This dish was inspired by several cravings:
#1 – Because I’m always itching for ramen soup from one of the many ramen shops here in LA.
#2 – I’m obsessed with the cold ramen salads at Mrs. Winstons salad bar.
#3 – Because…PEANUT SAUCE.
Problem is, most of these places only offer the regular noodles – good ole gluten ramen. Clearly that’s not how it goes down in my kitchen! Check it:
Chilled Peanut Ramen Noodles
1 or 2 bags GF rice ramen noodles (like these, pictured)
organic tamari soy sauce (like this)
sesame oil
EVOO or grapeseed oil
2-3 carrots, julienned
purple cabbage, thinly sliced
green cabbage, thinly sliced
snap peas, de-veined and sliced on a bias
cucumber, cut into tiny strips or quarters
2-3 scallion stalks, thinly sliced
2-3 large shallots, minced
1 red jalapeno or fresno chile, cut into very thin slices
organic seasoned rice vinegar
handful of organic peanuts, crushed
black or white sesame seeds
optional: sweet chili sauce or sriracha, and any other crisp veggies you want! The above is what I had on hand.
Peanut Sauce:
1/2 small jar or equivalent of organic peanut butter
2-3 tbsp raw organic honey (any honey works, but raw organic orange blossom is great in asian dishes)
organic vegetable stock (homeade, TJs or WFs brand, etc)
~1/2 cup pure coconut milk (not coconut beverage, either from your juice bar, homemade, this type, or canned if you must)
chili paste (I always come back to this one)
General Recipe:
Boil a pot of water and make rice ramen according to package instructions. Be careful here, GF pasta requires extra attention. You usually need to rinse noodles with cold water as you strain to avoid sticking. Once strained, and free of excess rinsing water, toss in a bowl with a few drizzles of tamari, and a dash of sesame oil. Put aside.
In a saucepot, lightly heat coconut milk, honey, peanut butter, and a few dashes of chili paste. Add vegetable stock as needed to acquire a loose peanut butter consistency and keep stirring to combine evenly. Take off heat. Note: You’ll probably have excess peanut sauce, but its good for lots of other dishes and snacks!
Saute/caramelize minced shallot in a pan with EVOO or grapeseed oil and a little sea salt. Set aside.
Layer in a bowl: ramen noodles, carrots, cabbages, snowpeas, cucumber, scallions, cooked shallots, jalapeno. Drizzle peanut sauce over the top and sprinkle crushed peanuts and sesame seeds. I like to add a bit of seasoned rice vinegar over the crisp veggies on top too. Add chili sauce or sriracha if you like! Enjoy!
