Simple salad packs a fresh punch: Rice noodle veggie salad with poppy seeds

I reviewed the Ottolenghi Simple cookbook recently, but I have continued to experiment with the recipes.

There are some good ones in that book. Perfect just the way they are. Some, I felt could be made a little less expensively if I could make some substitutions with stuff from the garden or that were just cheaper at the grocery than what was suggested.

I substituted basil for tarragon and sweet red peppers for chili peppers in this one, but pretty much kept it the same in this one. The result is a brighter, less firey salad, but it is pretty darned good. 

This salad is great for a summer afternoon by the pool or for just hanging out reading a good cookbook. Give it a try. 

Rice Noodle Salad with Cuccumber and Poppy Seeds    Makes 6-8 side salads (3-4 meal salads)

• 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
• 6 ounces of rice noodles, broken into 6 inch long pieces
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 Granny Smith Apple, cored and cut into thin strips
• 1 cucumber, cut into thin strips
• 1 small sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cup of mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup of basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds

1. Combine the vinegar and the sugar in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add the red onion and the ginger and let it  sit for about half an hour, stirring occasionally,
3. Put the rice noodles in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for 15- 20 minutes, or until the rice noodles are soft. Drain the noodles and toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Let cool.
4. Add the apple, the cucumber, the pepper, the mint, the basil, the poppy seeds and the quick pickled red onion/ginger (include the pickling liquid).
5. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and salt to taste.
6. Toss until everything is coated in the dressing.