Chestnut Free Fig & Kelp Noodle Salad with Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
This salad is a genuinely stunning combination of textures and flavors — silky kelp noodles tangled with crisp purple cabbage, cool cucumber, sweet fresh figs, and a riot of fresh herbs. The dressing is where everything comes together: coconut aminos and apple cider vinegar bring a bright, tangy depth, while honey, ginger, turmeric, and lime juice round it out into something complex and craveable. A simple baking soda soak is the clever trick that transforms the kelp noodles from stiff and crunchy to perfectly pliable, so the texture lands exactly right. Every ingredient here is naturally free from tree nut concerns, and there's no need to scrutinize labels or worry about hidden additions — just fresh, whole produce and pantry staples doing all the work. The quartered figs folded in at the end are the real showstopper, adding jammy sweetness that plays beautifully against the tangy dressing. It works as a light lunch, a vibrant side, or something impressive enough to bring to a dinner table without much fuss at all.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 12 oz kelp noodles
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 8 fresh figs, quartered
- 2 cups purple cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1 english cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (green parts only)
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the kelp noodles under cold water in a colander, then transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Fill the bowl with warm water, add the baking soda, and stir briefly to combine. Let the noodles soak for 15 minutes, until they soften from crunchy and stiff to pliable and tender.
- 2
While the noodles soak, whisk together the coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, grated ginger, turmeric, sea salt, and lime juice in a small bowl until the honey is fully dissolved and the dressing is uniform.
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