Noodle Broccoli Salad with Hoisin Dressing

This Asian inspired bean thread noodle salad with broccoli makes a delicious, refreshing light lunch.  It's nutritious, vegan and super easy to make. Ready in as little as 15 minutes.

Salad meals make light yet satisfying and usually pretty healthy meals.  In addition to being all of these things this noodle salad is also incredibly easy to make.  The noodles and broccoli comes with sweet, crunchy cashews, a handful of fresh herbs, all coated in a more-ishly delicious hoisin dressing. 

Bean thread vermicelli is a super convenient ingredient, which can be used in both hot and cold dishes. (Vermicelli can be made using a variety of ingredients so check the packaging to ensure it's gluten free).  Another plus of this versatile ingredient is that it doesn't need to be cooked, only soaked in hot water. (Check packet instructions and refer to my Instructions below).  So it's ready in minutes!

It also has a mildly sweet, almost neutral flavour, which makes it suitable to use in a wide variety of dishes.

But my favourite quality of this ingredient is the fact that it's so delicate and light.  It's satisfying but doesn't fill you up in the same way that wheat noodles/pasta do.  That's why it's an ideal salad ingredient.

Broccoli noodle salad ingredients

Because this bean thread noodles recipe is essentially a 2-ingredient dish (i.e. noodles and broccoli) there is a number of topping ingredients that you can use.  A fresh herb is a must and either cilantro, Thai basil or lemon balm will work well.  I also used cashew nuts for crunch, but you could swap these for peanuts if you like (toast them lightly first) and use sesame seeds.  Finish off with a scatter of finely chopped spring onions.

The hoisin dressing uses a handful of simple ingredients and comes together in a couple of minutes.

How to prepare the bean thread noodles

I am using bean thread vermicelli, which needs to be rehydrated rather than boiled. Place the noodles in a bowl, cover with boiling water and set aside for 5-6 minutes until soft. Once in a while give a stir so they don't stick together.  

Drain and rinse the noodles under cold running water before assembling the salad.

You can, but don't have to, chop the noodles roughly before putting into the salad.

Top tip

If you are adding cellophane noodles to a hot dish you don't need to rinse them under cold water.

How to prepare the broccoli

Broccoli is a very popular vegetable though it can be tricky to prepare successfully.  This is because if it's cooked for too long (even a minute too long) it loses its sweetness, crunch and vibrant green colour.  That's why it's important to cook the florets for a few minutes only (I cooked mine for about 3 minutes).

Both the florets as well as the stalk can be added to salads, either raw or cooked (this recipe uses only the florets but you can add the stalks to broccoli hummus). Because this broccoli noodle salad contains delicate, soft vermicelli I felt that adding tough, raw broccoli might overpower it.  So I decided to cook the broccoli briefly to soften it a little.

Top tip

After 3 minutes of cooking scoop up the florets using a slotted spoon and rinse briefly under cold water. This will stop them from cooking further as well as cool them before combining with the other ingredients.

Assembling the salad

After you've rehydrated the noodles and cooked the broccoli you are ready to assemble the salad.

1.In a bowl combine all the dressing ingredients and stir thoroughly.  Prepare the dressing while you are waiting for the noodles to rehydrate.

2. In a large shallow bowl/plate combine the noodles and broccoli, scatter the spring onions, herbs and cashew nuts over the top and drizzle the dressing over the whole thing.  Enjoy!

Expert tips and FAQs

• Bean thread noodles do not require cooking, only rehydrating in hot water (see Instructions).
• Cook the broccoli and make the dressing while the noodles are soaking.
• The dressing in this noodle salad recipe is a combination of sweet, zesty and aromatic.  You can make it mild or spicy by adjusting the amount of chilli in the recipe.  Using half a chilli, as per Instructions, will produce a mildly spicy dressing. You can also prepare the dressing ahead and keep in the fridge (overnight) until you are ready to make the recipe.
• Leftover dressing can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.
• I used cilantro, but Thai basil, tarragon, mint or lemon balm would work well too.
• You can make the salad ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.
• Not suitable for freezing.

Substitutions

• Bean thread noodles: Substitute rice noodles if preferred (these require boiling).
• Cashews: Use lightly roasted peanuts instead.
• Lemon juice: Substitute rice vinegar (adjust the amount to taste).

You might also like

• Pomelo Salad with Noodles (Vegan)
• Raw Broccoli Pasta Salad
• Easy Carrot Noodles Stir Fry
• Hoisin Chicken Stir Fry with Veggie Noodles

Check out also this collection of healthy vegetarian pasta meals.

Keep in touch!

How has your noodle broccoli salad turned out for you?  What herbs did you use? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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