Crunchy Asian Kelp Noodle Salad (vegan, gluten free, oil free)
Feb 22, 2019 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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Crunchy, creamy, colourful, a little spicy–this Crunchy Asian Kelp Noodle Salad is so good and so easy to make. It’s one of those recipes you should keep in your back pocket for moments when you don’t know what you should make or need a meal in a pinch. Also, the dressing is absolutely delicious and you’ll want to pour it on everything. Guaranteed.
I used a variety of crunchy veggies, and I typically recommend purple cabbage, carrots and cucumbers (kind of like the Asian salad veggie trilogy, you know what I mean jelly bean?) but you can vary it up based on what you have on hand. I actually made this salad after coming home from a trip, so I ended up using purple cabbage, collard greens, bean sprouts and some radish. If there was one veggie I’d recommend you keep in the recipe, it would definitely be purple cabbage because 1) it’s fun for the eyes and 2) the purple variety is actually more nutritious than its light green counterpart.
In this recipe, I use kelp noodles, but this is optional and you could completely omit it, or opt for your favourite noodle, zoodle, or gluten-free noodles of choice. Kelp noodles are a very interesting noodle. They’re clear, crunchy, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, raw, keto… I don’t know it’s kind of a wonder ingredient, but I grew up having these kelp noodles in a lot of Asian dishes. As far as nutrition goes, I wouldn’t say these really contribute very much–in fact they’re fat free, and low in carbs and calories too. Really I just use them for texture and crunch, but they’re not a necessity, nor do they have any wonderful health benefits I can tell you about… and I highly encourage pairing with some plant protein like tempeh or tofu, or eating as a side because it’s not ALL that filling (just keeping it real here!). I used to eat kelp noodles a lot when I was raw vegan for a few months (way back when), but they’re a fun ingredient to try out if you’re intrigued.
The dressing is just my 5 Minute Peanut Dressing thinned a little more, which is a simple, delicious peanut sauce that goes really well with a LOT of things. I personally love to eat it with tofu, or tempeh, which I used as my side of protein in this salad. Even if you can’t have peanuts for whatever reason, you can make this with cashew butter, or almond butter instead, Still just as delicious! Just keep in mind that a lot of these veggies release a little bit of water once tossed, so if your dressing feels thick at first, don’t worry because it will definitely thin down a little as you toss your salad. I’d also recommend dressing your salad close to when you intend to eat it, but you can make the dressing in advance and store it in the fridge.
Let’s get into this very simple, very easy recipe 🙂 In a nutshell, you just need to chop veggies, mix ingredients to make the sauce, and toss!
Crunchy Asian Kelp Noodle Salad (vegan, gluten free, oil free)
Ingredients
- 4 oz of kelp noodles or noodles of your choosing
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 2 large collard leaves stemmed and chiffonaded (sliced very thinly), or green of your liking
- 1/2 cup bean sprouts
- 1/2 small watermelon radish thinly sliced (I used a radish about the size of a ping pong ball)
- 1/2 avocado sliced
- 2-3 heaping tablespoons of 5 Minute Healthy Peanut Sauce more as desired
optional
- 1/3 package of tempeh grilled or cooked as desired
- sprinkle of black and white sesame seeds
- sprinkle of extra chili flakes
- sprinkle of crushed peanuts
Instructions
- Begin my preparing your kelp noodles. Drain and rinse, and either consume raw or if you prefer them softer, you can soften by allowing to soak in hot water while you prep your veg, or blanching them for a few minutes. I recommend cutting into shorter strands as well, making the salad easier to eat.
- In a large bowl, toss all of your veggies (except radish and avocado) plus the kelp noodles in peanut sauce. Using your hands works best and will help to massage the dressing into your veggies. Add more as desired.
- Plate the salad and garnish with radish and avocado. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, chili flakes and crushed peanuts if using. Serve with tempeh or plant protein of choice.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you want to check out more recipes for mains, click here!
Love and kelp noodles,
