Asian Noodle Salad

With leftover whole wheat spaghetti noodles from the night, I made the No Oil Pesto Pasta recipe, and I decided to make this Asian Noodle Salad. It’s chock-full of plant-based veggies.

You can substitute rice noodles for wheat if you want to stay gluten-free, but I think you’ll love this recipe either way.

Soba noodles would also be fun in this recipe. There are many variations, such as green tea soba noodles, buckwheat noodles, and even black rice.

When you’re swapping noodles, be sure to read the ingredients. Most are available in organic, gluten-free versions.

This recipe uses an Asian cooking staple known as chili garlic sauce. You can buy it almost anywhere, but did you know you can also make it yourself? By making homemade sauce, you can control the heat and oil.

This would make a great homemade gift to give a party hostess or for the holidays.

Here are a few more tasty plant-based meals:

• Easy Chana Masala With Chickpeas & Yams
• Sheet Pan Tempeh Puttanesca
• One Pot Penne Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
• Moroccan Chickpea Vegetable Tagine

I’ve added Baked Tofu and a can of kidney beans to this recipe, but it also tastes delicious without these extras. You can also get creative with the veggies if you want to change it up or use more of your favorite.

Press the tofu using a tofu press or by wrapping it in paper towels and placing it on a plate with another plate on top. Put something heavy on top. Press for around 15 minutes and follow the remaining instructions.

One of my favorite tofu presses is The TofuBud.

Although the snow pea gives it a great crunch, broccoli would work, too. You can use orange and yellow bell peppers to make the salad colorful. You could even throw in some bean sprouts and water chestnuts for texture and extra crispness.

This recipe calls for peanut butter; the healthiest store-bought versions contain just peanuts and no other additives. You can make this simple homemade version if you have extra time and want to control the salt or ingredients.

This dish is so easy that it’s perfect for a quick lunch or any weeknight meal. As I mentioned, you can change up the veggies to make it multiple times a month.

I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Asian Noodle Salad recipe! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!

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4.32 from 16 votes

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Asian Noodle Salad

This fun and playful dish can be made many different ways. It’s a great light lunch but can be paired with sides for a fulfilling dinner meal. Have fun trying to make some of the ingredients from scratch.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

1/21x2x3x

Equipment

• TofuBud Press
• Stainless Steel Pot Set
• Baking Sheet
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Box Grater
• Whisk
• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

• 2 medium carrots grated
• 4 scallions chopped
• 1 small red pepper cut into small strips
• 3 cups snow peas string removed and cut into thirds
• 1/3 cup cilantro chopped
• 1 12 oz. package whole grain pasta
• 1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans drained and rinsed (optional)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup low-sodium tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp minced ginger

Baked Tofu

• 1 16 oz. container firm organic tofu drained
• 1/4 cup low-sodium tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 dash hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

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Instructions

• Boil pasta in a large pot of water until tender (al dente). Drain, reserving a little pasta water.
• While pasta is cooking, with a whisk, blend the peanut butter, tamari (or soy sauce), vinegar, chili garlic maple syrup, and ginger until smooth. Add a little pasta water if it’s too thick.
• Cook the snow peas in scant water for about 3-5 minutes. Add them to a large bowl with the other vegetables.
• Add cooked pasta, baked tofu and beans, if using, and pour dressing over. Toss well to coat.

Baked Tofu

• Press the tofu using a tofu press or by wrapping in paper towels and placing it on a plate with another plate on top. Put something heavy on top. Press for around 15 minutes while you prepare the other veggies.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a non-stick baking sheet with oil.
• Slice tofu into 1″ cubes.
• In a bowl, stir together the soy sauce, maple syrup, ketchup, vinegar, hot sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper.
• Gently stir tofu cubes into sauce. Cover and marinate for at least 10 minutes.
• Place tofu on the baking sheet in a single layover. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn tofu, and bake until it turn golden brown, around 15 minutes more.

Notes

NOODLE SUBSTITUTION: For a gluten-free option, substitute gluten-free noodles for whole wheat. Any other type of noodle should work well, too.

ADDITIONS: Add baked tofu or other types of vegetables such as broccoli

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Asian Noodle Salad

Amount per Serving

Calories

391

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

7.9

g

12

%

Saturated Fat

 

1.6

g

10

%

Cholesterol

 

0

mg

0

%

Sodium

 

641.1

mg

28

%

Carbohydrates

 

65.6

g

22

%

Fiber

 

5.4

g

23

%

Sugar

 

9.4

g

10

%

Protein

 

15.2

g

30

%

Vitamin A

 

1450

IU

29

%

Vitamin C

 

65.2

mg

79

%

Calcium

 

70

mg

7

%

Iron

 

2.5

mg

14

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The nutrition information is a rough estimate. Values will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it’s recommended that you calculate your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

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