5-a-Day fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C and potassium. They’re an excellent source of dietary fibre, which can help to maintain a healthy gut and prevent
5-a-Day fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C and potassium. They’re an excellent source of dietary fibre, which can help to maintain a healthy gut and prevent constipation and other digestion problems.

Thai Noodle Salad
Salad
- 250 g egg thread noodles
- 200 g fresh spinach
- 5 ml, plus a dash soya sauce
- couple dashes Tabasco sauce
- ½ cucumber (cut into thin batons)
- 2 small carrots (peeled, cut in half and sliced on the diagonal)
- 5 ml rice vinegar
- 1 red pepper (seeded and finely sliced into thin strips)
- 15 ml sunflower oil
- 100 g mangetout
- 4 spring onions (sliced diagonally)
- 15 ml sesame seeds (toasted)
- small bunch fresh coriander
- 1 cm piece fresh chilli (finely diced)
Dressing
- 125 ml teriyaki sauce
- 100 g light yellow bean sauce
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 stalk lemongrass (very finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (very finely chopped)
- 5 cm piece fresh ginger (grated)
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Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water, either salted, or as I do with a dash of soya sauce instead
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Most fine noodles are cooked in 4 minutes so watch carefully
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Refresh well under cold water and drain properly
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Meanwhile, wash the spinach and wilt in a pan over a low heat
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Allow to cool
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Season with a dash each of soya sauce and Tabasco
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Toss the cucumber, carrots and red pepper in the rice vinegar-a little goes a long way
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Mix the dressing ingredients together.Mix the refreshed noodles, most of the macerated carrots, cucumber and the red pepper with the dressing
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Then heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok and add the mangetout and spring onions
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Add the remaining soya sauce and Tabasco, stir-fry for a minute or two
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To serve, twist the noodles with a large fork and place each mound into four individual soup plates
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Be liberal in your garnishing using the remaining vegetables, including the mangetout, spring onions and wilted spinach
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Finally sprinkle each plate with toasted sesame seeds and garnish with coriander and a smattering of diced chilli and any remaining dressing
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Serve.