This make-ahead rice noodle recipe, packed with chicken and asparagus, can be made in 20 minutes. It's one of my family's favorite meals any time of the year! Switch up the vegetables and meat to suit your taste buds.
I came into the kitchen the other day and found the backside of a 10-year old pointed at me from inside our pantry. His head was barely visible as he rummaged, grunting and sighing, clearly looking for something specific.
"What are you up to, T?" I asked.
"I can't find the rice noodles! I wanted to make lunch for everyone."
Well, that was music to my ears. And I could even overlook the fact that half of the pantry ingredients were on the floor or toppled over on the shelves. I wish I could say that T was planning to put everything back in its rightful place, but that would be a downright lie. But what that boy lacks in tidiness (which I might as well admit he gets from me...it's only a matter of time before my mum leaves a comment here, outing me on my lifelong messiness), he makes up for in creativity and thoughtfulness.
We were out of rice noodles that day, which was rather unfortunate because I was dying to see what he would have come up with. Knowing him, it would have involved shrimp (a seafood lover, through and through) and red bell peppers, the latter simply because he loves chopping them.
A few nights before, I made this chicken, asparagus and carrot version, and while T loved the dish as a whole, he could have done without the asparagus. Not a fan. But asparagus is popping up everywhere and I couldn't resist using it in this noodle dish.
The beauty of rice noodle salads, besides coming together in 20 minutes or less, is that they can be made ahead of time and are incredibly versatile. Don't have asparagus or chicken? No problem. Substitute them with shrimp, beef or tofu, and veggies such as broccoli or spinach. It's a clear-out-the-fridge kind of dish. The best kind, really. Rice noodle soup falls in this category, too!
Rice noodles can be found in most grocery stores. For the chicken, feel free to use any kind of leftover chicken that you have in your fridge or the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken. Whenever I pull out chicken for a recipe, I typically poach a couple of extra chicken breasts so that I can have the meat on hand for easy meals like this one.
This one's for you, T. Well, minus the asparagus.
Other healthy asparagus recipes:
Roasted Asparagus with Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing
Asparagus Hummus
Printable Recipe
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Rice Noodles with Chicken, Asparagus & Soy Ginger Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rice noodles I used brown rice noodles
- 1 pound asparagus trimmed & cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cooked skinless chicken breasts, shredded
- 1 red bell pepper seeded & thinly sliced
- 2 carrots cut into matchsticks
- 2 green onion thinly sliced
The Sauce:
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 4 teaspoons agave nectar
- ½ teaspoon chili garlic sauce
Instructions
- Cook the rice noodles according to package directions. Add the asparagus in the last minute of cooking. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Add the chicken, red bell pepper, carrots and green onions to the noodles and asparagus.
- Add the sauce and toss to coat. Serve.
The Sauce:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, ginger, agave nectar and chili garlic sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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Liz
Love this salad, Dara. Thank you.
Andi @ The Weary Chef
This looks so delicious, Dara! We recently bought a house out in the country, and it came fully furnished, even with a lot of stuff in the kitchen! The previous owner was gluten free like me, so he left us a couple packages of rice noodles along with some other kitchen staples. I hadn't decided what to make with them yet, but I think this might be it! I love how easy it is to adapt with what you have on hand. Great meal!
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles
Talk about a perfect lunch. Love this, Dara!
Kim Beaulieu
This is one stunning recipe, I am just sitting here in awe of all the gorgeousness in one post. I have to say I used to be super ocd about putting things in their place, now, not so much. We have a weird pantry so we have to pull stuff out all the time but I find myself lacking the desire lately to be all "sleeping with the enemy" about all the labels lining up. I used to be really particular. So silly.