Description

A vibrant and nutritious sesame, edamame, and chicken noodle salad featuring wholewheat noodles, tender shredded chicken, crunchy broccoli, and toasted sesame seeds, tossed in a flavorful tahini and sesame oil dressing. Perfect as a light lunch or make-ahead meal that can be enjoyed cold.

Ingredients

Scale

Protein

2 chicken legs, cooked
160g frozen edamame beans

Vegetables

160g long-stemmed broccoli, cut into small florets

Grains & Noodles

4 wholewheat noodle nests

Seeds & Nuts

1½ tbsp sesame seeds

Dressing & Sauces

1 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp honey
1½ tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Instructions

Prepare chicken: Remove the skin from the cooked chicken legs and shred the meat, discarding the bones. Set the shredded chicken aside for later.
Toast sesame seeds: In a large pan, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat for about 1 minute until golden and fragrant. Transfer the toasted seeds into a large bowl capable of holding the salad later.
Cook noodles and vegetables: Fill the pan with fresh water from a kettle and bring it back to a boil. Add the wholewheat noodle nests and cook according to the package instructions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the frozen edamame beans and broccoli florets to the boiling water to cook them lightly.
Prepare dressing: While the noodles and vegetables cook, combine tahini, sesame oil, honey, low-sodium soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar in the bowl with the toasted sesame seeds. Mix well to create the dressing.
Drain and cool noodles: Drain the noodles, edamame, and broccoli, reserving about a cup of the cooking water. Rinse the noodles under cold running water to cool them down, then drain thoroughly.
Assemble salad: Toss the cooled noodles, edamame, broccoli, and shredded chicken through the dressing mixture. Add a splash of the reserved cooking water as needed to thin the sauce and ensure it coats the noodles evenly. The dressing will thicken as it cools.
Chill and serve: Transfer the salad to containers and chill until ready to eat, or serve immediately if preferred.

Notes

Using wholewheat noodles adds fiber and a nuttier flavor to the salad.
Toasting the sesame seeds enhances their aroma and flavor.
Adjust the amount of reserved cooking water to obtain your desired dressing consistency.
Can be prepared ahead of time and served cold, making it ideal for meal prep or packed lunches.
For a vegetarian version, replace chicken with extra edamame or tofu.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Asian-inspired

Keywords: sesame chicken noodle salad, edamame salad, healthy noodle salad, wholewheat noodles, tahini dressing, Asian salad, low sodium recipe