Szechuan Pasta Chicken Salad
Submitted by bestgoof
Szechuan pasta chicken salad: a cold noodle salad with poached chicken, crunchy snow peas, bamboo shoots, peppers, and a creamy soy-sesame-chili dressing. Make-ahead party platter that improves overnight.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minCold noodle salads are picnic food at its most reliable, and this one packs more crunch and contrast into a single bowl than most. Thin Asian-style noodles get coated in soy sauce and peanut oil while still warm so they drink in the seasoning, then cool down without sticking together. Poached chicken breast gets cubed and tossed in alongside green onion, julienned carrot, red bell pepper, sliced bamboo shoots, and fresh chopped cilantro.
The dressing is the surprise. Mayonnaise mixed with sesame oil, soy sauce, Dijon, and chili oil gives you a creamy version of the classic peanut-style sauce. Mayo carries sesame and soy more evenly than oil-based dressings would, coating each strand of noodle. The whole salad sits in the fridge overnight to let everything mingle, then crisp julienned snow peas go in just before serving for fresh crunch. Sesame seeds on top finish it off.
Pro Tips
- Poach the chicken gently. Boiling makes the meat tough and stringy. A bare simmer keeps it tender and easy to cube.
- Coat the noodles in soy and oil while they are still warm. Cool noodles refuse to absorb seasoning and the dressing slides off.
- Refrigerate the whole salad overnight if you can. The flavors only deepen and the noodles drink in the dressing.
- Hold back the snow peas until just before serving. Mixed in early they lose their crunch and go limp.
- Adjust the chili oil to your tolerance. The dressing should have warmth, not full Szechuan heat.
Variations
- Use leftover roast chicken or rotisserie meat to skip the poaching step entirely.
- Add toasted peanuts or cashews for extra crunch and protein.
- Swap the snow peas for blanched sugar snap peas or shelled edamame.
Ingredients
Directions
Poach and cool chicken breasts.
Cut into bite-sized pieces and reserve.
Cook noodles.
Drain and toss into a large bowl with ½ cup soy sauce, then peanut oil.
Cool to room temperature, occasionally stirring the noodles to coat thoroughly.
Combine mayonnaise with mustard, sesame oil and the remaining ¼ cup soy sauce and chili oil to taste.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Add chicken, green onions, carrots, sweet pepper, bamboo shoots, mini corn and chopped cilantro to noodles.
Mix gently.
Add mayonnaise mixture and blend well.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, preferable overnight.
Just before serving add julienned snow peas, adding a little extra soy sauce and peanut oil or mayonnaise if noodles seem dry.
Garnish with sesame seeds.
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