Cold Sesame Noodles, An Old Chinese favorite

These cold sesame noodles are quick and easy to make, especially if you make a bigger batch of the sauce and store it in a jar in your refrigerator. Just omit the warm water if you decide to make enough for storage and it should keep for a few weeks. You can make the basic dish and then each person can add in whatever extras they like – more soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, hot chili sauce, etc. Sarah and I had a battle of the presentations for this cold sesame noodle dish, so check it out.

Recipe Instructions

Cook the fresh noodles al dente and reserve some of the cooking liquid. Rinse the noodles with cold water and drain. Don’t let them sit too long, as they tend to stick together. If you have to pre-cook them, then you can rinse with some warm water and drain again. Stir together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until combined (peanut butter, salt, sesame oil, canola/vegetable oil, sesame paste, soy sauce, garlic, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, and 3 tablespoons reserved cooking water from the noodles). Julienne the scallion, cucumber, and carrot. Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water for 15 seconds and put into an ice bath. Drain. In a bowl or on a plate, add the noodles and sauce. Arrange the vegetables over the noodles, and sprinkle chopped cilantro, scallion, crushed peanuts and toasted sesame seeds over the top. Serve immediately. Here’s my cold sesame noodle plate: And here’s Sarah’s: Put some rice vinegar and soy sauce on the table in case you decide it needs more of either depending upon your personal preference. Toss it all together when ready to eat these cold sesame noodles and enjoy! I think Sarah won the cold sesame noodles presentation challenge!