Cold noodle salad with cilantro, mint, and spicy peanut sauce

This spicy peanut sauce is possibly my favourite of all time! It is so savoury, a little spicy, super aromatic, and perfectly balanced with a touch of sweet and acid. It's absolutely addictive. My favourite way to eat this peanut sauce is in a cold noodle salad like I have here! It's a really easy meal for the summertime when you don't want to heat up the kitchen. You can easily sub in almond butter and lime for peanut butter and rice vinegar, it's so so delicious and makes the perfect dip for carrot and cucumber sticks. I hope you love this as much as I do!
If you make this recipe and want to show off on IG, you can tag me, @gardentotableblog.ca!
Yields 1/2 cup sauce, salad for 2
Ready in less than 15 minutes
Ingredients
Spicy peanut sauce
4 tablespoons natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sriracha
1 teaspoon coconut nectar
1 clove garlic, finely grated
Noodle salad
4 cups spring mix
170 grams dry rice noodles, + several cups boiling water
1/2 a cucumber, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 mango, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 stalks scallion, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
1. To make the spicy peanut sauce, whisk together all the sauce ingredients. Set aside until you are ready to build your bowl.
2. To make the noodle salad, start by adding the dry rice noodles to a large bowl. Pour enough boiling water into the bowl to completely cover the noodles. Let them sit for 5-10 minutes, until softened, but still al dente. Drain the noodles, and rinse under cool water. Pour the noodles back into the bowl, and mix in a few tablespoons of the spicy peanut sauce, so they don't stick together while you're assembling the rest of the bowl.
3. To assemble the bowl, start with a bed of spring mix. Add the noodles and the vegetables on top of the spring mix. Make it pretty if you wish! Top with the herbs and sesame seeds. Add the rest of the spicy peanut sauce to the middle of the bowl, so you can easily mix everything up together.
Remember
Refrigerate the sauce in a sealed container for up to one week