Pasta Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing

This salad for a crowd is packed with fresh ingredients and served with a flavorful dressing inspired by East Asian cuisines.

Ingredients:

Salad

1 lb. penne pasta

1 small Napa OR savoy cabbage, thinly sliced

½ a head of purple cabbage, thinly sliced

½ of a daikon radish, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup cilantro, tough stems removed, roughly chopped

½ lb. baby kale OR spinach

2 cups peas, pea shoots OR bean sprouts

Ginger Soy Dressing

2 limes, zested and juiced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced

1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. honey

3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

 

Optional garnish: Toasted sesame seeds

Equipment:

Cooktop
Large pot
Kitchen knife
Cutting board
Peeler
Box grater
Microplane
Juicer OR fork
1-2 large bowls
Jar with a lid OR other container for dressing

Ingredients:

Salad

1 lb. penne pasta

1 small Napa OR savoy cabbage, thinly sliced

½ a head of purple cabbage, thinly sliced

½ of a daikon radish, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup cilantro, tough stems removed, roughly chopped

½ lb. baby kale OR spinach

2 cups peas, pea shoots OR bean sprouts

Ginger Soy Dressing

2 limes, zested and juiced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced

1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. honey

3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

 

Optional garnish: Toasted sesame seeds

Equipment:

Cooktop
Large pot
Kitchen knife
Cutting board
Peeler
Box grater
Microplane
Juicer OR fork
1-2 large bowls
Jar with a lid OR other container for dressing

Directions:

  1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Strain and spread the pasta out on an oiled sheet pan to allow it to cool completely.
  2. Wash all the fresh ingredients and slice, grate, core, quarter, chop, peel, mince, zest, and juice them as noted in the ingredients list.
  3. Combine all the salad ingredients in 1 or 2 large bowls and toss.
  4. Prepare the dressing by combining the lime zest and juice, soy sauce, olive oil, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil, and garlic in a jar with a lid (or another container) and shake or mix thoroughly.
  5. Add the dressing to the salad and toss to combine. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top.

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman