without any cooking required.
  • It's the kind of salad that somehow stays crisp even when you make it ahead, unlike most raw vegetable dishes that go sad.
02 -
  • Spiralize your vegetables when you're ready to dress them, not hours ahead, or you'll end up with watery sadness instead of crisp noodles.
  • The dressing ratio might seem heavy, but it's exactly right—too little and you just get raw vegetables masquerading as salad.
03 -
  • Make extra dressing and keep it in a jar in your fridge for when you need to dress other vegetables without thinking.
  • If your vegetables release too much water, drain the salad gently instead of squeezing it, which keeps them from turning into mush.
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