Photo of Spicy Pork & Cucumber Noodle Salad by WW

Spicy Pork & Cucumber Noodle Salad

3
Points®
Total Time
31 min
Prep
25 min
Cook
6 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Try this cool and flavorful salad in just 30 minutes. Great for dinner or lunch, the cucumber noodles are a little crunchy and very refreshing on a hot day or night. Add a little steamed brown rice to absorb the wonderful juices and make the meal more hearty, if desired. Serve immediately after preparing for maximum crispness. Choose fresh, firm cucumbers for this salad - they produce the crispest and most refreshing-tasting noodles. The chili garlic sauce, available in the international section of most good supermarkets, delivers just the right punch of garlic and warm, round spice. In addition to Asian dishes, try it to roast chicken, dolloped on pizza, or to make a spicy mayonnaise. Asian rice vinegar adds the perfect touch of brightness to salads and stir-fries, thanks to a mild acidity and hint of sweetness. Choose the plain rice vinegar over the seasoned type to avoid additives, such as sugar or corn syrup, and salt or MSG.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

2 spray(s)

Uncooked lean boneless pork chop

12 oz

Kosher salt

¼ tsp

Cucumber

3 large, chilled (about 2 1/2 lb; see Notes), spiralized

Garlic chili paste

4 tsp, (See Notes)

Unseasoned rice vinegar

1 Tbsp

Less sodium soy sauce

1½ tsp

Sugar

¼ tsp

Sesame oil

1 tsp

Water

1 tsp

Grape tomatoes

1 cup(s), sliced lengthwise into thin pieces

Cilantro

1 cup(s), coarsely chopped

Fresh mint leaves

¼ cup(s), coarsely chopped

Lime

½ medium, cut into 4 wedges

Instructions

  1. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high. Season pork on both sides with salt; brown until cooked through, 3 minutes per side. Transfer pork to a cutting board; let rest while you prepare salad.
  2. In 3 batches, gently but firmly press spiralized cucumbers between 2 double layers of paper towels (or clean dish towels) to remove excess moisture (press each batch twice, using new paper towels each time, for best results); transfer noodles to a colander set over a bowl or in sink to drain more. Snip cucumber noodles with kitchen shears to shorten lengths; set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, oil and water; set aside.
  4. Thinly slice pork; place in a serving bowl. Add noodles, tomatoes, cilantro, mint and dressing; gently toss to coat, season to taste (optional) and serve with lime wedges.
  5. Serving size: 3 oz pork and 2 c noodle salad

Notes

Spiralizer: This go-to gadget is fun! And it turns all sorts of veggies into curly, crunchy noodles. If you don’t have a spiralizer, use an adjustable-blade slicer to julienne the cucumber. While you won’t have curly noodles, your salad will still taste great.