Noodles and JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce pair deliciously in this quick one-bowl meal. Add a topping of stir-fried chicken and serve on a bed of cool crunchy vegetables and you’ll have marvelous hot chicken noodle salad that will become a family favorite.
You can make the salad look stylish with a simple presentation. Line a wide shallow serving bowl with thin shreds of cabbage then sprinkle sweet pepper slivers over the top. Mound boiled noodles on top. Stir-fry chicken and onions until lightly browned, then cloak with spicy peanut sauce. Spoon the hot chicken over the noodles. At the table, with large serving forks, mix the elements together. Pass more peanut sauce to add to taste.
Jade Hot Chicken Noodle Salad
I arranged the salad in a large wide shallow bowl that I use for pasta. A wide salad bowl might also work. If you don’t have an appropriate serving dish, mix all the elements in a big mixing bowl then distribute onto plates. Or if you use a wok, after cooking the chicken, remove from heat and stir in the noodles and vegetables and lightly mix together, then serve.
Use almost any kind of noodle. I used dried Asian white wheat noodles, but the darker soba noodles also would work. In a pinch, you could even use spaghetti, just adjust the cooking time.
Makes 3 main-dish servings
3 cups thinly shredded napa cabbage or green cabbage
1 cup thinly slivered red bell pepper
8 ounces boned and skinned chicken thighs, fat-trimmed and cut in 1/4-inch thick strips, about 2 inches long
2 teaspoons soy sauce
8 ounces dried Asian wheat noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce, or to taste.
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1. In a large wide shallow serving dish spread the napa cabbage in an even layer. Distribute red pepper slivers over cabbage.
2. Mix the chicken with the soy sauce.
3. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 2 1/2 to 3 quarts water to a boil. Add the noodles, stir to separate, and cook until barely tender to bite, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and rinse with very hot water, drain again. Mound the noodles over the red pepper.
4. Set a 14-inch wok or 12-inch frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil and rotate the pan to spread. Add the onion and stir-fry until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes longer. Add the water and stir to loosen browned bits. Stir in JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce to taste. Mound the chicken and sauce over red pepper. Sprinkle with cilantro. At the table, gently mix the noodles with the chicken and vegetables, then serve. Offer more JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce to add to taste.
