Sesame Ramen Salad with Chicken and Celery

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES I READY IN 15 MINUTES I SERVES 4

I have to warn you: These sesame noodles are addictive. I discovered them on a trip to New York City, where they are a mainstay on every Chinese restaurant menu. The sauce is creamy and rich but also quite spicy, which makes for a delicious contrast to the cool noodles. But to me, it’s the distinctive chewiness of the ramen noddles that’s behind my inability to stop at just one bowl.

These noodles are also another fun way to make a store-bought rotisserie chicken exciting and new. Don’t be put off by what looks like a long list of ingredients – I’m pretty sure you already have all these on hand, and they just need to be whisked together.

3 packages instant ramen

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons natural peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoons grated ginger

1 to 4 teaspoons sriracha (optional)

2 to 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

4 stalks celery, peeled and thinly sliced

1 Cook the ramen (discard the seasoning packets) in a large pot of very well salted boiling water until just tender. Drain and rinse very well with cold tap water.

2 Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, tahini, peanut butter, honey ginger and hot sauce in a large bowl. Whisk vigorously until emulsified. Add the noodles chicken and celery and toss again.

TIP Peeling celery is one of my favourite party tricks, since it often makes people gasp with surprise and delight. It’s not necessary, but it makes the stalks easier to eat. Simply run a vegetable peeler down the exterior of each stalk to remove the stringy bits that get stuck in your teeth.