This Cold Noodle Salad is a quick, high-protein lunch or light dinner made with cooked wholewheat noodles, leftover cucumber and edamame salad, shredded salmon, grated carrot and crunchy cashews. It is a great way to turn leftovers into a fresh, filling meal, and it works well for meal prep too. Perfect for when you are craving noodles in the summertime.
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The dressing from the cucumber and edamame salad does most of the work here, coating the noodles in a soy, garlic and ginger flavour without needing to make anything extra. If you have tried our amazing cucumber edamame salad, then you need to make this with leftovers.
This cold noodle salad is quick to assemble, especially if the noodles and salmon are already cooked. It is packed with protein from the salmon and edamame, has plenty of crunch from the cucumber, carrot and cashews, and the wholewheat noodles make it filling without feeling heavy.
It is also really flexible. You can serve it as a main meal, pack it into lunchboxes, or bulk it out with extra vegetables if you have bits in the fridge to use up. Almost anything goes here.
Looking for more noodle recipes? Why not try our speedy 15 Minute Noodle Bowls, spicy Chilli Oil Noodles, or our simple Soy Sauce Noodles?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Salmon - Cooked shredded salmon adds protein. Poached, baked, air fried or leftover roast salmon all work well.
- Noodles - Cooked and cooled wholewheat noodles form the base of the salad. Egg noodles, soba noodles, ramen noodles or wholewheat spaghetti would also work.
- Cucumber and edamame salad - Leftover cucumber and edamame salad adds crunch, vegetables and the soy, garlic and ginger dressing.
- Carrots - Grated carrots for crunch, colour and sweetness.
- Cashews - These are optional, but they add a nice crunch before serving. You can also add spring onions (scallions), sesame seeds, fresh coriander (cilantro), chilli flakes or a squeeze of lime if you want to boost the flavour even more.
Variations
Protein - Swap the salmon for cooked chicken, prawns, tofu, tempeh or hard-boiled eggs. Crispy baked tofu works especially well if you want a vegetarian version.
Vegetables - Add shredded red cabbage, sliced peppers, mangetout (snow peas), radishes, spinach, bean sprouts or finely sliced spring onions. This is a good recipe for using up small amounts of veg left in the fridge.
Spicy - Add chilli crisp, sriracha, fresh red chilli or a pinch of chilli flakes. A little goes a long way because the dressing already has garlic and ginger.
Freshness - Add coriander, mint, Thai basil or a squeeze of lime juice just before serving.
Crunch - Use toasted sesame seeds, peanuts, crispy onions or crushed wasabi peas instead of cashews.
Gluten-free - Use rice noodles or 100% buckwheat soba noodles and make sure the dressing is made with tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
How To Make Cold Noodle Salad
- Step 1: Cook the salmon. We did ours in the air fryer.
- Step 2: Meanwhile, cook the noodles. Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water until cooled.
- Step 3: Once the salmon is cooked, flake it and put it into a mixing bowl with the noodles, carrot and edamame salad. Mix well.
- Step 4: Divide between bowls and top with the crushed cashews.
Meal Prep and Leftovers
Meal Prep - This cold noodles salad works really well for meal prep, but it is best to store the cashews separately and add them just before eating.
You can cook the noodles in advance, cool them and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Toss them with a tiny drizzle of sesame oil to stop them sticking.
The salmon can also be cooked ahead and kept in the fridge until needed. Make sure it is fully cooled before adding it to the salad.
If you are making this specifically for packed lunches, mix the noodles, cucumber and edamame salad, carrot and salmon together, then portion into containers. Keep the cashews in a separate small pot.
Leftovers - Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Because this recipe contains cooked salmon, it is best eaten cold rather than reheated. Reheating can dry out the salmon and make the cucumber soft.
The noodles may absorb some of the dressing as they sit, so stir through a little extra soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil or leftover dressing before serving.
Do not freeze this salad. The cucumber, noodles and dressing will not have a good texture once defrosted.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Rinse the noodles well after cooking. This stops them sticking together and cools them quickly, which is important for a cold noodle salad.
- Drain the noodles properly before mixing. Too much water will dilute the dressing and make the salad bland.
- Add the cashews just before serving so they stay crunchy.
- Taste before serving. Cold food often needs slightly more seasoning, so you may want to add a splash more soy sauce, lime juice or sesame oil.
- Flake the salmon into fairly large pieces rather than tiny shreds if you want it to stand out more in the salad.
- If the noodles have clumped together in the fridge, toss them with a small splash of sesame oil, soy sauce or lime juice to loosen them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, tinned salmon can be used. Drain it well and gently flake it through the noodles. It will have a softer texture than cooked salmon fillets, but it is a good budget-friendly option.
Rinse them under cold water after cooking, drain them well and toss with a small amount of sesame oil or dressing. This helps keep them separate.
More Leftover Recipes
If you've tried this cold Asian noodle salad, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Cold Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 240 g of Salmon fillets - approx 120g/4.25oz per fillet
- 2 portions of Cucumber edamame salad
- 2 Carrots - small; cut into battens
- 2 nests of Dried wholewheat noodles
- 2 tablespoon of Cashews - coarsely crushed
Instructions
- Cook 240 g of Salmon fillets. We did ours in the air fryer.
- Meanwhile, cook 2 nests of Dried wholewheat noodles. Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water until cooled.
- Once the salmon is cooked, flake it and put it into a mixing bowl with the noodles, 2 Carrots (cut into battens) and 2 portions of Cucumber edamame salad. Mix well.
- Divide between bowls and top with 2 tbsp of Cashews (crushed).
Recipe Tips
- Rinse the noodles well after cooking. This stops them sticking together and cools them quickly, which is important for a cold noodle salad.
- Drain the noodles properly before mixing. Too much water will dilute the dressing and make the salad bland.
- Add the cashews just before serving so they stay crunchy.
- Taste before serving. Cold food often needs slightly more seasoning, so you may want to add a splash more soy sauce, lime juice or sesame oil.
- Flake the salmon into fairly large pieces rather than tiny shreds if you want it to stand out more in the salad.
- If the noodles have clumped together in the fridge, toss them with a small splash of sesame oil, soy sauce or lime juice to loosen them.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
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