Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Miso Ginger Tahini Dressing

Easy to prepare and customize, this simple, refreshing salad blends noodliscious comfort with summery lightness!

Really, anything goes in this irresistible, quick and easy salad—just as any summer meal should be. There’s plenty of heat in the world right now in every sense. Let’s embrace delicious, low-fuss ways to keep cool!

This dish is really a lighter, warm weather version of these Miso Ginger Tahini noodles; in the original, the dressing is more of a rich sauce. Here, it’s thinned out properly to a dressing. Choose whatever mix of crisp, raw vegetables worke for you in the moment; my only suggestion is that you either shred or julienne them to complement the noodles. Bulk up with a hearty topping of cubed baked tofu, if you like. We love garnishing with a crunchy sprinkling of crushed or halved peanuts and juicy lime.

One of my favorite things about summer is the way meal planning suddenly feels so relaxed. You can essentially assume that dinner is salad every day. The repetition is deceptive—here’s nothing limiting or boring about that.

F found some fun "5-minute” sites this summer that have been a blast. Five minute crafts, 5- minute science, that sort of thing. One of my other (many) favorite things about summer is that F will make art with me. I’m ever astonished by these “five minute” activities—they’re quick to pull together, yes, but so far not a one has been five minutes. They’re much more, in the best way. They ignite imagination. The creative experimentation tends to stretch over days.

Salad has a timeline—I mean, everyone needs to eat. But there’s so much fun and opportunity in letting yourself get carried away beautiful, bountiful produce even as the planning part has a greater ease. It’s the time of year when you can participate in a CSA, stop by the local Farmers Market, delight in what’s growing in the garden, and trust yourself to make use of every vibrant bite. All you need to do is make “salad”, a literal cold mix of whatever you’ve got.

Remember the old metaphor of “melting pot” to describe America? Intentions were appreciative, I’m sure, but on reflectiont it seems so short-sighted. The overtaking “salad bowl” is far more appropriate. In a salad bowl, every component gets to shine while contributing to the overall vibrance. There’s nothing bland and homogenous about salad that has any ounce of care put into it. Even a Wedge has distinct character that relies on the uniqueness of its parts. This miso ginger tahini dressing welcomes variety—give yourself a break from over-planning, get colorful, and enjoy!

Coolly noodleiscious!

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Vermicelli noodle salad with miso ginger tahini dressing

Vermicelli noodle salad with miso ginger tahini dressing

Easy to prepare and customize, this simple, refreshing salad blends noodliscious comfort with summery lightness!

Ingredients

For the dressing
  • ¼ Cup tahini
  • 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 T low-sodium tamari
  • 1 Tablespoon miso paste
  • ½ Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 Teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • Water as needed to thin
For the salad
  • 4 ounce dried vermicelli noodles
  • 1 medium carrot, cut in julienne
  • 1 medium cucumber, julienned
  • 1 Cup shredded cabbage or greens
  • 1 Cup mukimame (shelled edamame), frozen and defrosted or lightly steamed
  • 1 bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced or cut in julienne
  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced (white and light green parts)
  • ½ Cup chopped cilantro
  • Optional addend: cubed baked tofu
  • Lime wedges and crushed peanuts for garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dressing. Combine all ingredients through the grated ginger in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add water as needed to thin until reaching desired consistency.
  2. Prepare the vermicelli noodles according to package directions, drain with cold water, and transfer to a serving bowl.
  3. Assemble the salad. Pour the dressing over the noodles and use tongs or salad servers to gently toss to coat. Top with all the vegetables and cilantro and toss again until the vegetables are evenly mixed. Divide into bowls and top with baked tofu, if using, and garnish as desired.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

312

Fat

11 g

Sat. Fat

1 g

Carbs

42 g

Fiber

5 g

Net carbs

37 g

Sugar

6 g

Protein

12 g

Sodium

741 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg
Salads & Sides, Main DishWendy McMillanComment