Okay. I've made this several times now, and let me say this:
People LOVE this salad. At barbecues, at picnics, at home, at the office. You will be very popular if you show up with a ton of it for a party. This is an awesome salad that lasts for several days, travels well, and makes an excellent chilled lunch. The veggies stay crunchy and the flavor improves the more it sits. I've seen similar recipes for "Asian"-inspired noodle salads, but for mine, I prefer to leave out things like cucumbers or bean sprouts, and add things I like such as extra firm tofu (it does a great job of soaking up all the other flavors)!
To make this recipe vegan, simply replace the spaghetti with a vegan (no egg) version, leave out the oyster sauce, and increase the other liquids to make up the difference. If you can find a vegan oyster sauce substitute, even better. These days, it's all about that umami flavor! When it comes to this salad, it's easy to change it up to suit your personal tastes. You do you, boo.
Ingredients:
Salad:
10 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
1 package extra firm tofu, diced into bite-sized pieces
1 cup grated or julienned carrots (pre-shredded from the store is helpful)
4-5 scallions/green onions, finely sliced
½ cup julienned sweet red or orange bell peppers
half bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 head napa cabbage, sliced with thick core removed
1/2 head purple cabbage, sliced with thick core removed
1/2 bunch kale, leaves torn off the stalks and shredded
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
3 tbsp sesame seeds
Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
2-3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
Boil a large pot of water, add a small handful of kosher salt. Boil spaghetti 8 minutes and drain. You can use whole wheat, vegan, gluten free or whatever kind of spaghetti you like in order to fit your needs and they should all work fine.
Slice, julienne and chop all salad ingredients. Place sliced red cabbage, napa cabbage, kale, carrots, green onions, sweet peppers, cilantro, garlic, peanuts, tofu and sesame seeds into the largest bowl you can find.
Make the dressing. Whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, and fresh grated ginger into a medium-sized bowl. Grab handfuls of pasta and drench into the dressing, then place into the large bowl of veggies. This step allows all of the noodles to separate more easily for tossing the whole salad together. Continue this step until all of the pasta is wet, separated and thrown into the mixing bowl. Pour the rest of the dressing into the mix and use your hands to toss the salad thoroughly.
Store in tupperware containers and chill at least 2-3 hours. Salad can last for 3-4 days and will taste better the longer it sits. Makes a lot!
