I mentioned in my kick-off post for the Penny Pinching Pantry Raid Challenge that I had some leftover Peanut Chicken Pasta Salad in my fridge. Well, here is the recipe!
This recipe was inspired by (and includes) Alice’s Quick and Easy Thai Peanut Vinaigrette on Savory Sweet Life. I am a huge fan of peanut sauce, but it can be a bit heavy… especially in the summer. This vinaigrette is quick and easy (just like the name says) and much lighter than the peanut sauce I typically make with coconut milk.
Tuesday was another busy night… So, I was quite glad that I had some leftover chicken from my crock pot dinner the night before! This is another meal that would have fit perfectly into the $100 challenge, too – but I made it the day before the challenge started. With the exception of the the snow peas, everything in the dish was either leftovers or one of my pantry staples. The recipe makes quite a bit, but make the whole thing… you will want to eat the leftovers the next day (and the day after that)!
Ingredients:
- Thai Peanut Vinaigrette (I substituted 1 tablespoon Thai sweet chili sauce for the red pepper flakes and ground cumin)
- 8 ounces Pad Thai noodles
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 6 ounces snow peas, trimmed
- 2 cups leftover chicken breast, shredded
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
Directions:
Prepare the vinaigrette and set aside.
Soak the noodles for 25 minutes in cold water. In the meantime, cook the snow peas in boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer to ice water to stop the cooking process. They should be slightly tender but still crisp. Drain and set aside.
Once the noodles have soaked, drain and cook in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl, and toss with the canola oil to keep the noodles from sticking. Add the chicken and snow peas. Top with the prepared vinaigrette and toss to evenly coat.
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour prior to serving. When ready to serve, top with fresh chopped cilantro and lime wedges.
WOW that looks great – I love this combination!
I love pasta salads. Yum!! This looks very delicious. I wish I had this for lunch right now.
Looks delish! I think I’ll have this for lunch tomorrow.
Great recipe!
I love everything about this! The vinaigrette sounds really good.
I bet the flavors are amazing!!!
Wonderful flavors in this chicken pasta salad! Very delicious!
It sounds delicious! I love to make a main dish with peanut: the nutty flavor of them is amazing!
looks simple and delicious