Asian Noodle Salad

A friend suggested I try the Pioneer Woman Asian Noodle Salad and since my husband loves Asian food and I am finding I do as well (wish I'd liked it more when I went to China!) I figured it was time to give it a try. I was nervous about the sauce because I really don't like dressings, so I changed it a bit and it turned out perfect for my taste!  I changed a bunch of other things too, so if you want her original one click the link above.

I wasn't sure if my boys would go for it or not, but it's so similar to stir fry they gobbled it right up. I forgot the spinach at first, but then added it later, and it's perfect even without spinach so if you don't have any you can still make it. I'm not a big fan of raw peppers though so next time I think I'll broil the peppers in the oven with the cashews. I only used 1/2 of each pepper and then chopped the leftovers and froze for future stir fry and kebabs. That's the great thing about salads- you add what you like and as much as you like.

Asian Noodle Salad

1 package chow mein stir fry noodles (I used 1/2 of the bag pictured below)
1 head finely chopped napa cabbage, washed and dried
1/2 bag baby spinach chopped
1/2 red pepper finely chopped
1/2 yellow pepper finely chopped
1/2 orange pepper finely chopped
1 bag bean/mung sprouts (my store was out and I was so sad because I love these!)
1 cucumber chopped or sliced
1 cup cashews, broiled in the oven for about 5 minutes (just until brown- I will broil my peppers next time too)

Dressing

1 lime, juiced (you can microwave for 30 seconds, makes it easier to juice)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Cook noodles according to package, drain and set aside. Mix dressing ingredients in salad bowl. Chop all vegetables and toss in bowl with salad and noodles. EAT.