RAINBOW VEG NOODLE SALAD

25 MINS, PLUS CHILLING TIME

SERVES 4

I aim for one very big handful of noodles to three big handfuls of vegetables per person. My mum cooks a lot with tamarind and I love its sour flavour, but if you can’t get the paste then add a tablespoon of rice vinegar or the juice of a lime to replace it. I use soba (buckwheat) noodles, but rice noodles would be great and I’ve made this with spaghetti, too.

— 2 tbsp smooth nut butter or tahini

— 1½ tbsp tamarind paste, added to taste

— 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey

— 2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated to make around 2 tsp

— 1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped or grated

— 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

— 3 tbsp olive oil

— 2 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)

— 1-2 red chillies, deseeded if you prefer, then finely sliced, or

1 tbsp chilli sauce

For the noodle salad

— 2 medium carrots

— ½ red cabbage

— 2 heads of pak choi or big handful of green/ white cabbage

— 1 red or orange pepper, deseeded

— 1 medium cucumber, halved lengthways and seeds removed

— bunch of spring onions — big handful of green beans or sugar-snap peas — 1 crunchy fresh apple or ripe pear, cored and finely sliced

— 300g dried noodles — a little olive oil, to drizzle

— a big handful of fresh herbs (about 30g; I like mint, basil or coriander) — 2 tbsp black/white/ mixed sesame seeds, toasted, or a small handful of toasted and chopped cashews or peanuts

— 1 juicy lime, sliced into wedges, to serve

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl (saving half the fresh chilli for a garnish), then add 1-2 tablespoons of warm water until you have a thick dressing/ thin sauce. Season to taste – it should be sour, sweet, salty and spicy, so adjust it to your liking.

Prepare the vegetables using a food processor with the grater attachment, or a knife, so that they are all finely shredded, grated or sliced into matchsticks (slice the beans or sugar-snap peas finely on an angle). Add the vegetables to a large mixing bowl with the apple.

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. If you’re using soba noodles, I recommend using tongs to separate them right at the beginning and cooking them in plenty of water, as they can stick together. Once tender, drain and rinse the noodles with cold water in a colander to cool quickly, using tongs again to separate them as you rinse so they don’t clump. Drain well. Drizzle a little olive oil and salt on to the noodles and toss.

Add the noodles to the vegetables and add three quarters of the dressing, using tongs to mix everything gently. Either add the rest of the sauce at this point or serve at the table for people to help themselves. Chill the dressed salad in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.

Toss again, then add the herbs and seeds or nuts, and reserved chopped chilli. Serve with lime wedges.

For the dressing