The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox: Happy, Healthy & Speedy Meals to Make in Minutes, written by Alexander Hart, features a vibrant collection of 52 speedy salads using a variety of noodles and flavors. A few highlights include Chicken & Pineapple Noodles with Gochujang, Miso Mushroom Ramen Noodle Salad, Spicy Mango Noodles, Spring Veggie Soba Noodles, and Pumpkin Noodles with Butter Beans & Roasted Red Pepper. I will also be sharing his recipe for Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Salad following the review.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Smith Street Books in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Alexander Hart
Alexander Hart is a cook, food writer, and long-time health-food advocate.
He is currently based in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia. Alexander is also the author of Jar Salads and other books in The 5-Minute Salad series.
The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox
Alexander begins The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox with a short introduction before going over a few favorite salad ingredients.
The chapters are divided based on type of noodle: Hokkien Noodles, Ramen Noodles, Rice Noodles, Soba Noodles, and Veggie Noodles.
The photography is provided by Jacinta Moore with food styling by Deborah Kaloper. Every single recipe is paired with a full-page, vibrant aerial photo of the prepared noodle salad in a rectangular lunchbox.
Measurements are listed in Metric and US Customary. Titles are written in English. Each recipe has a short headnote with background information and ingredient notes. The yield is one serving, but I often doubled with no issues.
Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Salad
This Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Salad was a particular favorite with the family. Cooked ramen noodles are tossed with shredded chicken, pineapple, spring onion, carrot, red cabbage, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds before serving with a teriyaki sesame dressing.
Like the other recipes in the book, everything comes together in minutes for minimal meal prep with maximum flavor.
Simply toss the salad ingredients together until evenly distributed and place in an airtight container. After assembling, refrigerate the Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Salad and enjoy within a day.
Notable Ingredients
For this recipe, I used frozen ramen noodles labeled “Kaedama.” These are extra noodles packed in individual servings without sauce.
Teriyaki is a versatile Japanese sweet and savory sauce. It is created by simmering together soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. I often make a Homemade Teriyaki Sauce, but you can also go with a favorite store-bought brand.
Kecap manis (Ketjap Manis) is a thick, syrupy sweet soy sauce popular in Indonesian and Malaysian cooking. It can be found in the sauce section of markets featuring Southeast Asian ingredients. The sauce can also be made at home (here is a recipe from Fuss-Free Cooking), but I have not personally tried yet.
For those in Northern Virginia, I was able to located all of these ingredients at Wegmans in Chantilly.
A Few Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Salad Notes
You can either use store-bought shredded, cooked chicken or prep your own ahead of time. My grocery store happened to be out of pre-cooked, so I poached a boneless, skinless chicken breast the night before, then shredded and refrigerated it until needed.
Do not add the teriyaki sesame sauce to the noodles and vegetables until immediately before serving.
More Noodle Salads
I also made Satay Chicken Noodle Salad, Caprese & Prosciutto Noodle Salad, Nutty Crunchy Coleslaw Noodles, and Rice Noodles with Smashed Cucumber.
The Satay Chicken Noodle Salad is the very first recipe in the book. Thin Hokkien noodles are tossed with shredded chicken, spring onion, cucumber, bell pepper, peanuts, cilantro, and a pinch of dried chili flakes. Before serving, it is paired with a rich peanut butter-based satay dressing.
The Caprese & Prosciutto Noodle Salad has such a fun fusion of ingredients. It was especially refreshing for a hot summer day. Hokkien noodles are tossed with torn prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil, and toasted pine nuts. It is served with a sun-dried tomato and chili vinaigrette.
The Nutty Crunchy Coleslaw Noodles are perfect for those who love texture. Rice noodles are tossed with coleslaw, cashews, almonds, sesame seeds, and fresh mint before topping with a creamy almond miso dressing.
The Rice Noodles with Smashed Cucumber were another favorite. Wide rice noodles are coated in a chilli soy dressing along with smashed cucumber pieces, chives, cilantro, and roasted peanuts.
The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox is a great pick for those interested easy noodle-based lunch options for back-to-school/work and throughout the year. If looking for noodle alternatives, the veggie noodle section uses a variety of vegetables in the shape of noodles from spiralized beets, pumpkin, and zucchini to kohlrabi noodles, cucumber ribbons, and carrot noodles. There is a nice blend of meat-based and vegetarian-based meals.
Most of the ingredients are readily available in larger American grocery stores. A few items that may require further searching include ponzu, dried chorizo, gochujang, broccolini, Vietnamese mint, silken tofu, chili crisp oil, Thai basil, wide rice noodles, black sesame seeds, shichimi togarashi, sumac, and harissa.
Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Salad Recipe
Excerpt from The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox
Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 180 grams (6 1/2 ounces) cooked ramen noodles prepared as per packet instructions
- 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) shredded cooked chicken
- 50 grams (1/3 cup) chopped pineapple
- 1 small spring onion (scallion) finely sliced
- 1 small carrot julienned
- Small handful of shredded red cabbage
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Teriyaki Sesame Dressing:
- 2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons kecap manis sweet soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
Instructions
- Toss all the salad ingredients together, then tip into your lunchbox.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a small jar or container with a tight-fitting lid.
- Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving and tossing well.
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