Cold Sesame Noodles with Veggies & Peanut Sauce

Have you ever tried cold sesame noodles at an Asian restaurant? Good, huh? This recipe takes it farther and results in something even better. A cold sesame noodle dish packed with flavor, crunchy veggies, and peanut sauce--and the ginger is so good--it almost makes the dish. This salad is filling, pretty good for you dang it, and includes a crowd favorite--peanut butter. It makes about 10 cups so enough for a crowd. You can easily cut the recipe in half. It makes a lot of peanut sauce and I didn't put it all in the with the noodles. Saved some for grilled chicken breasts later in the week. Here's what you'll need:

 
1 16 oz package whole grain thin spaghetti noodles

Peanut Sauce:
1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup water
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons chili oil
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Veggies:
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, unpeeled, cut lengthwise in half & thinly sliced crosswise
1 medium carrot, cut into thin strips

Get the noodles cooking according to package directions, rinse with cold water, and drain. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut sauce ingredients.

Add the sauce to the noodles in a large bowl and mix together well. Chill, serve, and top with veggies. Or, throw the veggies in with the peanut sauce and mix it all together.