Rice Noodle Salad with Seitan, Cucumbers & Carrots

What You Get

Rice noodles

Cucumber

Scallions

Cilantro

Seitan (see note below)

Limes

Serrano or jalapeño pepper

Shredded carrots

Crushed peanuts

What You'll Need

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Olive oil

Fish sauce or soy sauce

Brown sugar

Step 1

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Set the noodles by the stove, but don’t add them yet. (They cook quickly.) Thinly slice half of the cucumbers into half moons, reserving the rest for another use. Slice about ¼ cup of scallions. Pick the cilantro leaves and toss the stems.

Step 2

Break the seitan into smaller pieces. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the seitan and sauté until warmed through and browned around the edges, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, combine the juice of 2 limes, 1 tablespoon fish or soy sauce, 2 teaspoons firmly packed brown sugar, and 3 tablespoons olive oil, and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Mince the serrano, removing the seeds if you prefer less heat, and add it to taste.

Step 4

Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook until tender, 3 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.

Step 5

In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, 1 cup of the carrots, the scallions, and seitan. Add the noodles to the bowl with the vegetables and seitan, drizzle with the dressing, and toss to coat. Season to taste with soy or fish sauce.

Step 6

Heap the noodle salad in bowls, sprinkle with some of the crushed peanuts, scatter with the cilantro leaves, and serve.