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Asian Pasta Salad

Asian noodle salad with sesame-ginger dressing, tender pasta, edamame, and crunchy cabbage-carrot ribbons. Chilled for an hour so the flavors soak in and the vegetables stay bright and crisp.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Asian pasta salad
  • 1 lb spaghetti or linguine
  • 2 cup edamame
  • 2 cup red cabbage
  • 1 cup carrots
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 0.25 cup green onions
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook and rinse the pasta
  1. Cook the spaghetti or linguine according to package directions until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water to cool it quickly and stop cooking.
  2. Visual cue: pasta should look fully cooked but no longer steaming after the cold-water rinse.
Make the sesame-ginger dressing
  1. Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, grated ginger, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until the honey dissolves and the dressing looks glossy.
  2. Visual cue: the mixture should be evenly colored with no honey streaks.
Toss the salad
  1. Combine pasta, edamame, shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, and thinly sliced red bell pepper in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly until everything is coated, with vegetables and pasta evenly distributed.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour so the flavors meld and the vegetables stay crisp.
  2. Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds right before serving.

Notes

For best crunch, chill the salad in an airtight container and keep the green onions and sesame seeds for the final topping. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended since cabbage and carrots lose texture after thawing. If you want it lighter, swap honey for an equal amount of maple syrup or omit sweetener and add an extra pinch of salt to balance the ginger.