Chinese Noodle Salad with Asparagus

A tasty vegan salad that will please a crowd and is great for any party or picnic. ​

Chinese Noodle Salad with Asparagus

I have made this salad for many years and on many occasions but never for 50 people. The recipe comes from one of my old well-loved cook books,  The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison and Ed Brown. Deborah Madison was  Greens' founding chef.  Ed Brown is well known for his Tassajara Bread Book and so many other inspiring books on the Zen of cooking. I adore his books. If you are in San Fransisco, this well-loved vegetarian restaurant in Ford Mason has been an icon of gourmet vegetarian food for many years. It is a real San Francisco experience.

At this time last year, I was in Marrakech for a week with a group of wonderful people including a very dear friend of mine. We had a great time exploring the sights and Moroccan  culture. Since I was with a group of Germans and Swiss, everybody assumed that I also was German. Who am I? German, American, or am I the sum of both? Here in the States, people ask me where I am from. I look at them and say Santa Cruz, especially when I am at  home in Santa Cruz. You see, after all these years, I still have a slight accent. When I am in Germany, people can't figure out where I'm from. I don't have an accent when I speak German, but I am different in the way I behave and dress. I don't fit the mold. I don't belong anymore. These  are subtle things. I love my German family and friends and I know that I am one of them, but my home is in Santa Cruz and that's where I am fortunate enough to live. I do miss going back to my mother and my childhood home. My mom is gone now and there isn't a day when I don't miss her—and the home and the love she gave me. My brother and his family are still at the farm, but I'm not ready to go back quite yet because it will not be the same. 

Life continues, it goes on and it is beautiful. I have so many things to be thankful for. I am thankful for my dear friends, Diane and George, and their beautiful serene mountain retreat. It is a dream, even when it rains on the day of a big party. We were celebrating a birthday and a soon-to-be-married beautiful granddaughter. It was the only rain we had in months here in California, so nobody was complaining. An old spinnaker sail was hoisted over the picnic tables and it kept out most of the precious rain drops. There was a big, beautiful, smoked ham from the  Corralitos Meat Market local butcher, and much more delicious food.

I  volunteered to make my Chinese noodle salad for 50 people. My big turkey fryer was the only container large enough to transport this humongous salad. 
It  was a lot of work, a labor of love. ​

​If you are  looking for a refreshing drink for a lunch or party, try my strawberry punch or Erdbeerbowle as we call it in Germany. This is a wonderful way to drink your fruit. ​

Chinese Noodle Salad with Asparagus Recipe​

This is an excellent salad to bring to parties and picnics. You can double, triple or quadruple this recipe. The original recipe called for eggplant, but I have almost always used fresh asparagus. For this salad, I also added pistachio nuts and radishes. The marinade can be made a couple of days ahead and can be used for a week. The flavors improve overnight. I cooked the noodles a day ahead and mixed them with some of the dressing. I made sure that the noodles were well-coated with the dressing so that they did not stick together. I used my hands. The flavors will develop as the noodles sit. I blanched all the vegetables on the day of the event. Make sure all the veggies are still crisp and not overcooked. Less is more.

Print Recipe

Ingredients
Serves 4-6

14 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles (the thinnest available)

The Marinade

7 TBS dark sesame oil
7 TBS soy sauce
3 TBS balsamic vinegar
3 TBS sugar
2 ½ tsp salt
1 TBS red pepper oil 
8-10 scallions, the whites & some of the greens
 (thinly sliced into rounds)
1 TBS fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 TBS cilantro, chopped

The Vegetables

1 pound or more asparagus 
½ pound mung bean sprouts (optional)
1 cup snow peas, strings removed
1-2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 TBS sesame seeds
handful of radishes, thinly sliced and then slivered
¼ cup toasted pistachios, cashews, or roasted peanuts (optional)
cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions

The  Marinade and Noodles

Combine the first seven ingredients in a bowl, and stir them together until the sugar is dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients and store in a jar with a lid. I keep mine in a mason jar, so I can shake the marinade before using. The marinade will keep in the fridge for several days.

Bring a large pot of water to a roiling boil. While the water is heating, gently pull apart the the strands of noodles with your fingers, loosening them and fluffing them as you do so. Add the noodles to the boiling water and give them a quick stir. Cook them briefly, a few minutes at most. Immediately pour them in a colander and rinse them in cold water. Shake the colander vigorously to get rid of as much water as possible. Put the noodles in a bowl, stir your marinade and add about one third or more to the noodles. Spread the noodles on a baking sheet and toss them with your hands to prevent any sticking. If you want to refrigerate the noodles, put them back in the  bowl and cover them with plastic wrap. Allow them to come to room temperature before adding the vegetables.

The Vegetables

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Blanch the snow peas until they are bright green, no more than 30 seconds. Immediately remove them with a strainer and put them in ice water. Let them dry on a towel and cut them into diagonal strips.

Blanch the sprouts in the same water for 30 seconds, rinse them in cold water and spread out to dry on a paper towel.

Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and blanch the stalks in boiling water for a few minutes (do not overcook them). Put the drained asparagus in ice water and spread out on the kitchen counter to prevent any further cooking. Cut the cooled asparagus into serving sizes. 

Roast the sesame seeds in a cast iron frying pan until they are lightly colored and smell toasty.

Assembling the salad

Carefully toss the salad using most of the vegetables with more marinade. Leave some of the veggies to decorate on top. Sprinkle the salad with cilantro leaves and sesame seeds. 

Recipe from the 
Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown
adapted by ©sunnycovechef
​