(Credit: Jaimee Lee Haddad)
A high school art teacher once told me, “I cook like I paint, using all the colors of the rainbow.” This noodle salad is a tribute to that philosophy. The vegetables in this salad come in multiple shades of green and types of crunch. The dish gets an additional spring with a handy trick to transform ordinary spaghetti into bouncy ramen-style noodles. The salad dressing is bright orange in color, a nod to the warmth of sunshine.
Rainbow Noodle Salad
Servings: 8 people
Preparation time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
For the salad:
1 packet spaghetti pasta
1tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
1tbs sesame oil
10-15 leaves of kale
2tbs vinegar
5 medium carrots, peeled
6 medium cucumbers
1 red onion
6-8 small red radishes
1 head of broccoli
100 g toasted sesame seeds
For the dressing:
230 ml apple cider vinegar
3 cloves of garlic
1 medium carrot, peeled
1tbs dried ginger
1/2tsp turmeric
1tsp smoked paprika
2tbs ketchup
1tbs tahini paste
1tbs soy sauce
80ml sesame oil
100ml olive oil
Salt to taste
(Credit: Nima Salha/L'Orient Today)
Directions: Fill a large pot with water, and add 1tsp of salt and 1tsp baking soda. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the whole packet of spaghetti and stir. Do not cover with a lid, as it will boil over. Cook until the noodles are cooked through but with a bite, (al dente). Strain immediately and rinse the noodles with cold water. They should have a slight bounce to them because of the addition of the baking soda. Once your noodles have been strained. Drizzle with 1tbs of sesame oil, mix well and set aside to cool.
In the meantime, chop your vegetables. For the kale, remove the stems and finely chop into thin ribbons. Place in a bowl with 2tbs of vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. Massage the kale in the vinegar to draw out the bitterness from the leaves. Squeeze out the excess liquid with your hands and place in another bowl. Set aside.
Slice your broccoli into little pieces. Set in a bowl.
Thinly slice the carrots and cucumbers and place in separate bowls. You can use a vegetable peeler, mandolin, or a sharp knife. Set aside.
Thinly slice the red onion and place in a bowl of cold water until you are ready to use. This will draw out the bitterness of the raw onion.
Thinly slice the radishes and cut in half, into half moons. Place in a bowl with a tbs of vinegar and cold water. Let soak until you are ready to assemble.
For the dressing, put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust for salt. If you find it too acidic, add an additional tbs of tahini paste.
To assemble the salad, start with a bottom layer of noodles. Strain the water from the radishes and the onions. Arrange your vegetables on top of the noodles in whatever pattern you choose. Sprinkle the top with toasted sesame seeds. You can mix the dressing in whenever you are ready to serve. May this salad bring joy to your table and energy to your soul.
The mighty carrot:
Carrots shine in two ways in this salad. The Arabic matal says “Al jazar bi awe al nazar” the carrot gives strength to the eyes. It turns out Teta was right. The beta-carotene in carrots, what gives them their signature orange color, is converted into Vitamin A once it enters the body. This protects the eyes (and the skin) from the sun, and lowers the risk of cataracts. Actors are known to eat copious amounts of carrots to achieve their signature glow. Bunnies love them, and you should too.