Yogurtsoda Gratuitous food and travel.

This cold noodle salad, adapted from Martin Yan’s Culinary Journey Through China, is one of my favorites to make simply for how easy and versatile it is. The noodles and sauce always remain the same, but the vegetables can always be substituted as long as you include a mix of something crunchy and colorful.

This is also one of my favorite noodle salads to eat, since it feature bean thread noodles. Also known as cellophane or glass noodles, they have an incredible texture: chewy and slippery, and they do a great job absorbing the fragrant chili and sesame laced sauce.

Ingredients:

10 ounces dried bean thread noodles
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
3 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 Japanese or Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 lb snow peas, thinly sliced

1. Soak bean thread noodles in war water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes; drain. Cut bean thread noodles in half. Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce, sugar and 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil in another bowl and set aside.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add bean thread noodles and cook for 1 minute. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.

3. Place bean thread noodles in a salad bowl and toss with remaining teaspoon of sesame oil. Add dressing and vegetables and toss to coat.