Thai Peanut Sauce Noodles

Overhead shot of a bowl of rice noodles with peanut sauce, tofu, and vegetables.

4.78 from 18 votes

Tender, chewy rice noodles with stir-fried vegetables and tofu get a hearty drizzle of spicy peanut sauce for a quick and healthy vegetarian meal.

Course Main Dish Recipes

Cuisine Thai

Keyword peanut sauce, peanut sauce noodles, Thai Peanut Sauce Noodles

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Additional Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 677kcal

Author Robin Donovan

Ingredients

For the tofu

7 ounces firm tofu pressed to remove excess water (see note) and cut in cubes
Juice of ½ lemon or lime
½ cup soy sauce

For the sauce

2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce see note for substitutions
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ cup warm water

For the noodles and veggies

10 ounces flat rice noodles ideally the kind used for Pad Thai. See note for substitutions
3 tablespoons oil divided
2 carrots peeled and julienned
10 ounces mushrooms sliced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 small onion sliced
1 large bell pepper any color, seeded and sliced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For garnish

Lime wedges
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 green onions or scallions chopped
½ cup crushed peanuts

Instructions

Press the tofu. To get the excess water out of the tofu, you can use a tofu press or
Marinate the tofu. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce and lemon or lime juice. Toss gently to coat. Let marinate for about 15 minutes.
Make the peanut sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, lemon or lime juice, peanut butter, sriracha, and water.
Soak the rice noodles. Put the noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand for about 5 minutes, until the noodles soften. Drain the noodles.
Brown the tofu. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok set over medium heat. Add the tofu, discarding the marinade, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set transfer to a plate.
Stir fry the vegetables. Heat the remaining oil in the wok over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms soften, about 3 more minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, onion, and bell pepper and cook for about 3 more minutes.
Add the noodles and sauce. Add the drained noodles and then the peanut sauce. Stir to combine well and ensure that the noodles are well coated. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Serve immediately, garnished with red pepper flakes, scallions, crushed peanuts, and lime wedges.

Notes

1. To remove excess water from the tofu, you can slice the block of tofu into slabs, arrange the slabs in a single layer on folded clean dish towel, and then top with another clean dishtowel, a sheet pan, and something heavy on top to weigh it down. Or you can use a tofu press. You can also use my trick for freezing tofu, which is an easy way to remove excess water.

2. If you don't have sriracha, you can substitute whatever chili sauce you like such as a plain chile paste like sambal oelek, chili garlic sauce, chile crisp, or chili oil. If you prefer a mild sauce, you can just leave the sriracha out altogether.

3. If you don't want to use soy sauce, you can substitute coconut aminos or fish sauce (if not vegetarian).

4. If you want the dish to be vegan, substitute agave syrup, maple syrup, or vegan brown sugar for the honey.

5. If you don’t have rice noodles like the kind used in pad thai, you can substitute other noodles. Use sturdy noodles that can stand up to the thick sauce and chunky vegetable-and-tofu mix. Soba noodles, chow fun, chow mein, ramen noodles, regular spaghetti, linguini, fettucine, or tagliatelle are all great choices. I would stay away from very thin to delicate noodles like rice vermicelli or angel hair pasta since the peanut butter sauce will be too heavy for them.Whatever noodles you choose, cook them according to the package directions before adding them to the skillet with the veggies and tofu.

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