Thai Noodle Salad

This salad looks impressive and tastes even better, but it’s easier than pie to make. If you don’t have brown rice ramen noodles, any Asian-style noodle will do.

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• 3 tbsp ginger, minced
• ¼ cup warm water
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil

For the salad:

• 1 ½ cups brown rice ramen noodles, cooked and rinsed with cold water
• ½ cup cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 cup carrots, grated
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (orange, red or yellow)
• 1 ½ cups baby spinach, chiffonade
• ½ cup sugar snap peas, chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)

For the dressing, blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 20 seconds. For the salad, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, pour the dressing overtop, and toss until well coated. Best served at room temperature.