Snap Pea, Radish, and Noodle Salad

This super simple salad is not just clean-feeling, but filling. Crispy, peppery radish slices pair with creamy boiled eggs, crunchy cashews, and snappy peas. Atop a bed of greens are cooled, cooked buckwheat noodles in Asian dressing that is sweet and salty. Enjoy for dinner and then lunch the next day!

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This dish was inspired by my love of “half greens, half grains” bowls that I often see in to-go restaurants these days. Even with all the toppings, a bed of salad greens often leave me feeling hungry just a little while after, while having a full bowl of rice makes me yearn for a nap. This salad has a base of greens and buckwheat-and-brown-rice soba noodles (though you can substitute for brown rice, regular wheat, or another type of noodle or grain. This would go particularly well with purple rice (an ancient grain with a nice chewy texture), as well. 

First, bring a small pot of water to a boil for your noodles or rice. Follow the package's cooking instructions for adding salt, oil, butter, or anything else to the water. Some grains require rinsing ahead of time - it will depend on what you use - so check the package for guidance.

While your water is coming to a boil, wash your greens - a head of lettuce will do or a bunch of romaine or spring mix. Really, you could also substitute with something cruciferous if you have it, too, like a cabbage or a kale, but I think the softer greens are particularly nice here.

Tip: I like to wash my greens by getting a large bowl or container, filling it with my greens, then adding in cold water to just near the top. I push the leaves up and down a few times to dislodge any dirt and let them soak, so most of the dirt can sink to the bottom. I repeat this a few times after about 10 minutes or so, replacing each time with clean water, and then rinse them in a colander for any leftover debris.

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While the greens soak, wash the outside of your radishes and cut off the tops. Add the radish top greens to the soaking salad to wash them - they’ll be part of your greens mix easily! Slice the radishes into thin rounds.

Next, wash the snap peas in cold water.

When your noodles are ready, drain them and rinse them (unlike pasta, which you shouldn’t rinse, rice-based grains get gloopy and should be rinsed after cooking). Rinsing with cool water will also stop the cooking - the salad will be served cool, so letting your cooked noodles cool down is perfect to keep them from wilting the salad by mistake.

Rinse your pot, add in the raw eggs intact, and fill it again with water, just enough to cover the top of the shells. Bring the water to a boil and then cover with the pot lid and immediately turn off the heat. You can cook the egg to your liking, but I prefer a six minute egg - somewhere between soft boiled and hard boiled. Yes, that’s right, the jammy egg yolk with fully cooked whites. Yum. 

While the eggs are cooking, assemble your salad. Put your clean salad greens and radish greens into a big bowl. Add the noodles to one side and the sliced radishes, snap peas, cashews on top around the bowl. The recipe calls for unroasted and unsalted cashews, because that is what I like to buy. But, if you have roasted and salted cashews around for snacking, they will be fine - they’ll be a bit salty, so you may want to add fewer than the recipe calls for, but no need to waste or buy new just for this.

Once the eggs are done cooking, drain the water and then rinse in cold water to stop the cooking and to help with the peeling in a moment (the cold water helps separate the inside from the shell, which allows for easier peeling).

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While the eggs cool, so you don’t burn your fingers, mix the salad dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl.

Peel the eggs, slice, and add to the top of your salad with your dressing. Top with sesame seeds if you have them and enjoy!

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Perfect for a summer day or any time you want a salad that’s going to do a little bit more for you.

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Prep Time: 20 mins + time to soak clean the greens

Cook Time: 10 mins

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 large head lettuce or mixed greens, washed

4 oz buckwheat and brown rice soba noodles, or a noodle or rice of your choice

1 small bunch radishes

4 oz snap peas

3/4 cup cashews, unroasted and unsalted 

2 large eggs

Olive oil (for noodles)

For the dressing:

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar, or rice wine vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp honey

Topping (optional):

Sesame seeds

Equipment

Large bowl

Small pot

Instructions

• Cook the buckwheat noodles to the package instructions. When done, rinse with cold water in a colander and mix back in the pot with just enough olive oil to coat - to avoid sticking.

• Wash the radishes and cut off the greens. Clean the greens with the rest of the salad mix and let air dry in a colander or use a salad spinner.

• Slice the radishes into thin rounds.

• Wash the snap peas.

• Add eggs to small pot and cover with just enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and, at boiling, cover the pot with a tight lid and turn off the heat. Set a timer for the desired egg time (this recipe suggests 6 minutes for a jammy egg, but less will make it softer boiled and more will make it harder boiled).

• When done cooking, drain the eggs and rinse with cold water to make it easier to peel. Peel the eggs and slice.

• Add the lettuce greens to a boil, add the sliced radishes, snap peas, egg, and cashews.

• To make the dressing, mix the dressing ingredients together, ensuring the honey is dissolved. Dress the salad, top with sesame seeds if desired and serve.