Delicious Thai Peanut Noodle Salad With Tofu – Great for Parties

When you’re looking for a dish that combines health and indulgence, refreshing exotic flavors with ones from home, pasta and peanut butter (yup, that one)… well, this Thai peanut noodle salad might be your answer. 

What Is Thai Peanut Noodle Salad?

Originating from the vibrant street food scene of Thailand, peanut noodle salad–Yum Woon Sen–has gained popularity worldwide. Originally made with glass noodles, many chefs have adapted it with linguine, plus carrots, cabbage, and a creamy yet tangy peanut butter, lime and ginger sauce. Spicy optional.

The sauce is a uniquely delicious balance of sweetness and tang. And balance is a consistent element here, as soft noodles contrast crunchy veggies. My favorite Thai peanut noodle salad recipe includes carrots, cabbage and scallions, but there are some other options. 

Ingredients for Thai Peanut Noodle Salad Recipe with Tofu 

Not going to lie, when I see a recipe with a laundry list of ingredients, something about me pulls away. I can’t help it. I’m a busy lady with lots to prioritize, and when I get the feeling that I’m going to be in the kitchen for a very long time, I kind of cringe. 

Now obviously, I love cooking. I’ve been doing it a long time. I happen to think I’m pretty good at it, even. BUT. I still don’t like slaving away all day over the oven. 

So I try to make my own recipes quick and easy.

What I’m trying to say is, please don’t shudder when you see the ingredient list. It is honestly an easy recipe, suitable for pros and beginners alike.

I’ve made it so that you can make the sauce for the noodles and the tofu AT THE SAME TIME, in the same container. So all you really have to do is blend the parts together while you’re boiling some pasta, bake some tofu, buy pre-shredded veggies, and throw it all together at the end. 

No. Big. Deal. 

So here are the required basics:

Linguine, tofu, carrots, red cabbage and scallions. Plus for the sauce, you’ll need peanut butter, orange, lime, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce (I use coconut aminos, but anything like that works).

Some kind of sweetener is nice, too. I use maple syrup.

And though you could skip cilantro, I absolutely love the flavor it adds. 

Same goes for sesame seeds (optional, but really nice).

That’s it. Not so long after all.

Many recipes call for red bell pepper. And sure, it’s a flavorful addition. A decidedly distinctive flavor. Don’t get me wrong. I love red bell pepper. But I personally think the salad stands on its own well enough. Maybe I’m a purist about it. I just want that peanut sauce to really shine!

Many cooks also add jalapeno, which is another perfectly viable and delicious option. Again, personally, I leave it out because I’m not huge on spicy foods and it tastes delicious to me with or without (not my man though–he douses it in a garlicky hot sauce). 

I don’t want the ingredients to be completely bare-bones or anything, but I also don’t want them to overpower one another. 

The last thing I’ll mention here is cucumber. Cucumber may be one of my all-time favorite ingredients for anything. It’s so light, so refreshing, so juicy… but. BUT. It does not last as well in the fridge, particularly in the form of salad. And when I make this salad, I like to double the recipe for the week’s meal prep. 

The only exception I’d make for this, since I deeply love cucumber, is if you’re making a small batch and eating it the day of. Or if you’re making a large batch for a party or something.

I don’t include this in the recipe, but I would grate about half a cucumber, squeeze the liquid out with a cheesecloth, and add it along with the other veggies if it wasn’t going to hang out in the fridge more than a day or two.

How To Make Thai Peanut Noodle Salad with Tofu

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare the noodles:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half a box of noodles (half a pound) and cook according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. (This is a COLD dish!) Set aside.

Prepare tofu and veggies:

• While the water is boiling/noodles are cooking, get out a 16oz square of tofu and pat it dry. If you want your tofu extra firm, place the whole tofu square between two plates and let the weight of the top plate drain it for about ten minutes. You could also skip this step. 
• Chop tofu into equal bite-sized squares by starting from the center, both length- and width-wise. Spray or oil a baking sheet, then place the tofu on it. 

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the carrots and cabbage. (I buy these pre-packaged and shredded so it’s no extra work to grate.) Chop cilantro and scallions, and add to the bowl. Measurements for the veggies don’t have to be EXACT, but use about 3-4 cups of carrots and cabbage (combined), even 5 would be fine. I use about a ½ cup of chopped cilantro and a ¼ cup scallions.

