Sesame Spaetzle Salad with Red Cabbage, Snow Peas and Sweet Bell Pepper

Great as a side dish or salad. Tasty as leftovers, too.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup German seasoned vinegar
1/3 cup finely, diagonally-sliced scallions (green and white portions)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup German Acacia honey
1 tablespoon grated fresh gingerroot
1 tablespoon Asian garlic-chili pepper sauce, or to taste
1 9-ounce package German spaetzle
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup drained German barrel red cabbage
1/3 cup very thinly sliced fresh snow peas
1/3 cup very thinly sliced yellow or red hothouse sweet bell pepper*
Fresh chopped cilantro and/or cilantro sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Combine vinegar, scallions, soy sauce, honey, gingerroot and garlic-chili pepper sauce in a small bowl; whisk and set aside.

Cook spätzle in boiling water according to package directions, or until tender; drain well. Immediately toss spätzle with the sesame oil. Once coated, add the sauce mixture and toss again. Chill. Just before serving, toss the cool or room temperature spätzle with sesame seeds. Then stir in cabbage, snow peas and bell pepper.

(Alternatively, measure the cabbage, snow peas and bell pepper into three separate bowls. Add 1/3 of the spaetzle into each bowl and toss.
Serve "small plate" style in three separate mounds.)

Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

* Option: add 1/3 cup drained, thinly sliced German baby corn on the cob (e.g., Hengstenberg or Gundelsheim)