Bang bang turkey noodle salad

Diana Henry
·3-min read
Salad
This dish works with whatever vegetables you fancy - carrots, finely sliced cabbage, cucumber and radishes are all good - Haarala Hamilton

The good thing about this, apart from the fact that it provides a home for leftover turkey, is that you can use whatever vegetables you want, as long as they’re fresh and crunchy. Carrots, finely sliced cabbage, cucumber, radishes… they’re all good.

Overview

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Serves

4-6

Ingredients

  • 200g rice vermicelli noodles

  • ½ tbsp groundnut oil

  • 1 small cucumber, halved lengthways, and cut into batons

  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

  • 100g radishes, cut into matchsticks

  • 200g pak choi, base removed and the rest cut into strips lengthways

  • 3 spring onions, trimmed and cut into thin slices on the diagonal

  • 10g coriander leaves

  • 400g leftover turkey, mostly white meat if possible, torn into shreds

To serve

  • ½ fresh red chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped

  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

  • 2 limes, cut into wedges, for serving

For the dressing

  • 125g smooth peanut butter

  • Juice of ½ lime

  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

  • 2 tsp sesame oil

  • ½ red chilli, deseeded and chopped

  • ½ small garlic clove, grated to a purée

  • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Method

Step 1

Put everything for the dressing in a food processor with 85ml of warm water and blitz. You should have quite a smooth mixture, the consistency of single cream. Add more water if you need to and adjust any of the flavourings until you have something you like. Scrape into a jug, cover and set aside.

Step 2

For the 200g rice vermicelli noodles follow instructions on the packet, otherwise bring some water to the boil in a medium-sized pan and add the noodles. Stir them with a fork or chopsticks to keep the strands apart. Cook for 2 minutes; be careful not to overcook them or they’ll be mushy.

Step 3

Drain and immediately run cold water through them. Shake out the excess water in a sieve – they shouldn’t be too wet – then transfer to a bowl and add ½ tbsp groundnut oil, just enough to keep the noodles from clumping.

Step 4

In a broad shallow serving bowl put the different components together – the noodles, vegetables (1 small cucumber, halved lengthways, and cut into batons; 2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks; 100g radishes, cut into matchsticks; 200g pak choi, base removed and the rest cut into strips lengthways and 3 spring onions, trimmed and cut into thin slices on the diagonal), 10g coriander leaves and 400g leftover turkey. Check the sauce because it thickens as it sits so you may need to add more warm water.

Step 5

Drizzle on the sauce – not too much, don’t swamp it – and toss gently.

Step 6

Scatter on ½ fresh red chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds and serve with the lime wedges from 2 limes. You can serve more of the sauce – if you have some left – at the table.

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