Cold Black Rice Noodle Salad with Mixed Vegetables

Ingredients:
13 oz black rice noodles
1/2 lb snow peas
1/2 lb broccoli florets
3-6 bunches tat soi, cut into 1 inch wide strips
6 dried shiitaki mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced thinly
1 bunch green onions, sliced

for the dressing:
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 inch knob ginger, grated
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
Cook the noodles according to package instructions, keeping care to stir frequently so they do not clump together. Meanwhile, steam the snow peas, broccoli and tat soi. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Set aside. Rinse the noodles in cold water then drain. Place in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Add the vegetables and mushrooms and stir to evenly distribute. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.

Yield: about 4-6 servings

My thoughts:

When I found these black rice noodles I immediately started thinking of what high contrast foods I could pair with it. I finally decided to make a cold noodle salad. The noodles have a almost nutty flavor and really absorbed the flavor of the sauce without losing its own character. I made them as a side dish for dinner last night with the idea that we would eat what was left for lunch today. You know what? While we enjoyed them immensely last night, I think they are even better today; the flavors really came together and the vegetables stayed nice and crunchy.

Note: If you cannot find black rice noodles, regular, thin rice noodles or even somen could be substituted but the texture and flavor of the noodles will be different. Additionally, 3 bunches of baby bok choy could be substituted for the smaller tat soi.

14 Comments

  1. Jessy and her dog Winnie

    That looks really yummy. I love how the noodles are a purple color!

  2. This looks nice. Like the color contrasts. What exactly is tat soi? Is there another name for it? I think it’s a mustard-y sort of vegetable right? I only know the Chinese name and wonder if this is the same thing.

  3. cookinpanda: I’ve heard tat soi called spinach mustard, spoon mustard, or rosette bok choy. It is similar to mustard greens but more mild like bok choy.

  4. those look really good. I don’t think I’ve ever seen black rice noodles, now I’ll have to look harder at my local asian market.

  5. Wow–what a fantastic-looking dish! I’ve never seen black rice noodles before. Now I’ll be on the lookout for them…

  6. I am one of those weird people who is not a fan of cold noodle anything. But that being said, your lovely presentation could turn this stubborn soul around! It is always a pleasure to visit you and see what you have cooking.

  7. This looks very interesting. Is black rice noodles similar to soba noodles?

  8. Ovenhaven:
    I would say they are more like regular rice noodles than soba. They are stickier than most noodles though.

  9. Ahhh, okay, thanks Rachel! That’s what I thought tat soi was…

  10. I love the color contrast. Black noodles always had an aesthetic zing to any dish.

  11. It looks beautiful and oh-so-healthy!

  12. i’m keeping my eyes peeled for black rice noodles! look like a trip to the asian grocer is in order 🙂

  13. LOOve the purple noodles! I love how this recipe is loaded with healthy ingredients, but I bet even the pickiest kiddo would probably want to have a taste of these fun looking noodles! 🙂

  14. Not sure how I came across your blog but am glad I did! I made this over the weekend and OMG it was sooo good! I had to tweak it unfortunately because I did not have the wine (so I substituted with just regular cooking wine) and the tat soi (so I used bok choy). I did not have a way to grate the garlic so I just chopped it very finely and eliminated the garlic (just because I forgot). And I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing! My two year old loved the noodles! Wasn't sure what it would taste like but it honestly didn't taste anything different…other than it being black and well mildly sweet..

    Love love this recipe!! Thank you!