Heron's Stretch Noodle Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-04 · Updated 2026-04-04

A refreshing salad of long, thin rice noodles tossed with crisp vegetables and a zesty sesame-ginger dressing, designed to be light and flexible like the heron's stretch. This asian-inspired salads (vegan) ready in about 18 minutes pairs rice noodles, carrot, bell pepper into a side that holds its own next to almost any main — bright, balanced, and quick enough to slot into a weeknight plate. Each serving lands at about 350 calories and feeds 1, so it slots cleanly next to roasted proteins, grain bowls, or weeknight mains. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 2 oz rice noodles
• 1/2 cup carrot
• 1/2 cup bell pepper
• 1/2 cup cucumber
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Step 1: Cook 2 oz rice noodles in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water until cool.
2. Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes.
3. Step 3: Toss drained noodles with 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot, 1/2 cup thinly sliced bell pepper, 1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Pour dressing over and mix until evenly coated.