This is my kind of meal. Fresh, quick (just 30 minutes required!), satisfying, lots of vegetables, and plenty of protein.
This noodle bowl is my dream lunch come true. Care to join?
The show stopper in this meal is the almond butter tofu.
Tofu is pressed dry, tossed in cornstarch, lightly browned, then sautéed in my almond butter stir-fry sauce until savory, sweet, and perfectly crisp.
Next up, vegetables.
The beauty of a meal like this is you can use practically whatever produce you have on hand. For a variety of textures and flavors, I went with cucumber, green onion, red pepper, and carrot noodles. I also think edamame, mango, and radish would work well, too.
The vegetables not only add vibrant color to the dish, but also lots of fiber and crunch!
The Vietnamese-inspired dressing is extremely flavorful and complements the noodles and veggies perfectly: A combination of garlic, chili, rice vinegar, tamari, lime juice, sesame oil, and maple syrup – ingredients you likely already have on hand!
Now you’re ready to dig in. I hope you love this noodle bowl! It’s quick, fresh, flavorful, incredibly satisfying, and perfect for lunch or dinner. Make this when you’re craving something satisfying but quick and loaded with vegetables.
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see. Cheers, friends!
*Note: Recipe updated on 10/8/18 to increase serving size to 4 (formerly 2).
Rice Noodle Bowls with Almond Butter Tofu
Ingredients
TOFU*
- 16 ounces extra-firm tofu*
- 5 Tbsp sesame oil (divided)
- 4 Tbsp salted creamy almond, cashew, or peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp tamari (or soy sauce if not GF)
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 2-4 Tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar
- 2 medium birds eye chili (crushed // or sub 1/4 tsp red pepper flake)
- 6 Tbsp cornstarch
SALAD
- 10 ounces very thin rice noodles (I like this brand)
- 4 cups thinly sliced or ribboned* carrots (2 carrots yield ~2 cups)
- 2 cups cucumber (sliced on a bias, then halved // ~1 small cucumber)
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (optional)
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onion
- 1 cup fresh cilantro or basil (torn/chopped)
DRESSING
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (2 cloves yield ~1 Tbsp)
- 2 medium fresh or dried bird’s eye chili (crushed // more to taste // or sub 1/4 tsp red pepper flake)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup (plus more to taste)
- 4 tsp tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 4 Tbsp rice vinegar (or sub white or apple cider vinegar with varied results)
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Start by wrapping tofu in a clean towel and setting something heavy on top (like a cast iron skillet) to press out excess moisture for 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Prepare the tofu sauce in a medium mixing bowl by whisking together 2 Tbsp sesame oil (amount as original recipe is written // if altering batch size, use 1/3 the amount in “tofu” section), almond butter, tamari, lime juice, maple syrup, and crushed chili. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more tamari for saltiness, lime juice for acidity, chili pepper for heat, or maple syrup for sweetness. Set aside.
- Next, prepare rice noodles according to package instructions. Then rinse with cold water, drain thoroughly, and set aside.
- Prep vegetables next. Set aside.
- Prepare salad dressing by adding all ingredients to a small mixing bowl (or jar) and whisking (or shaking vigorously) to combine.
- Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding more chilies for heat, tamari for saltiness, lime juice for acidity, or maple syrup for sweetness. Set aside.
- Heat a large rimmed skillet over medium heat (if too small, cook the tofu in 2 batches as to not crowd the pan) and cut pressed tofu into small rectangles. Toss in cornstarch and sauté in remaining sesame oil (3 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), flipping once browned on the underside to ensure even browning – about 5 minutes total.
- Add the almond butter sauce and stir gently to combine. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring gently to ensure even cooking on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
- To assemble, divide noodles, vegetables and tofu among serving bowls. Serve with dressing. For more heat, serve with sriracha or chili garlic sauce.
- Best when fresh, though leftovers keep well when stored separately in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Notes
* To ribbon carrots, rinse, remove outer skin with a vegetable peeler, and then make “noodle ribbons” with the vegetable peeler by running along the edge of the carrot. Each carrot should make about 10 noodles!
* Salad dressing adapted from Thai Kitchen and my Vegan Papaya Salad.
* Tofu adapted from my Vietnamese Spring Rolls.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*This bowl draws inspiration from many countries: Vietnam for the rice vinegar dipping sauce known as nuoc cham, China (where tofu originated), and Indonesia where peanut sauce originated.
