ASIAN CHICKEN AND SESAME NOODLE SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Soba noodles or whole wheat linguine
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 2 green onions, sliced thinly
• 1 mango peeled and diced
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (I used a rotisserie from the grocery store deli)
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (plus more for garnish)
• 1/2 cup sliced and roasted almonds (plus more for garnish)
• fresh cilantro for garnish
• Chinese chili oil or hot sauce(optional)

DRESSING

• 6 tablespoons tahini* (or smooth peanut butter)
• 3/4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
• Butter lettuce leaves

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions and drain. Add sesame oil to the noodles and stir to coat so that they won't stick together.
2. Add the carrots, green onion, mango, and chicken.
3. Pour the dressing over the noodle salad (I used about half), then stir in sesame seeds and almonds.
4. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, additional almonds and sesame seeds, and Chinese chili oil if desired.
5. Serve over butter lettuce leaves.
6. Serve at room temperature or cold. I added more dressing to the noodles when I ate them the next day because they tend to absorb the dressing.

DRESSING

1. Place the tahini, water, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and ginger into the blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Notes:

* Tahini is a sesame seed paste sold at specialty food stores near the peanut butter.
Dressing slightly adapted from Lucinda Scala Quinn's Mad Hungry cookbook.

Recipe Source:lovelylittlekitchen