Orange Sesame Salad

I decided to try a new salad tonight and it was great! So refreshing and it had a great flavor! The kids all gobbled it up. The dressing is very mild so if you're looking for something with a little more kick you might want to taste it before you put it on the salad and doctor it up if you need to. To make it a main dish you could always add some cooked chicken or some garbanzo beans.



Orange Sesame Salad

1/2 pound vermicelli (or thin spaghetti), broken in half
1 1/2 cups snow peas, cut in half
1 small yellow summer squash, cut into thin strips
1 small zucchini, cut into thin strips
2/3 cup shredded carrots (I used my favorite Broccoli Cole Slaw mix instead)
1 cup shredded Napa cabbage
3 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted if desired
Orange slices to garnish

Citrus-Sesame Dressing
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp. honey
4 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil (this added a GREAT flavor! Found with the oriental foods like soy sauce and teriyaki sauce)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. olive oil (I only added half this amount. I'd probably add a little more orange juice next time to make up the difference.)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse pasta under cold running water and drain again.


In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, snow peas, summer squash, zucchini, carrots, and cabbage.


Combine the orange juice, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, and salt in blender and mix well. (Or you could whisk the mixture vigorously by hand.) Add the olive oil and blend.


Pour dressing over the pasta and vegetables to coat them lightly and toss. Just before serving top the salad with orange sections and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Serves 6-8.