Bean Thread Noodle And Vegetable Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil, and season generously with salt.
• In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, ginger and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
• Once the water boils, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta cooking water, then drain. Transfer pasta to a large bowl. Add half the dressing and 1/4 cup pasta water, season with salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat.
• Meanwhile, in a large deep-sided saucepan, heat safflower oil over medium. Add onion and bell peppers, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Add snap peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, 1/4 cup pasta water and the remaining dressing. Stir to deglaze the pan and lift the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, then add vegetable mixture (with sauce) and scallions to pasta and toss until well combined (add more pasta water if thinner sauce is desired). Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, if using.

Steps:

• Make dressing:
• In a small saucepan stir together all dressing ingredients except sesame oil until cornstarch is dissolved. Bring dressing to a boil, stirring, and simmer, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Cool dressing completely and stir in sesame oil. Dressing may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
• Discard mushroom stems and cut caps into thin slices. In a large non-stick skillet heat vegetable oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté mushrooms, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 5 minutes. On a platter chill mushrooms in one layer 15 minutes, or until cool.
• In a saucepan bring 6 cups water to a boil and remove pan from heat. Stir in noodles and soak 15 minutes. Drain noodles well in a colander and with scissors cut into 6-inch lengths.
• While noodles are soaking, cut cabbage crosswise into fine shreds and snow peas diagonally into slivers. Cut bell pepper into julienne strips.
• In a large bowl toss together noodles, mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, scallions, and dressing. Serve salad sprinkled with sesame seeds.