Courtney says
You asked about soy…well I can’t have soy in my diet. It’s suppose to exacerbate My condition, MS. I stay away from it as best I can. If there are any tips for soy free, I’d greatly appreciate it. Your recipe a have given me life! Thank you so much for having online as well as your book.
Kristi says
Mmmmmmm! I just made this and it is amazing! I had to improvise with the fresh veggies I had on hand and use peanut butter. But this is wow! Love it so much!
Dineen Speer says
Insanely Delicious! Wow! Just Wow! I made this today, super easy and my wife loves this too! Thank you for your recipes. We will make this for the rest of our lives! It’s that freaking good! Best ;)
Kelsey says
The recipe was delicious but after entering the ingredients into my calorie tracker, it came out to 811! Wish I had done this before making it. Even at the 622 calorie it says on here for the recipe, that’s extremely high for someone tying to eat healthy and only 1200 cal/day. Lesson learned, I’ll be entering calorie counts myself before making recipes. I’m looking for *healthy* vegetarian options.
Nichole says
Great flavors! I used peanut butter and it was so good. Tofu generally takes some steps to make it tasty and this was easy and tofu was yummy. Thanks!
Payal Martin says
I made this for my family and it was a huge hit, even with my two year old!! With all the chopping it took a little more than 30 minutes though.
Kristen Rurarz says
Made this tonight for dinner, it was sooo good! Looking forward to making it again…and again and again!
My husband normally doesn’t like tofu so I first used your tips/recipe for extra crispy tofu and tossed it in some thai spices and did in the oven before mixing it with the sauce in the pan after!Turned out crispy and amazing!
I’ve been trying to make at least two of your recipes a week, love them!
Susan says
Bowl-licking yummmmy! The only thing I’d change is to grab a bigger bowl. Seriously, the tofu was almond butter heaven!
Thanks for being such a staple in our kitchen these past two years. We rely on your blog and cookbooks daily. Your recipes have really made food fun and OMG-satisfying!
Madeline says
Hello quick question! I made this tonight and when I was cooking the tofu all the pieces started sticking to one another and I ended up being able to fry it somewhat but when I added the peanut sauce it became a goopy sticky mess..:( what did I do wrong?? (Nonetheless the TASTE was outstanding;) ) I just didn’t get the texture like in your pictures!
Hi! I am not sure why that happened, but am glad it still tasted great! Did you modify the recipe at all?
David Lawson says
Sounds like over crowding the pan. I love crispy tofu and treat it like velcro, as soon as the pieces get close they will stick. Especially when you use very little oil.
1. Use more oil or 2. fry in batches.
Mimi says
Hi! A little late to the game but I made this tonight. I didn’t have problems cooking the tofu, but the almond sauce seized up and got sticky. I removed the tofu and added some water to the pan with the sauce over medium heat. After whisking for less than a minute it became a beautiful creamy sauce. Off heat tossed back with the tofu. Wish I could post a picture. It turned out great. Also topped with slivered toasted almonds.
RebeccaS says
If I could give this 10 stars I would. I am on a campaign to use up the food I already have lying around (I do this once a month instead of going grocery shopping that week) and so I made like a thousand substitutes to this (I’m not going to list them all b/c i hate when people do that) but IT WAS DELICiOUS NO MATTER WHAT!!! I will say that I added ginger as per many previous posters, and it def added to it.
Veggies I used:
Cold, sliced roasted beet (was FAB)
Fresh Mango
Lots of fresh cilantro
Very lightly stir-fried (cause they were a bit past their prime lol) sugar snap peas
The colors were sooo beautiful that my kids (5,8) took pics of their bowls like little foodies at a michelin restaurant. The tofu+sauce was perfect. I will make this again. And again.
Karen says
Wow. Way too many calories and fat for something that could have been really healthy!!!
Scale back where you see fit!
Caleb says
Actually, just asked my wife about this. We eliminate the sesame oil completely when we make it.
Mia says
My favorite Asian noodle bowl recipe! Bursting with flavors and refreshingly healthy!
Laura says
Hopefully someone can answer this! I can’t find salted almond butter, is using unsalted okay? Thanks!
Yes, unsalted will work fine, Laura! Feel free to add a little salt if needed!
Helen says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was SO delicious! The best tofu I have ever eaten! Used limes and coriander from the garden which was a bonus. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe. 5 stars!
