Who’s for noodles: Satay chicken noodle salad

You can save time by using straight-to-wok rice noodles. Microwaving them first will help them to absorb the dressing, but don’t add the mint until they’ve cooled down.

SERVES 4 for dinner, or 6 for lunch

TAKES less than 30 minutes

200g dried flat rice noodles

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

150g-175g hunk of green, white or savoy cabbage, shredded

2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks

small bunch of mint, leaves picked and large ones torn

350g cooked chicken, shredded

25g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve

FOR THE QUICK PICKLED SHALLOTS

2 long or 4 round shallots, finely sliced

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp caster or granulated sugar

FOR THE SATAY DRESSING

100g smooth peanut butter

4 tsp light soy sauce

4 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

juice of 1-2 limes

4 tbsp water

• Soak the noodles in a big bowl of hot water for about 20 minutes until soft. Rinse with cold water, then drain and pat dry before tossing with the sesame oil in a big bowl.
• Meanwhile, mix the shallots with the vinegar and sugar and set aside to pickle, stirring occasionally – they’ll turn pale pink when they’re ready.
• Whiz all the ingredients for the satay dressing in a blender or food processor, adding enough lime juice to taste. Pour half the dressing over the noodles and mix through to coat every strand.
• Add the cabbage, carrots and most of the mint leaves and toss a few more times to distribute the vegetables evenly.
• Divide the noodle salad between serving plates, top with the shredded chicken and drizzle generously with some more dressing. Scatter with the reserved mint, pickled shallots and chopped peanuts. Serve with lime wedges.

TIP Rice noodles cook faster than wheat varieties, so to avoid soggy results soaking is safer than boiling them.