Make the tofu AND peanut sauce:

• We’re going to do this all in one, and all in a blender! First, add to your blender (I use a Nutribullet cup for this), 8 thin slices of ginger, 4 cloves of garlic, ⅓ cup sesame oil and ½ cup coconut aminos or other liquid aminos/soy sauce. Blend.

• Pour out ⅓ cup from the blender and use it to coat the tofu right on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 25 minutes. If you want the tofu a bit more crispy, you can broil for an additional 5 minutes at the end. 
• While the tofu is baking, let’s finish the peanut sauce. Add to the remaining sauce (still in the blender) ½ cup peanut butter, ½ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice, ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lime juice, ¼ cup maple syrup and ½ teaspoon salt. 

Assemble the salad:

• Add the cooked noodles to the bowl with the vegetables. Pour the peanut sauce over the noodles and vegetables, and toss everything together until well-coated.
• At this point you can gently stir in the tofu or keep it separate and just top the salads individually with about ½ cup each of tofu as you serve. 
• Garnish with peanuts.
• Store in the fridge for 3-5 days.

We love a hearty entree around here! If you’re looking for more main dish ideas, try these:

• Roasted Leg of Lamb and Potatoes
• Chickpea Buddha Bowl
• Denningvleis (Sweet and Sour Lamb)
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Looking For More Delicious Tofu Recipes?

Try this easy tofu and broccoli stir fry with a quick and delicious homemade teriyaki sauce. It’s healthy and surprisingly simple. Not to mention, good! So good in fact, you’ll think it’s takeout night.

View Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Thai Peanut Noodle Salad With Tofu

This Thai peanut noodle salad with tofu is an indulgent yet super healthy dish to spice up any table. It can be served as a main or a side, and stores for several days for yummy meal prep. hai

Print Pin Rate

Course Main Dishes, Sides & Salads

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 8 oz linguine noodles
• 1 16oz package tofu
• cooking spray or oil
• 2 cup shredded carrots see notes
• 2 cup shredded red cabbage see notes
• 1/2 cup cilantro about half a big bunch, but feel free to use as much as you’d like
• 1/4 cup scallions about half a bunch of scallions
• 8 thin slices ginger about a1-2 inch knob
• 4 clove garlic
• 1/3 cup sesame oil
• 1/2 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup orange juice 1 orange
• 1/4 cup lime juice 1-2 limes
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup peanuts optional topping

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
• While the water is boiling/noodles are cooking, pat the tofu dry. If you want your tofu extra firm, place the whole tofu square between two plates and let the weight of the top plate drain it for about ten minutes.
• Chop tofu into equal bite-sized squares by starting from the center, both length- and width-wise. Spray or oil a baking sheet, then place the tofu on it. 
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the pre-shredded carrots and cabbage. Chop cilantro and scallions, and add to the bowl. 
• Add to your blender ginger, garlic, sesame oil and coconut aminos or other liquid aminos/soy sauce. Blend.
• Pour out ⅓ cup from the blender and use it to coat the tofu right on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 25 minutes. If you want the tofu a bit more crispy, you can broil for an additional 5 minutes at the end. 
• While the tofu is baking, finish the peanut sauce. Add to the remaining sauce (still in the blender) peanut butter, orange juice, lime juice, maple syrup and salt. 
• Add the cold noodles to the bowl with the vegetables. Pour the peanut sauce over the noodles and vegetables, and toss everything together until well-coated. Gently stir in the tofu or keep it separate and top the salads individually with about ½ cup each of tofu as you serve. 
• Garnish with peanuts. 
• Store in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Notes

Measurements for the veggies don’t have to be EXACT, but use about 3-4 cups of carrots and cabbage (combined), even 5 would be fine. I use about a ½ cup of chopped cilantro and a ¼ cup scallions.

Nutrition Facts

Thai Peanut Noodle Salad With Tofu

Amount per Serving

Calories

492

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

30

g

46

%

Saturated Fat

 

5

g

31

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

11

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

13

g

Sodium

 

784

mg

34

%

Potassium

 

540

mg

15

%

Carbohydrates

 

44

g

15

%

Fiber

 

5

g

21

%

Sugar

 

16

g

18

%

Protein

 

16

g

32

%

Vitamin A

 

7637

IU

153

%

Vitamin C

 

35

mg

42

%

Calcium

 

157

mg

16

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

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