Tanner says
This was seriously SOOOOOO delishy. Even my “non tofu liking” fiance loved this dish!!! I doubled the dressing because we like things saucy ;) This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
Carolyn says
Sooo good. So good! Easy to make, easy to eat.
Used peanut butter because almond butter is twelve dollars a jar around here; I think the crunchy version would be divine.
We did a “make your own” conga line of sorts; I just lined everything up and we made our own bowls.
Loved the tossed-in-cornflour tofu; a great little bit of crunch! Cooking the tofu in the sauce was clever.
It’s on the rotation in our house!
Joanna Toole says
This recipe was a hit in our house! The peanut sauce is delicious and the raw veg salad provides a great contrast to the tofu and sauce part. I added edamame beans and some cashew nuts for an extra protein hit!
Diane says
This is so amazing!!! I’m making this again tonight for dinner (already made it 4 or 5 times before). I always use crunchy peanut butter. Yum oh yum!!!
Cheyenne says
Oh my goodness. This is so delicious! It was fairly easy and quick to make but I had a little confusion with the tofu sauce (“was mine the right consistency?”) and the some of the frying directions. Luckily, I was able to figure it out. It turned out great. :D I think the next time I make it, it will be easier and quicker than my first go. I’m gonna keep this one in my weekly rotation from now on!
Thank you so much! :)
Meagan says
This has become a weekly meal in our house. Between the tofu, its amazing sauce, and the dressing, it’s the perfect combination with the fresh, crunchy vegetables.
Dottie says
This was amazing! Great recipe
Sadie says
The sauce. Is. Amazing!!! Serve it warm over any crunchy vegetables and red kidney beans with noodles and you can’t go wrong :)
maddy says
I made this today, it was so good! is the coating for the tofu a peanut sauce if peanut butter is used instead of almond? I just moved into a dorm at PSU that has a kitchen so I have been trying to improve my cooking skills. I made your pot pie the other night as well and that was great!
Alexia Prochnicki says
Hi!
I made this recipe last night and we absolutely LOVED it ! I did have one question for you… when I went to fry the corn-starch dredged tofu, the cornstarch side stuck to the pan (there was oil there) and when I turned them around it tore the tofu. Any advice?
Susan Butler says
Made this last night, big hit! Thanks for a great recipe, it’s a keeper.
Samantha says
I made this on Friday night but subbed the tofu for chicken breast. It turned out wonderfully! So flavorful, simple to throw together, healthy and hearty. I even took the leftovers for lunch the following day when I hiked to the top of a mountain! No basic hiking food here!
Kellie says
This was delicious! Because of the multiple components it is a little time consuming but SO worth it! This is going to be my ‘go to’ salad. I used zucchini instead of cucumber (it’s what I had on hand) and will probably spiralize it next time. Thank you!
Robin says
Wow! Delicious! I used tempeh instead of tofu (steamed it first), and crunchy peanut butter instead of almond butter. This is probably the best tempeh I’ve ever had. Thanks for another great recipe!
Whoop!!
Kirsten says
Super delicious! My daughter and I both loved this recipe. I know that my husband will also be a fan. Thanks!
Myra Nicole says
I absolutely love this dish! It is so delicious, and I love the tofu! I usually do not like tofu that much, but I love it in this noodle bowl.
Mercedes says
Twice I’ve made this (peanut butter option) and it’s been a major hit. Thank you! Keep this good food coming.
Diane Chandler says
OMG!! Made this today and honestly this was such an amazing meal!! The tofu alone is my favorite tofu recipe ever!!! Yum, Yum and a million times Yum!!!!!! :)
Christa says
Oh boy! This recipe was a HUGE winner in our house. My husband actually flipped out over it (especially the tofu), and he is not a foodie! I forsee this being on our weekly menu for a long time!
Thanks!
Mrs. Fancypanties says
This is one of our favorite meals! We eat it a few times a month. If you sub some hemp hearts in with the almond butter (1/2 Tbls), it adds a nice texture and extra nutrition. I also reduce the oil ( 1tsp in both the dressing and tofu sauce) and use coconut oil for frying. Also, if you’re calorie conscious, add romaine and/or spinach and reduce noodles. SO GOOD!
Katie says
SO GOOD! I made this with shirataki noodles because maintaining my lady shape, and PB. This is a great alternative to a stir fry for hot summer days with all the fresh veggies!!
Claire says
We just had it for lunch and the almond butter tofu is heaven. Thanks for the delicious recipe!! :)
Roxana says
Can the tofu be substituted with chickpeas, or something not soy based?
