It’s uncomfortably hot in New York — little less than an urban sauna. If you can survive the subway platforms in mid-July, you could most likely survive Burning Man or Baja. And that window AC unit can only churn out so much semi-cold air. Turning on the oven or stove sounds like a culinary death wish. You go ahead and cook up that pork and wild mushroom ragú with a three-hour simmer time in 90 degree heat. I’ll go for something that doesn’t require a sweatband.
It’s that time of the year for cold main dishes, but those are rare and sometimes unappealing. Not every entree tastes good when served below room temperature and some people downright refuse to eat cold dishes. I am not one of them. 
I wanted something Asian-inspired that required little to no heat source. The answer? Cold rice noodles with Asian vegetables and a light, sesame oil dressing. This vegetarian dish is downright refreshing. Here’s how it’s done:
PrintSummertime Dishes: Cold Sesame Noodles
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Cold rice noodles tossed with vibrant Asian vegetables and a light sesame oil dressing, perfect for a refreshing vegetarian meal.
Ingredients
- 1 box rice noodles
- 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 2 medium-sized carrots, julienned
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pickled radish, julienned (optional)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to cool completely.
- While the noodles are cooling, prepare the vegetables. Julienne the yellow and red bell peppers, carrots, and pickled radish (if using). Thinly slice the red onion.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled rice noodles, prepared vegetables, sesame oil, vegetable oil, and sesame seeds. Toss everything together until well mixed.
- Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
This dish is perfect for hot summer days when you want to avoid using the stove. You can customize the vegetables based on what you have on hand. For added protein, consider adding tofu or edamame. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 300
- Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 0
You continue to amaze me with your creativity and
energy. Here’s to another fantastic recipe!!!!
Hilarious article! Who needs the stove and oven in 90 degree heat when you can make this….the perfect quick summertime dish!
this sounds great! Living in Florida, spending time in front of the stove and sitting down in front of hot food is the last thing I want to do during the summer. I love asian-inspired food and can’t wait to try this!