Sesame and Cilantro Vermicelli Salad

Ingredients

Honey Soy Dressing:

• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil or corn oil
• 3 Tbsp dark sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper or chili powder
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (less if using tamari which is more concentrated than soy sauce)

Salad:

• 8 ounces of vermicelli, thin spaghetti, or angel hair pasta
• Salt
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup sliced and chopped red bell pepper
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1 Cook the pasta in a large saucepan in salted boiling water, according to directions on pasta package. Drain but do not rinse.

2 While the pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing. In a microwave-safe dish, heat the vegetable oil, sesame oil, and red pepper, in the microwave on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the honey and soy sauce and mix well.

3 Combine the drained pasta with the dressing in a large bowl until the pasta is well coated. Cover and chill for several hours.

4 When ready to serve, mix in the cilantro, peanuts, green onions and bell pepper. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Yield: Serves 4 to 8.