It does look delicious.
Paige says
This was DELICIOUS! So fresh and light, but filling. Thank you so much for posting this!
Maya says
I do a version of this with peanut butter instead of almond. It’s delicious. One question though: how does your dressing turn out so translucent/red when you’re using tamari? Mine is yum but it’s dark brown.
I took that picture before adding the entire amount of tamari, which I had modified later after more testing!
Licia says
This is a refreshing, delicious, healthier version of the typical thia-peanut dish. I am an 8-year vegetarian and quite frankly, this is the best tofu I’ve ever eaten (I’ve eaten a lot). I used almond butter and subbed Bragg’s liquid aminos for the tamari/soy sauce only because it is what we had in the pantry, and it worked great. For the second and third time (in the last month) making it, I added just a few chopped peanuts on top. For the tofu, instead of adding the sauce to the pan the tofu is cooking in, we removed the tofu and sat it on paper towels to absorb some of the oil and then added the tofu to the bowl the sauce was in and tossed to coat. We found this results in less sauce lost to spattering or caramelizing and sticking to the pan (may have had the heat too high the first time). I am making this dish again tomorrow at the request of our vegetarian daughter, who is home for a few days from her job at a summer camp and eagerly looking forward to detoxing from what she calls ‘cafeteria canned GMO food’. Five stars are not enough. Thank you Dana!
Elin says
Thank you so so much for this recipe! I was scrolling through all the recipes on your site and this particular one caught my eye. It tastes just as delicious as it looks! I am a big fan of nut butters, so the almond butter tofu was incredible!
I want to thank you for all the recipes you create, they’re all delicious and my first go-to recipes as I am both vegetarian and gluten intolerant!
Caroline Waters says
This recipe is literally INCREDIBLE. I can’t believe how easy it was when it looks so delicious and complex. I think I’m addicted to the almond butter tofu…..thank you!!
Betsy says
DELICIOUS! I make a similar PB sauce all the time for dipping spring rolls in, but never tried using it in the pan w/ tofu before. YUM. Added both cilantro and basil on top. Perfect first-day-off-of-summer-break lunch!!
Kaeli says
Wow! The flavours in this recipe are amazing ; the almond-butter tofu cubes are SO delicious.
I almost didn’t make this – frying tofu has been a crumbly, tantrum-level disaster for me every time, until now. Thank you for lifting the fried-tofu ban in our house!
Victoria says
This was such a lovely fresh dinner option with a second serving all packaged up for work tomorrow! I didn’t have soy sauce (why, I always have it!) but it didn’t detract from the flavour at all. Wasn’t very good at frying the tofu, it was my first time I guess but I’ll definitely make it again in the future. great recipe!
Marla@marlasmuffins says
I subbed Tahini and this was Uh-mazing:))) Thank you!
Great call!
Gwen says
This is now my go-to tofu recipe. SO FREAKING GOOD! (I made it with natural crunchy peanut butter in the blender, so ended up somewhere between smooth and crunchy)
So kind! Thanks Gwen!
Cassidy says
Made this last night and it was delicious! I would recommend making both the sauce and the dressing at the same time. They use a lot of the same ingredients and I made the mistake of making the sauce, putting things away as I go, and then having to pull everything back out to make the dressing.
Im eating left over noodles, veggies, and sauce along with a cut pineapple for dinner tonight!
Shayna says
It’s super rainy and blustery here in Sarasota as storm Colin is sweeping in and I did NOT feel like cooking tonight, but I made myself because, well, I like to eat!
Yum. And Double Yum. My boyfriend who eats vegan with me, but also eats a little organic+ashumaneaspossible meat asked me if the tofu tasted like chicken (I was eating it straight from the pan). I said “no! It’s WAY better than chicken”. He tried some and said “Ohmygod! It IS!”
I had to sub peanut butter for almond and a little extra vinegar for limes because mine were sad and dried out. Also used rice because my rice noodles were from 2014 and did not come out right.
And it is CRAZY delicious. Only consideration: depending on how small you tend to cut your tofu, you might wish you’d made a 1.5 or 2x batch of the amazing sauce. Dana, you’ve done it again! I’m so grateful for your kitchinspiration and your consistency!
Heather says
This recipe is as good or better than a restaurant! I could eat it every day. The tofu was the best we’ve had. Slightly crunchy, but not hard. Delicious, thank you!
So kind, thanks Heather!
