Thai Pasta & Seafood Salad

Thai pasta seafood salad is the cold-weather-be-damned summer dinner that proves rice noodles, chilled shellfish, and a fiery peanut-ginger dressing can carry a meal. Cooked, chilled shrimp and scallops fold into rice vermicelli with thinly sliced cucumber, ribbons of red bell pepper, and a confetti of fresh cilantro and green onion.

The dressing is the star. Peanut butter whisked smooth with hot water (this loosens it before any acid hits, preventing seizing), then sharpened with apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, fresh ginger, and minced garlic. The result is creamy, tangy, savory, and gently spicy without overwhelming the delicate seafood.

A sprinkle of crushed red pepper takes this from gentle to genuinely punchy if your crowd likes heat. Make ahead and chill at least an hour for the flavors to marry.

Pro Tips

• Whisk peanut butter with hot water FIRST, before any vinegar. This step thins the peanut butter into a smooth base. Adding acid first seizes the fat and you’ll get a lumpy, broken dressing.
• Slice the cucumber lengthwise, seed it, then slice thin. Removing the seeds keeps the salad from going watery as it sits.
• Don’t overcook the seafood. Cook until just pink and opaque, then chill quickly. Rubbery shrimp ruins this dish, no dressing can fix that.
• Toss the dressing with the noodles right before serving. The vermicelli soaks up the dressing as it sits and the salad gets dry and clumpy after a few hours.

Variations

• Sub cooked chicken or grilled tofu for the seafood for a different protein angle.
• Add a julienned carrot or shredded napa cabbage for more crunch and color.
• Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts and lime wedges for a more substantial Thai-style finish.