Raw Kelp Noodle Chili Salad

This raw kelp noodle chili salad is a quick, easy and delicious way to start using kelp noodles.

When I first heard about kelp noodles, they sounded like an awesome addition to a raw food kitchen – easy to prepare, low calories and a great substitute for pasta.

And then, when I finally found some in my local health food store, I had NO idea what to do with them.

I had all kinds of questions: What do they go with? How do I use them? How much should I use? How do I prepare them?

And the good ol’ internet was not its usual helpful self.

In fact, I found a real shortage of actual recipes (as opposed to general suggestions) that used kelp noodles.

What to do?

So I adapted a salad recipe I was using, threw in a pinch of inspiration, and what emerged was this.

Raw kelp noodle chili salad.

And it even comes with a recipe.

Fortunately I’ve reached the point where a lack of recipes is not enough to stop me trying something new.

But it almost did.

I couldn’t find a recipe that was close enough to the dish I wanted to create, so I almost gave up.

Fortunately for me (and you), I didn’t.

I’d like to save you from that terrible fate, and give you a simple, step-by-step something you can do with your newly acquired raw kelp noodles.

And I’m not going to enter into the debate about whether kelp noodles are a good addition to a raw food diet, because that’s not how I roll.

But if you want to add kelp noodles to your menu, and you happen to also like salads and chili, then this recipe is a great place to start.

It takes barely 10 minutes to pull together, and you can be soaking any remaining “sea” taste out of your kelp noodles while you chop your veggies, so it’s efficient as well.

I like being efficient.

I also like it when I make food that tastes good.

And this raw kelp noodle chili salad definitely fits that bill.

And the avocado and mushrooms, as well as the noodles, help to give it a heartiness that really satisfies.

Yum.

Raw Kelp Noodle Chili Salad

This raw kelp noodle chili salad is a quick, easy and delicious way to start using kelp noodles. It's fast, low-fat and so tasty and satisfying.

Print Pin Rate

Category: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: Paleo, Raw, Vegan, Wholefoods

Tags: dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, low-fat, nut-free, oil-free, salt-free, soy-free, sugar-free

Cook time: 10 minutes minutes

Total time: 10 minutes minutes

Makes: 1 serve

Calories per serve: 117kcal

Author: Nikki, Eating Vibrantly

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup kelp noodles , rinsed
• 1 tbsp red capsicum / bell pepper , sliced
• 1 tsp spring onion , sliced
• 2 med mushrooms , sliced
• 1 tbsp carrot , grated
• 1/2 leaf black kale / cavolo nero / dinosaur kale / tuscan kale , finely shredded
• 1/8 med avocado , sliced
• 2 tsp sweet chili sauce

Method

• Place kelp noodles in a bowl of clean water and let them soak for about 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Prepare vegetables and place into a large mixing bowl.
• Drain the kelp noodles and add to the vegetables.
• Drizzle the sweet chili sauce over the top and toss until everything is well mixed and coated.
• Serve.

Preparation

• Before: -
• During: 10 mins
• After: -
• Need: Chopping board, knife, bowl

Nutrition Information

Serving: 150g; Calories: 117kcal; Carbohydrates: 12g; Protein: 2.5g; Fat: 7.8g; Saturated Fat: 1.2g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 5g; Sodium: 132mg; Potassium: 465mg; Fiber: 4.8g; Sugar: 2.1g; Vitamin A: 2750IU; Vitamin C: 40.4mg; Calcium: 100mg; Iron: 2mg

Tips

• I initially had trouble finding kelp noodles, and was about to buy some online when they magically appeared at my local health food store. So that’s probably your best place to start.
• You might find it easier to handle (and eat) your kelp noodles if you chop them into shorter pieces with scissors.
• Kelp noodles are generally a lot more expensive than pasta, so if you don’t want to use them, but you like the look of this recipe, I’m sure you could use fresh zucchini or carrot noodles instead.
• I really like this combination of veggies, but of course you’re completely free to add or remove whatever you like to suit your tastes or requirements.
• The avocado in this salad helps to coat everything as you toss it around, so you end up with a creamy and chili dressing on your salad.
• Did you like how I managed to sneak in some greens into this salad? You can never really eat too many greens, especially if it’s in a salad like this, and the kale really helped to round out the textures and flavours (surprisingly). I’m sure any leafy green would do something similar.
• I used a non-raw sweet chili sauce for the dressing, because I couldn’t be bothered making my own. If you want to try making a raw version, I did make an attempt a while back that you can use for inspiration, but I’ve yet to perfect an actual recipe. (I think it’s finally fresh chili season around here – it must be time to try again.)
• This is an incredibly low-calorie dish. It’s about 80% water, and the only fat comes from the avocado, so one serve barely hits 100 calories, and yet it’s so tasty and satisfying. Cool, huh?

Inspiration

I got the courage to take the plunge and actually make something with my raw kelp noodles by reading Kelp Noodle 101 over at Choosing Raw.

Gina has some great tips on using and preparing kelp noodles, along with a selection of recipes, so if you don’t like my raw kelp noodle chili salad idea, maybe you’ll find something more to your liking in her collection.

Have an awesome day!