Hola folks! After I couldn’t get enough of my ivory lentils salad, I decided to try my hand at another summer time side dish. And as usual, there’s a story…

Almost a month before I made this salad, I was actually craving a noodle bowl. I wanted to make a fusion by using Soba noodles, with a carrot broth, and lots of mint and cilantro. I bought the noodles, and in my cabinet they sat, one, two, three, then four weeks. Just enough time for it to get so hot and sticky in DC that only a crazy person would eat a hot noodle bowl. To salad day dreams my mind turned. Cucumber, carrots, peas, rice wine vinegar. Mmmm, this is going to be good, I thought. Only, when I reached into my cabinet to grab the Soba noodles to boil, I realized that I had bought lo mein, not Soba.

Would it still work? Soba is hearty, buckwheat, steadfast. I find lo mein to be more delicate. Demure. Yet, despite their differences, I am happy to say, that the lo mein in this salad worked just wonderfully! Light, perfect for summer, great as leftovers, this dish made me think of one of my favorite quotes about creativity: “All creative people want to do the unexpected.” ~Hedy Lamarr  

Lo Mein Salad

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1. ~6 oz. dry lo mein noodles—cooked and drained
2. 1 cup frozen peas–thawed
3. 2 carrots—peeled and chopped
4. 1 small cucumber—deseeded, thinly sliced
5. ~2 teaspoons sesame seeds
6. 1 teaspoon Tamari (or soy sauce)
7. 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
8. 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
9. 1 tablespoon olive oil
10. 1 tablespoon orange juice
11. 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
12. 2 teaspoons Sriracha (or hot sauce of choice)
13. ½ teaspoon ginger powder
14. fresh mint, cilantro to taste

 Method:

*Add lo mein, peas, carrots, cucumber, and sesame seeds to large bowl. Stir to combine.

*In a separate bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients (except fresh herbs). Add dressing to lo mein mixture. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add fresh herbs.

*Let stand at least 1 hour before serving. Serve cold or at room temperature. Enjoy!