Cold Sesame Noodle Salad

Enjoy this cool and refreshing salad on a hot day or as a packed lunch. Make sure to use a brand of noodles that is low sodium or (ideally) with no sodium added.

Recipe developed by Clarissa Paimanta, RD and tested by Jennifer Krasilovsky, KidneyRD Intern 2021

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Course: Main, Salad

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Keyword: Low Calorie, Low Phosphorus, Low Potassium, Low Protein, Plant-Based

Diet Type: CKD, VLPD

Servings:

Calories: 341kcal

Author: Clarissa Paimanta, RD

Ingredients

Fresh Sesame Dressing

½ small onion 2 tablespoons grated
1 medium pear peeled and cored (½ cup grated)
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Noodle Salad

1 cup soybean sprouts or mung bean sprouts washed
1 medium carrot sliced into matchsticks
5 oz soba or buckwheat noodles dry
1 small cucumber sliced into matchsticks
½ head about 4 cups green leaf lettuce, shredded
Optional Garnish: 1 tablespoon black and white sesame seeds

Instructions

Make the sesame dressing: add onion and pear into a food processor and puree until smooth. Alternatively, grate them using a fine grater or a microplane. Transfer puree into a small bowl. Add soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Mix well to combine and store in the fridge while preparing the salad.
Fill a pot or saucepan with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. While waiting, prepare a mesh strainer or a slotted spoon, a mixing bowl, and a colander in the sink.
Once the water starts to boil, add the sprouts and let cook for 1-1½ minutes or until desired crunchiness. Fish them out using a strainer or slotted spoon (do not discard the boiling water), shake off the excess water, and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Repeat the same process with the carrots, but cook for only 30-60 seconds or until desired crunchiness. Fish them out, shake off excess water, and transfer to the same mixing bowl.
In the same boiling water, cook soba or buckwheat noodles for about 4 minutes or per package directions. Drain the noodles into the colander, run cold water over them to quickly cool the noodles, drain well, then transfer to the mixing bowl.
Into the same mixing bowl, add sliced cucumber, along with the sesame dressing. Toss to coat. Cover then place in the fridge to chill until ready to serve or for up to 2 days if making ahead.
To serve, divide your dressed salad into three bowls, top with lettuce and garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds (optional). Enjoy!

Notes

Variations:

Lower Potassium: Substitute 1 medium apple for the pear in the dressing, 1 cup mung bean sprouts for soybean sprouts, ½ cup sliced bell peppers for the carrot, and omit the sesame seed garnish to lower potassium to 435 mg per serving.

Lower Protein: Use gluten-free (corn flour) angel hair pasta instead of soba noodles; substitute mung bean sprouts for soybean sprouts; omit the sesame seed garnish.

Higher Protein: Add sliced tofu or blanched edamame.

No Cook: Blanching the vegetables is optional - keep the vegetables raw if desired. However, it is recommended to blanch the soybean sprouts to prevent foodborne illness.

No Potassium Restriction? Feel free to add more vegetables as radish, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and even pear slices.

Nutrition

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