Extravagant Chinese Noodle Salad

The word “extravagant” hardly seems to be the word to describe a Chinese Noodle Salad, unless you dined at the last Boquete Underground Dinner.

Bistro Boquete Chef, Lauretta Bonfiglio prepared the most decadent, delicious noodle salad that any of the diners had ever tasted. Some of Lauretta’s guests ordered a second helping, it was so yummy. It wasn’t any ordinary noodle salad, it had peanuts in it, mushrooms, broccoli, sesame seeds and more. This was a most unique creation.

Here’s my dilemma; should I ask Lauretta for her recipe or shall I try to duplicate it myself? I’m wondering if any of the diners at this dinner tried to make this outstanding dish themselves. It was the best salad many of us ever had, it’s so intriguing to taste so many ingredients in one dish, and yet to be so light and “fluffy”.



I decided to try to make Lauretta’s salad myself and this is my attempt at making Peanut, Sesame, Noodle Salad, and I call it my

Spurious Chinese Noodle Salad

3 packages ramen noodles, cooked

1/2 head cabbage, finely sliced

1 carrot, grated

1 cup fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup small broccoli heads, blanched

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

5 green spring onions, thinly sliced

1 cup cocktail peanuts for garnish

3 tablespoons sesame seeds for garnish

Dressing

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, cleaned and minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon chili oil

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss lightly with fingers, as Lauretta is doing in the first photo above. Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together and pour into a squeeze bottle with small spout. Make a huge, extravagant portion, as everyone will want lots of this salad.

Pile the salad onto beautiful salad plates, it’s fine to use your hands, real chefs do it that way. Squeeze on a generous portion of dressing as Lauretta is doing, sprinkle on the peanuts and sesame seeds and serve immediately.



Remember, this is my recipe, but it turned out very delicious. That’s why I call it “spurious”, it’s not Lauretta’s recipe, but a good fake. I’ll ask Lauretta for her “real” recipe as soon as she gets settled into her new restaurant, The Bistro Boquete. It’s been remodeled and it looks beautiful.

I’ll let you know when the new restaurant opens. In the meantime, try making your own Chinese Noodle Salad, it’s a wonderful dish!

Have fun faking!

Cora