Diana says
Oh my, I just made this (currently eating) and it’s sooo good!
I’m super picky about veggies so it’s basically just carrots, noodles and tofu for me – and still, it’s SO satisfying and tasty.
I think this will become one of my go-tos. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Amy says
I’ve been vegetarian for 20 years and this might be one of my favorite recipes. Such good flavor, very fresh but still hearty because of the crispy tofu.
Thanks Amy! High compliment.
Laurence says
This was sooooo delicious, fresh! Best tofu I’ve had in a while.
Maria says
My roommate made this and OMG it is so good!!! I’d say it’s the best of your recipes so far and I’ve tried many. This will definitely need to be made soon again!
Jeffery says
This was simply amazing! The tofu blew my mind! I’ve made tofu many different ways and this may have been my favorite. The noodles went so well with it and the sauce was perfect, I was a little skeptical at first but it was great.
Thank you!
Lovely! thanks for sharing!
cathy says
Made this tonight and I MUST say that it was TOTALLY scrumptious! Hubby ate it and enjoyed it enormously, and THEN I told him it was tofu . Mmwwwwaaaahh haa haa! He fully admitted that had he known beforehand, he would not have enjoyed it as much, but as it stands now, he is officially open to tofu (which has been a HUGE sticking point in the past).
Completely satisfying and a party in my mouth with each lovely bite!
Thank you so much! If only there were more stars to give, I would.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Cathy!
Amber says
Hi,
Would Sunflower butter? I am allergic to peanuts and almonds.
Amber says
Sorry! Would Sunflower nut butter work*** Geez, typos!
It should! Let me know if you give it a try.
Aurora says
Oh my goodness, this was just amazing. I sounded like Meg Ryan in the scene from When Harry Met Sally while eating this!!
Sarah says
This one goes all the way to 11!!
I’m obsessed with this and have cooked it several times and sent the link around to family and friends. I’ve used peanut butter since I’m cooking in a remote part of the Northern Territory of Australia and almond butter isn’t a thing here yet :)
Global Tofu! Thanks guys x
Felicie says
One question: Are you using plain sesame oil or toasted sesame oil?
Recipe sounds fantastic- can’t wait to try it!!
Thank you!
Both work!
Justine says
Made these tonight, following the recipe pretty much to a tee and they are AMAZING. Let me tell you! The perfect recipe for this warmer weather and that PB tofu is thebomb.com. Definitely adding this to my repertoire. The biggest problem my dad and I are having right now is how to leave enough to let my sister have a bowl when she gets home from work haha.
Also just wanted to say that I received your new cookbook for my birthday last week, and I made the apricot hand pies (well, I made blueberry hand pies because those are what I had) and they too were amazing! Turned out perfectly crisp and browned. I am so excited to try the rest of your recipes!!
Sara says
Made this last night for my mom and sisters and they loved it!
stephanie says
Delicious recipe! I used peanut butter (almond is too expensive) and it worked just fine as a substitute. It did burn a little when it made contact with the pan as I drizzled it on top of the tofu so I would watch out for this. Didn’t affect the meal much. Delicious, will be making again. Will make way less rice noodles (had so many leftover!)! Thanks!!
Nancy says
Yum! Just made this tonight and it was delicious!
Mitchell says
I made this three nights in a row now for my gluten free workgroup. All of em were amazed by the quality of the dish. Thank you for your amazing recipes!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Mitchell! :D
Miranda says
This was delicious! I came home really tired last night but saw this recipe in my inbox and realized I had pretty much all the ingredients, so I rallied up the energy to make it. And it was so worth it! I actually didn’t have red bell peppers, green onions, or cucumber, so I used what I had instead (red onions and celery) and it was still absolutely delicious. Perfect recipe, and so quick. Thanks!
Lovely! Thanks, Miranda!
Joel says
This seems almost exactly like the tofu chop salad ingredients from Sprouted Kitchen. Love the concept here but the noodles are yuck and the dressing is lackluster. However the tofu turned out great. I’d use the sriracha dressing from Sprouted Kitchen and ditch the noodles.
How are the noodles “yuck”? Sounds like it was the brand you were using. Thanks for the feedback!
Joel says
I used the brand you recommended. They didn’t do well… I’d sub rice instead honestly.
Carol says
you probably over cooked them. Over cooked rice noodle are yuck (they pretty much dissolve in your mouth). But perfectly cooked rice noodles are amazing.
