The Testosterone Blueprint
Back to recipes

Rice Noodle Salad with Edamame, Carrot, Cucumber and Peanut Lime Dressing

Thin rice noodles tossed with edamame beans, carrot, cucumber, red pepper and fresh herbs in a peanut, lime and ginger dressing. A vegan dinner with 18g of protein, ready in 20 minutes.

Dinner

20

Serves 2

A hand holding a yellow bowl of thin rice noodles tossed with shredded carrot, strips of red pepper, cucumber slices and fresh herbs, with a fork in the bowl

Ingredients

  • 80g/3oz dried thin rice noodles (rice vermicelli)
  • 150g/5oz/1 cup frozen shelled edamame beans
  • 2 medium carrots (about 160g/5½oz), cut into thin matchsticks or coarsely grated
  • Half a cucumber (about 150g/5oz), halved lengthways and sliced
  • 1 red pepper (bell pepper, about 150g/5oz once deseeded), cut into thin strips
  • A small bunch of coriander (cilantro, about 10g) and a few mint leaves (about 5g), roughly chopped
  • For the dressing: 2 tbsp (32g) smooth peanut butter, with no added sugar
  • Juice of 1 to 2 limes (30ml/2 tbsp)
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) tamari (labelled gluten-free), or soy sauce if you do not need it gluten-free
  • 1 tsp (5ml) maple syrup
  • 1 small clove garlic (about 4g), crushed, and a 2cm/¾in piece fresh ginger (about 5g), finely grated
  • 2 to 3 tbsp warm water and a pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

Method

  1. Put the noodles in a large heatproof bowl, cover with just-boiled water and leave for the time on the packet, usually 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Drain, rinse under cold running water until cool, and drain well.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the edamame in a small pan of boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water.
  3. Whisk the peanut butter, lime juice, tamari, maple syrup, garlic and ginger in a small bowl, adding the warm water a tablespoon at a time until the dressing is smooth and pourable.
  4. Toss the noodles with the edamame, carrot, cucumber, pepper, most of the herbs and the dressing until everything is coated.
  5. Serve scattered with the rest of the herbs and the chilli flakes, if using. Refrigerate within an hour in a covered container and eat within 1 day; the noodles soak up the dressing, so loosen with a squeeze of lime. Not suitable for freezing.

Why it works

A bowl gives you about 18g of protein and 10g of fibre for 417 calories, most of the protein from the edamame and peanut butter.

Why edamame. Edamame are young soya beans. Soya is one of the few plant proteins that contains all nine essential amino acids in useful amounts, which makes these little green beans a simple way to add protein to a vegan noodle dish.

Why it is tagged for blood sugar. The noodles bring most of the 52g of carbohydrate, inside our limit for the blood sugar tag. The protein, fibre and fat from the edamame, vegetables and peanut dressing help slow how quickly it is absorbed. Plenty of crunchy carrots, cucumber and pepper keep the portion of noodles moderate.

Rinse the noodles. Rinsing soaked rice noodles under cold water stops them cooking and washes off surface starch, so they stay separate instead of clumping together.

Contains peanuts and soya. Rice noodles are naturally gluten-free, but check the pack, as some brands add wheat starch. Use tamari labelled gluten-free, as ordinary soy sauce contains wheat. For another vegan noodle dish, try the tofu pad thai.