Asian Zucchini Noodle Salad

Zucchini noodles with cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, tossed with a sesame rice vinegar dressing. Light, fresh, and easy!

Asian Zucchini Noodle Salad
Elise Bauer

So, have you taken the plunge and invested in a spiralizer? I bought one a few months ago and have been experimenting ever since. So far my favorite vegetable to "spiralize" is zucchini.

One quick way to make use of zucchini noodles is to just toss the raw "zoodles" with salad dressing. Instant zucchini salad!

Asian Zucchini Noodle Salad
Elise Bauer

With this recipe, I thought I would take the zucchini salad idea a step further and make a favorite Asian noodle salad, but with zucchini noodles. In addition to the zucchini there is thinly sliced cabbage, grated carrots, sliced bell pepper and green onions. Everything is tossed with a toasted sesame oil rice vinegar dressing.

It's light, colorful, crunchy, and delicious. A perfect fresh salad for a hot day!

Asian Zucchini Noodle Salad

Prep Time 20 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 4 servings

Some vegetables can be harder to digest when they are raw, like cauliflower or zucchini. So, if you are not used to eating raw zucchini, take it easy the first time, and don't eat more than a regular portion.

*Seasoned rice vinegar is rice vinegar that has been seasoned with salt, pepper, and sugar. If you have plain rice vinegar, you'll need to add seasoning and sugar to it.

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 zucchinis (1 1/2 pounds total)

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced and roughly chopped red cabbage

  • 1 large carrot, grated (about 1 cup)

  • 1/2 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced then cut into 1-inch segments

  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped, leaves and tender stems (about 1/2 cup)

Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar*

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dark roasted sesame oil

  • 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

  • Pinch red pepper flakes

Method

  1. Spiralize zucchini noodles:

    Using a spiralizer or other spiral vegetable slicing tool, use the zucchini to make the zucchini noodles following manufacturer's directions. You should have 5 to 6 cups of "zoodles". Place in a colander set over a bowl and toss with salt. Let the noodles drain a bit of their excess moisture while you prep the other vegetables.

    Many of the noodles are quite long, so you'll want to cut them up a bit with scissors to make them easier to toss with the other vegetables.

  2. Combine zucchini noodles with cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, onions, cilantro:

    In a large bowl.

  3. Make dressing:

    Whisk together in a medium bowl the seasoned rice vinegar, olive oil, dark sesame oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes.

  4. Pour the dressing over the zucchini noodles and vegetables:

    And gently toss to combine.

    Serve immediately.

Asian Zucchini Noodle Salad
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
145 Calories
9g Fat
14g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 145
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 303mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 97mg 485%
Calcium 80mg 6%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 816mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.