Asian Noodle Slaw Salad

As a stay at home mom (and blogger) I'm constantly looking for a healthy, fast go-to lunch.  Too often I find myself nibbling on a leftover peanut butter sandwich or finishing off some chicken nuggets that weren't eaten by my girls.  Let's face it, there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done, and making a separate meal for myself is just not as big of a priority as it should be.  I came up with this salad because it's fast and healthy and it makes a ton, which means you can eat it all week!  I add different veggies or protein to "spice" it up.  Here's my basic version.  (I'll give you some suggestions for "spicing" it up at the bottom of the page.)  Enjoy!

I love, love, love this dressing!

These are the noodles that I use.  I found them at our local Asian market.

Ingredients:
3 noodle nests prepared according to package directions. (These can be found at any Asian market, but soba noodles are a great substitute.)
1/2 a package of broccoli slaw (found at Trader Joe's)
Lettuce (romaine, butter, red leaf are all good)
1/2 a hothouse or English cucumber
Spicy Peanut Salad Dressing (I love the Trader Joe's brand, but any Asian dressing works great.)
1/4 cup of coconut, canola or vegetable oil
sprinkle of cashews, peanuts or almonds

Directions:
After your noodles are cooked according to the package, drain them  and transfer to a large bowl.  Toss with oil so they don't get sticky and clump up.  At this point I separate the amount of noodles that I will be using and store the rest in an air tight container after they have cooled.

Toss the slaw in with the noodles.  Lay lettuce at the bottom of the bowl and top with noodles.  Top with the remaining veggies, dressing and cashews and serve.

To "spice" it up a bit I frequently add leftover grilled chicken, pork or shrimp.  I also love to change up the veggies.  Steamed broccoli and sliced red bell pepper are some of my favorite veggies on this salad.  Green onions or bean sprouts are also great for adding more crunch and flavor.  And as I said before, you can change the nuts to whatever you prefer or have on hand.

I hope you enjoy this tasty salad as much as I do.  I'm looking forward to lunch today...