Peanut Noodles

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Peanut noodles is a quick, easy, and flavor-packed dish made entirely gluten-free and vegan. Chewy rice noodles meet a creamy, tangy, and spicy peanut butter sauce. Serve this unforgettably delicious meal on busy weeknights to satisfy all your takeout cravings!

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy: This recipe for peanut butter noodles is unbelievably easy to follow! It’s divided into 5 simple steps that combine the stir-fry, sauce, and noodles.
• Customizable: You can tailor the recipe to make it your own by adjusting spice levels, adding more or fewer veggies, and choosing from a range of garnishes like chopped cilantro and lime wedges.
• Vegan-friendly: We crafted these peanut butter noodles to include only plant-based ingredients. Thankfully, there is no sacrifice in flavor in this extremely healthy meal!
• Flavorful: Enjoy takeout flavors in the comfort of your own home. This dish is full of spicy, tangy, and savory ingredients like sambal oelek, limes, ginger, and garlic.

If you love peanut noodles, you should really check out our lemon garlic pasta, pan-fried tofu, espagueti rojo, and espagueti blanco.

🥜 What are peanut noodles?

Peanut noodles are an Asian-style recipe with inspiration from Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisines. Since this is more of a fusion recipe, we can’t say that it’s authentic, but there are many variations that are popular all across the globe!

This recipe features rice noodles tossed in a peanut butter-based sauce topped with vegetables and tofu.

The sauce is ultra-creamy and smooth with just the right amount of heat from sambal oelek and Sriracha. The noodles are slightly chewy, and the vegetables provide the perfect crunch.

Make peanut butter noodles as a main dish on busy weeknights, or serve it as a side dish at a potluck dinner. Enjoy it cold, hot, or at room temperature, depending on your preferences. Just don’t forget to serve it with chopped peanuts, green onions, and a fresh squeeze of lime!

🌱 Are peanut noodles vegan?

Unlike many peanut noodle dishes that contain ingredients like fish sauce, meat, and eggs, we made these peanut sauce noodles completely vegan by including meat-free and dairy-free ingredients.

• We substituted eggs and meat with cubed tofu.
• The fish sauce was swapped out for liquid aminos.
• We did not skimp on veggies that provide both flavor and nutrients!

With these simple changes and additions, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor while keeping things plant-based!

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Rice noodles: We prefer rice noodles for their chewy, bouncy texture. However, you can also use soba noodles, udon noodles, rice vermicelli, glass noodles, or regular spaghetti.
• Tofu: For a texture that closely emulates chicken, use extra-firm tofu and press the water out. If you only have firm tofu available, make sure to press it for longer. Other options like tempeh or even edamame are great as well.
• Peanut butter: Both store-bought and homemade peanut butter work here. You can use smooth or crunchy, but we recommend it to be natural peanut butter.
• Thai chiles: Coming in at 50,000-100,1000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), these babies add just the right amount of spice! If you’re sensitive to spice, try jalapeños or omit the chiles altogether.
• Ginger, garlic: Your sauce won’t be complete without the savory, pungent, sweet, and spicy elements provided by garlic and ginger. Make sure they are fresh!
• Hot sauce: We add both sambal oelek and Sriracha for a sweet and spicy flavor. Feel free to just use one or the other, depending on what you have available.
• Liquid aminos: Imparts savory and umami-rich flavors that give the sauce more oomph. You can also use tamari, coconut aminos, or soy sauce.
• Maple syrup: To balance the tang and spice, we use maple syrup. Agave, coconut nectar, or brown rice syrup will also work as well.
• Acids: For a tangy, subtly sweet hint, add lime juice and rice vinegar to your sauce. You can use one or the other, but we prefer the combination of the two.
• Sesame oil: Provides a nutty, earthy taste. Since it has a very distinct aroma, we recommend using small quantities. You can also use avocado or olive oil.
• Vegetables: Our vegetable combination of choice is carrots, red bell peppers, bean sprouts, and green onions. It’s sweet, vibrant, and zesty! Experiment with different veggies to find what you like best.
• Roasted and salted peanuts: For an extra crunch throughout the peanut noodles. Toasted sesame seeds are also delicious!

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make peanut noodles

Step 1: Press the tofu 

Press the tofu for about 10 minutes between two hard surfaces (like a cast-iron skillet and a cutting board). Once it’s pressed, cube it into ½-inch pieces.

