Name: Thai noodle salad with grilled pineapple
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/4 cup lime juice (freshly squeezed); 2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce); 1 tbsp soft brown sugar (or other sweetener of your choice); 2 tsp sesame oil; 1 clove garlic (crushed or finely grated); 1 tbsp ginger (finely grated); Half a pack of thin rice stick noodles ((approximately 180g)); 4-5 thick slices of fresh pineapple (skin trimmed); 1 telegraph cucumber; 1 carrot; 1 cup coriander (approximate, roughly choppped, cilantro); 1/2 cup mint (approximate, roughly chopped); 1/2 cup roasted peanuts (finely chopped); 2-3 green chillis (finely chopped); 1 tbsp sesame seeds ((I used a mixture of black and white))

A fresh and bright Thai noodle salad with lots of coriander, mint, lime, chilli, peanuts and sweet juicy grilled pineapple.

The flavours of Thailand are some of my favourites. With all the fresh herbs and hot spice, it’s one cuisine I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of. This salad pulls in lots of the usual suspects and is quite a crowd pleaser.

It’s the middle of winter here in New Zealand and the weather has been downright depressing. The rain hasn’t stopped lately, it’s been cold, grey and miserable. I work from home so when the weather is like this I barely leave the house for days on end. It’s horrible and frankly it gets a bit depressing.

So pineapple is definitely not in season here right now! As an imported tropical fruit that isn’t grown in New Zealand, it’s really never in season though so winter’s as good a time as any. Juicy sweet pineapple will cheer me up any day of the week, but grilled and added to a brightly dressed salad with lots of mint and coriander it can definitely wake my tastebuds up and turn my mood around.

Thai rice stick noodles

I used thin Thai rice stick noodles for this salad. You could also use the wider version that’s used in pad thai, or you could use vermicelli if that’s what you have on hand.

The packet instructions indicate soaking rice stick noodles before stir frying or adding them to a soup, but as I wasn’t doing either of those things I didn’t bother with the soaking and instead simmered them for a few minutes until they were just cooked. For my noodles that took about three minutes. Yours might be different, so just keep an eye on them and taste often so that you don’t overcook them. A quick drain and refresh under cold water and they’re good to go.

Shredded vegetables

To my noodles, I added julienned carrot – I used a Japanese mandoline to do that, or you could use a spiralizer, cut the carrot finely with a knife or even grate it. To mix up the textures, I added ribbons of cucumber done with a vegetable peeler.

Use the veges and tools that suit you, it won’t change the taste – just the texture and appearance of the salad. You could also throw in a handful of bean sprouts, or sugar snap peas if you have them.

Finish it off with Thai flavours

Then in went handfuls of coriander (cilantro) and mint in about a 2:1 ratio, finely chopped peanuts and green chilli, sesame seeds and a tangy lime dressing. I tossed some of the pineapple through the noodle salad and reserved a few pieces to put on top, along with more coriander, chilli and peanuts. If you’re not into hot food, use less chilli or leave it out altogether.

This noodle salad is great as a light meal by itself, and it’s also great with grilled or fried tofu, tempeh, egg or another protein of your choice – depending on your dietary preferences.