With the summer holidays well and over and kids back in school, 42K people are now searching for “easy lunch ideas” and 16K are looking for “healthy lunch ideas”.

For those looking for some delicious inspiration, best-selling chef Rachel Khoo has just the recipe – a spicy noodle salad that can be whipped up in just 10 minutes.

This easy-to-make dish features tender rice noodles, crisp vegetables, Rowse Honey-glazed pickles, and a choice of smoked mackerel or tofu, offering a flavourful kick with minimal effort.  This recipe combines the vibrant flavours of fresh ingredients with the tantalising kick of spicy honey pickles, which are a perfect balance of tangy vinegar and Rowse honey, infused with the aromatics of garlic, ginger, and chillies. These pickles, add a burst of flavour and a touch of heat to every bite.

According to Rachel’s socials, the toffee-like sweetness of Rowse Dark & Rich honey adds a rich balance to the spicy kick, making it a fast and flavourful option for those busy days.

After posting the recipe on social media, the comments were full of people who were keen to try it out, with some users calling it “so yummy and simple!”.

This dish is perfect for entertaining or a delicious way to spice up your packed lunch.

Summer noodle salad with spicy honey pickles

• Cooking Time: 10 minutes
• Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Pickles
• ½ cucumber
• 1 carrot
• 2 shallots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 125ml rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp water
• 20g fresh ginger, julienned
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
• 4 red chillies, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp (60g) Rowse Dark & Rich honey
• ½ tsp fine table salt

Salad

• 200g rice noodles
• 200g mangetout
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 180g pack smoked mackerel, flaked (or use smoked tofu, crumbled)
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced

Method

For the pickles:

1. Peel the cucumber and carrot into thin strips using a julienne or regular peeler. Place them in a heatproof bowl with the shallot.
2. Heat vinegar, water, ginger, garlic, chilies, honey, and salt until steaming. Pour over the vegetables, toss with tongs, and let cool.

For the salad

1. Soak rice noodles and mangetout in boiling water for 8-10 minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water, and toss with sesame oil.
2. Mix the noodles with the pickles and some brine.
3. Toast sesame seeds, then serve the noodles topped with flaked smoked mackerel, toasted sesame seeds, and spring onions.