Asian Chicken Noodle Salad

The combined flavors of this dish reminds Bake of some of his favorite Asian dishes during his travels. For him, it starts with the noodles, total comfort food. Chili oil would be a great addition for a little heat.

Asian Chicken Noodle Salad

Salad:
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
10 ounces soba noodles or spaghetti
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced, into 2 inch pieces
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

Salad Dressing:
6 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoon rice bran oil or peanut oil
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 Tablespoon sugar

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse well under cold water, set aside.

Combine soy sauce, vinegar, rice bran oil, sesame oil, peanut butter, garlic, ginger and sugar in a blender and blend until mixture is smooth.

In a large bowl, combine chicken with noodles, bell peppers, peanuts, green onions, cilantro and sesame seeds. Toss with salad dressing. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Note: This can be made gluten free by looking for rice noodle or pure soba noodles made with buckwheat and a gluten free Tamari or soy sauce.