Jocelyn says
Rice noodles are often already cooked and just need soaking – did you try to boil them? This makes them quite “yuck” in my opinion.
Vimilimitex says
This recipe is FANTASTIC. Loved every bite of it. I used rice in place of noodles and added some lime zest to the mix. Next time I’ll double the almond butter sauce—I want some on every noodle or grain of rice. YumMEE.
Thanks so much!
Ava says
I have never left a comment before on any site, but just had to for this recipe. Your recipe was awesome!! So flavourful and delicious! I used the veg I had in the house and peanut butter, lemon juice and buckwheat noodles as that’s what I had, but everything else was the same. I did double the sauces as I love things a bit saucy and added ginger as per others comments. A wonderful easy recipe, I highly recommend it!
So kind! Thanks for sharing, Ava! xoxo
Amanda says
Made this for dinner tonight and the entire family loved it – including a picky 2.5 year old. I blanched the veggies a bit just for personal preference and used peanut butter. It was sooooo good! Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! So great. Thanks for sharing!
Rebecca Foxworth says
This was truly an amazing dish! Restaurant-quality, for sure. Given that FOUR of these bowls would likely cost us about $30.00 on lunch special at a restaurant, we’re quite the grateful family (we love Thai food). With two omnivores and two vegetarians, it was also quite an easy dish to double, and then split the sauce between a skillet full of tofu, and one full of leftover grilled chicken (yielding two bowls of each)…and when I say “bowls” I mean “serving bowls”…these portions are generous. It was universally liked, and no one even asked for a snack all evening…yay, veggies!
To make on a weeknight in the future, I’d probably prep the sauce and dressing over the weekend so it would be ready to go. I’m thinking this will be one of our “go to” dishes for summer! Thank you for posting this!
So kind! Thanks for sharing, Rebecca!
Lauren says
Oh…my…goodness. I made this for dinner tonight, and my fiancée and I both couldn’t stop going back for more. I’ll never cook tofu another way, and this will go straight into the weekly rotation!
So great! thanks for sharing, Lauren!
Kristin says
I just made this for dinner and it is LIFE CHANGING!!! The combination of flavours and textures is just so, so good.
Yay! Thanks for sharing!!
Lauren says
Seriously life changing!!
Yay!!
Megan says
I double the recipe, and quadrupled the dressing (cause I like it saucy) and it was amazing ???? thank you, Dana!
Elizabeth says
This dish was so deliciously awesome! I made it with peanut butter and all the fresh, brightly colored veggies I could get my hands on. Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Precious says
Those bowls are errthang! And I think they are calling my name…
Allison says
Made this today, it is 1000% awesome! The tofu is especially delicious. Came together very quickly and I had everything on hand to make it. Bringing it to the park later for a perfect picnic lunch! I used garlic granules in the dressing instead of fresh garlic and added more tamari to the dressing, but otherwise made as written. Will definitely make this again. Also making your breakfast cookies A LOT lately! Thanks :)
So great! Thanks for sharing, Allison! xoxo
Sue says
Dana, I made this for dinner last night. Only problem is that one of my kids wanted more and it was all gone. Everything was so good on its own, but all together it was amazing. Thanks for another winner!! You rock :)
haha, yay! Thanks Sue! So glad they enjoyed it. xoxo
Tiana says
I made this last night, and it was delicious! I made this with peanut butter, and my husband loved it. Next time i’ll have to top it with chopped peanuts.
Nice idea! Glad you both enjoyed it, Tiana!
Megin says
The almond butter instead of peanut butter takes this recipe to a new and surprising place! Can’t wait to try it! There’s no reason to go to a Thai restaurant when you can make delicious Thai food at home! Thanks!!!
Vicki Costello says
I made this last night for dinner. WOW, what great flavor! And the big bonus is that my husband LOVED it. This is going to make it to my “we usually eat” list. I used zucchini ribbons in the place of rice noodles and chose peanut butter. I want to say thanks so much for all of the wonderful meals you share. It has helped my commitment to eat a vegetable based diet so very much.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Vicki! I need to try it with zucchini noodles next time ;D
Dolores says
Home Run! My family loved it! Substituted shrimp for my carnivores but also used tofu for my vegan and had to double the salad dressing. Will be making again!
Nice! Thanks for sharing, Dolores!
Shelley says
I made this for dinner tonight and lemme tell you it was delicious… full of wonderful flavors and textures! My husband especially loved the almond butter tofu. Thank you for the fab recipe! I’ll definitely make this again.
