Sesame Chicken Noodle Salad

~This dish requires very little cooking and just a few basic ingredients for a quick evening meal or weekend lunch. It is also a great way of getting kids (and husbands) to eat their veggies. Feel free to omit or substitute any vegetables, like red cabbage or celery. The idea is to get a bit of crunch and texture to the dish. Adding vibrant colors doesn’t hurt either.

 

Ingredients:

12oz dried linguine

1 cup rotisserie chicken, shredded

   *can substitute with poached chicken, but make sure to lightly season with salt after shredding

1 Persian cucumber

1 medium carrot

½ bell pepper

½ cup thinly shredded red cabbage

1 scallion

1 cup sesame soy dressing

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

cilantro for garnish

salt

fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Break pasta in half and cook pasta until al dente. Adding salt to the pasta while cooking will help flavor the pasta. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Peel carrots. Cut into thin matchsticks.
3. Slice cucumber in half lengthwise. Thinly slice cucumber on bias.
4. Slice bell pepper thinly.
5. Thinly shred scallion. Set aside a small amount for garnish.
6. In a medium bowl, combine vegetables and toss lightly with fresh ground pepper.
7. In a large bowl, toss pasta with dressing. Add vegetables and chicken and toss until mixed thoroughly.
8. Garnish with cilantro, sesame seeds, and scallions. Serve.