It’s important to slice your stir fry ingredients into very small pieces to make them easier (and less messy) to eat!

Step 2: Mix the peanut sauce 

In a bowl, combine the peanut butter, minced ginger, sambal oelek, Sriracha, liquid aminos, maple syrup, lime juice, and rice vinegar. Add water until the consistency is pourable but not too thin.

Step 3: Boil the noodles 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, turn the burner off and add in rice noodles. Stir and cover the pot for approximately 5-6 minutes, or until the noodles are al dente.

Drain and rinse the noodles, then toss them with a dash of sesame oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

Step 4: Start the stir fry

Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium. Once hot, cook the tofu cubes for about 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally to brown them on all sides.

Add in minced Thai chiles, garlic, and ginger. Cook them for another 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant.

Step 5: Cook the veggies

Transfer the tofu and spices to the pot where the noodles were cooked in. Add the carrots and bell pepper to the empty skillet. Sauté the veggies for 4-5 minutes, or until tender.

Step 6: Put it all together

Transfer the cooked carrots, bell peppers, and noodles to the pot with the tofu. Stir in the peanut sauce, bean sprouts, green onions, and chopped peanuts.

Toss everything together for about 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce is incorporated and the noodles are heated through once more. Happy eating!

If you have questions about making peanut butter noodles, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🌶️ Garnishes for peanut noodles

There are already so many flavors packed into these peanut sauce noodles, but you can enhance your bowl even further by serving it with garnishes like these:

• Sambal oelek
• Lime wedges
• Bean sprouts
• Chopped cilantro
• Sliced green onions
• Sriracha
• Chopped peanuts

🌡️ Storage & reheating

If you end up with leftover peanut noodles, follow these storage and reheating tips:

• Fridge: Leftover peanut sauce noodles will keep fresh in the fridge for about 3-4 days in an airtight container. If possible, store the sauce and noodles separately.
• Freezer: Noodles do not freeze well. However, you can freeze leftover sauce in a Ziplock bag after letting it cool down. When you’re ready for more, defrost the sauce in the fridge overnight.
• Reheating: Heat refrigerated peanut butter noodles in a pot over low heat until warmed through. You can also warm them in the microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between. If frozen, reheat the sauce in a skillet over low-medium and cook fresh noodles alongside it.
• Make ahead: To save time and make the cooking process easier, prep all of your stir-fry ingredients up to 2 days beforehand. You can also mix the peanut sauce a few days in advance.

♻️ Variations

• Spicy: Not sure how spicy you want the dish to be? Adjust the spice level by using more or less Thai chiles, sambal oelek, or sriracha. If you are a spice lover, add a habanero or ghost pepper!
• Different spices: Fresh Thai chiles can be replaced with a few teaspoons of dried red pepper flakes. You can also add cayenne pepper if you’d prefer.
• Vegetables: Experiment with different vegetables like bok choy, baby corn, water chestnuts, edamame, onions, spinach, kale, or snow peas.
• Protein: Add tempeh or vegan chicken for an added protein boost.
• Nut butter: Switch up the flavor of the dish by swapping out the peanut butter for almond butter, cashew butter, or tahini.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Quality peanut butter: For the best flavor, use high-quality natural peanut butter.
• Rinse the noodles: Once you’ve drained the noodles, don’t forget to rinse them under cold water to stop them from cooking more.
• Cut small pieces: Make sure to cut the veggies into bite-sized pieces. The bigger they are, the more difficult and messier they are to eat.
• Use sesame oil: This adds in a distinct flavor that can’t be replaced, so try not to skip it unless you don’t consume oil.
• Add noodles to sauce fast: As soon as the noodles are rinsed, toss them with sesame oil quickly so they don’t have a chance to stick together.
• Add water as needed: If the noodles are looking dry, continue adding water until the sauce is silky smooth and coats the noodles well.

💬 FAQ

🍴 More noodle recipes

If you enjoyed these peanut noodles, be sure to check out some more noodle dishes like these:

• Creamy Ramen Bowl: Ramen noodles bathed in a broth infused with flavors like lemongrass and ginger.
• Birria Ramen: A plant-based dish that fuses the flavors of ramen and birria, creating a spicy and savory dish!
• Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo: Creamy comfort food featuring dairy-free sauce.
• Sopa de Fideo: Mexican noodle soup full of simple, tangy, and smoky flavors.

Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.