Spicy Pad Thai Salad
No matter how much many dishes I try, Pad Thai is my absolute favorite Thai dish. With this salad, I tried to get all those flavors into a salad we could sell at the Market.
Serves 4 to 6
1/2 pound flat rice noodles
1/4 pound snow peas or sugar snap peas, stem ends and strings removed and blanched
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and julienned (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 small head of Savoy or Napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 cup unsalted peanuts, roasted and finely chopped
2 ounces bean sprouts or pea shoots (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pad Thai Dressing
1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and immerse the noodles in the hot water. Let the noodels stand in the hot water for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are tender, but still firm. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water, and drain well. Turn the drained noodles into a large bowl.
2. Julienne the snow peas and toss them into the bowl with the noodles. Add the ginger, cabbage, scallions, cilantro, chives, half of the ground peanuts, half of the sprouts, the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with the Pad Thai dressing and toss gently, taking care not to break the noodles. Serve immediately, garnished with the remaining peanuts and sprouts.
Note: If you want to make this salad in advance, cover and refrigerate and garnish just before serving. You may also need to toss the noodles with a little more dressing because they tend to absorb the dressing.