Whoop! xoxo
Danielle says
Just made this for dinner…oh my! So delish! I love the addition of all the fresh veggies and herbs. I couldn’t resist adding some spiralized beets. Perfect. Also gave it a Vietnamese flair by topping it with fried scallion oil (pan fried the thinly sliced green onions). Over the top delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!
Ooh, nice! Wouldn’t have thought to add beets. Thanks for sharing, Danielle!
Cassie says
Almond butter tofu?!?!?! WHAT?!?!! I think this is so so clever! Pinned the recipe!
Crystal says
Made this tonight (after drooling over the recipe all day). It was fantastic! I was out of almond butter so used natural peanut butter and the tofu turned out DIVINE! It was so fresh and summery. All my favourite things in one delicious bowl!
Sharona says
OMG, that looks amazing. Going to make it this weekend. Will substitute Soba noodles for rice ones, it’s what I have at home. Can’t wait to eat this!! Thank you.
Good idea! Let me know how it goes!
Beth says
We made this today for lunch and it was fantastic! I am looking forward to eating the leftovers for dinner, and then making more soon.
A bit of ginger would be great in the sauces, will try that next time.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Beth.
Amy says
This looks amazing; thank you so much for sharing!!
Celeste | The Whole Serving says
Looks delicious and I like the use of almond butter, for all of use with peanut allergies. I’ll be preparing this very soon.
Anne-Marie says
Just made it. Very very very delicious!!! Couldn’t resist adding ginger in both sauces, though ;)
Yay! Would you mind giving it a rating? That helps us out a lot! Thanks, Anne-Marie! xoxo
Alex says
I too added ginger. This was amazing Dana. Thank you!
Sue says
Dana, this looks great. It just might be tonight’s dinner!
Thanks for another creative and delicious-looking recipe! :)
Thanks Sue! Hope you love it.
Emily @ Robust Recipes says
Gaah this sounds amazing. That almond butter sauce sounds incredible! All those veggies are gorgeous!
Samantha says
Bam! Totally making this over the weekend, it is exactly what I’ve been craving lately. I’ve coated tofu in peanut butter before and loved it so I’m sure the almond butter will be just as heavenly!
jess says
there is no reason i am not going to try it! x
Julia @ Sprinkles & Saturdays says
Oh my gosh, this bowl looks to die for! I always love grabbing this type of food at restaurants but would love to try to make it on my own! Thanks for sharing!
runningpathES says
This looks delicious, thanks for yet another great recipe — I’ll be sure to review when I make it.
I’ve been meaning to ask you, especially after getting your cookbook: why do you never use tempeh? Do you just not like it? I find that steaming it before cooking it takes away any bitterness, and it’s a very nice change of pace from tofu.
That’s funny you ask! I only have one recipe on the site with tempeh (https://minimalistbaker.com/simple-vegan-meatballs/), but I’m hoping to incorporate it more in future recipes! Thanks for the tip. I do find it bitter, but haven’t done much testing with it! Stay tuned.
runningpathES says
So either Veganomicon or Vegan Brunch is where I learned to steam it first — it really gets rid of the bitter flavor. (Vegan With a Vengeance was my first intro to vegan cooking many many years ago, and I still pull her books out regularly.) I’ll look forward to tempeh recipes from you!
Dee Dee says
I, too, would love to see more tempeh recipes. From some reading I’ve done it seems if you steam the tempeh or gently boil it before adding to a recipe, it removes the bitter taste and makes it more receptive to marinades, etc. I’m going to try this recipe with tempeh.
Lauren says
Gorgeous! My husband requested we eat less meat so we’ve added tofu, quinoa, etc into the mix. This looks like it will appeal to everyone here :P Thanks!
Ramona says
Jealous!! My partner doesn’t think it’s a real meal if there’s no meat in it :( poor baby gonna die!!
Aleksandra says
It makes me so hungry and I am still at work for next 2.5 hours! :)
Tom ~ Raise Your Garden says
Toot toot. I’m getting on the Thai-inspired noodle bowl train for sure! Love Thai food but the Thai restaurants are uber pricy where we live and wife has vetoed them. Interesting that you use either cilantro or basil to top, they’re both so different. Like both and grow both. Yup, man in his mid 30’s and gym teacher converted gardener here. Doc says my cholesterol is still to high and I need to cram even more veggies in my diet. Vegan when possible! Doing my best.