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Asian Pasta Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

Asian noodle salad with spaghetti, edamame, cabbage, and carrots tossed in a sesame-ginger dressing. This crunchy salad gets better after chilling so the flavors soak in and the vegetables stay crisp.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

spaghetti or linguine
  • 1 lb spaghetti or linguine broken into thirds
edamame
  • 2 cup edamame shelled
red cabbage
  • 2 cup red cabbage shredded
carrots
  • 1 cup carrots shredded
red bell pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
rice vinegar
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
honey
  • 1 tbsp honey
fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
garlic
  • 2 clove garlic minced
green onions
  • 0.25 cup green onions sliced
sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
salt
  • salt to taste
pepper
  • pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook pasta
  1. Cook spaghetti or linguine according to package directions until tender, then drain and rinse under cold water so it stops cooking and stays springy.
Make sesame-ginger dressing
  1. Whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth and glossy, with the honey fully dissolved.
Assemble salad
  1. Combine pasta, edamame, red cabbage, carrots, and red bell pepper in a large bowl for an even mix of colors.
  2. Pour dressing over the salad and toss until every strand and vegetable surface looks lightly coated.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour so the flavors meld and the dressing thickens slightly as it chills.
  2. Top with green onions and sesame seeds right before serving for fresh crunch and visible sesame specks.

Notes

For the crunchiest texture, rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water and chill the salad uncovered for the first 15 minutes, then cover. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days; it’s best not to freeze because the vegetables and dressing texture can soften. For a gluten-free option, use tamari instead of soy sauce to keep the ginger-sesame dressing flavor similar.