A beautiful salad! Fresh green soybeans are available in late summer. At other times of the year, you may use frozen green soybeans.

Thai Pasta Salad

Prepare dressing by pureeing water, vinegar, soy sauce, tahini, sugar, red pepper, garlic, ginger and tofu in blender until smooth. Refrigerate until serving time.

Cook soybeans until just tender, about 15 minutes. Place whole pods in pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil, simmer 5 minutes, then drain. When cool enough to handle, remove beans from pod.  Simmer shelled beans an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Preparing one type of vegetable at a time, blanch snowpeas, bell pepper and broccoli in boiling water for 1 minute each.  Blanch the carrots for 2 minutes.

Rinse vegetables in cold water. Drain well.

Cook vermicelli according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, drain and toss with sesame oil.

Add soybeans and blanched vegetables to vermicelli and refrigerate until serving time.

To serve, pour dressing over pasta. Add green onions and toss well.