Cold Miso Sesame Noodles
Inspired by techniques from Bon Appétit.
Spaghetti is tossed cold with a creamy miso, sesame oil and lime dressing, then mixed with crunchy cucumber, spring onion and chilli for a cooling, savoury-sour noodle salad. It comes together with no special equipment and actually improves after a short rest in the fridge.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Boil the pasta water. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Once it's steaming, add the salt.
- 2
Prep the chilli. Halve the chilli lengthwise and pull out the stem and white ribs. Tap out the seeds, then finely chop the chilli; wash your hands well with soap afterward.
- 3
Prep the vegetables. Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, then slice crosswise into 6 mm half-moons. Thinly slice the spring onions.
- 4
Juice the limes. Juice two limes into a jug until you have 60 ml, discarding the seeds. Cut the remaining lime into wedges for serving.
- 5
Make the dressing. Whisk the miso, sesame oil, brown sugar and lime juice together in a large bowl until smooth. Finely grate in the garlic and whisk to combine.
- 6
Emulsify the dressing. Whisking constantly, slowly stream in the grapeseed oil until the dressing is smooth and thick. Whisk in the water a little at a time until the dressing is the consistency of double cream.
- 7
Cook the noodles. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and stir to prevent sticking. Cook according to the packet instructions until tender.
- 8
Drain and cool. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and wash off the surface starch; drain thoroughly, shaking off excess water.
- 9
Toss and season. Add the noodles to the bowl of dressing and toss to coat. Add the chilli, cucumbers and spring onions and toss again; season with more salt to taste.
- 10
Serve. Divide the noodles among plates, top with toasted sesame seeds, and serve with the lime wedges alongside.
Storage
Best eaten the day it's made, or refrigerate covered for up to 2 days; the noodles keep absorbing the dressing as they sit, so loosen with a splash of water before serving.
Free sugars
4.6 g per serving
9.2 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 18.4 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large saucepan
- chef's knife
- chopping board
- citrus reamer or fork
- fine grater
- large mixing bowl
- whisk
- colander
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 763 kcal |
| Protein | 21.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 108 g |
| of which sugars | 12.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 4.6 g |
| Fat | 28.6 g |
| of which saturates | 3.4 g |
| Fibre | 7.7 g |
| Salt | 3.91 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.8 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
