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.
Liz says
I love making this on a hot summer night when I don’t want to stand over the stove! Lately I have modified it slightly to bake the tofu in the air fryer, and then it’s even more hands-off. This so refreshing, and it feels good getting all those veggies into one meal.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Liz! Thanks so much for sharing. xo
Rebekah says
Another delicious meal from Minimalist Baker! I used radishes, cabbage, orange peppers, carrots, cucumbers and cilantro as the veggies. This will be on repeat as it was sooo good! I was worried that we were going to lose power last night as we had some big storms coming, so I made this early and just kept all parts separate until it was time to eat. We enjoyed it as a cold noodle salad and it was perfect!
That’s a smart workaround for the storm, Rebekah! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for another lovely review! xo
cindy says
Oh my goodness, made this last night for dinner and it was a total hit! Perfectly crispy, savory-sweet tofu with fresh veggies, rice noodles, and the dressing was tangy and delicious. It felt both healthy and indulgent. Will make again!
Whoop! Thank you for the lovely review, Cindy!
Nicki says
This was a big hit! So fresh- perfect for a summer dinner. Thank you!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Nicki. Thank you for sharing! xo
Sylvia says
This recipe is amazing! I am not vegetarian, but I do like experimenting with vegetarian food. I have made it a number of times for veggie and non-veggie people alike. It always gets rave reviews and requests for the recipe. I like that a lot of the prep can be done ahead of time and then it’s just a matter of cooking up the tofu and combining it together. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Sylvia! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Cindy says
Could you air fry the tofu with the sauce on it? Or air fry the tofu first and then coat in dressing?
We’d say air fry first, then add sauce!
Janet says
Thank you for the air fryer suggestion. I almost avoided this recipe due to all of the oil. I’ll give it a try!
Becca says
This recipe blew my mind. It looks pretty unassuming so I was really surprised when we sat down to eat it! I was expecting something more like vermicelli but this is really a different dish altogether. Loved it. I would say it took closer to 45 mins to make.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Becca! Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
melissa atcheson says
my teen is newly vegetarian and we have been experimenting with new recipes – we made this together in about 45 minutes from start to finish. Really enjoyed it – will be on the list to make again. We weren’t sure whether the dish was meant to be eaten hot or cold; we ate the tofu and noodles hot and the salad cold.
Wonderful! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Melissa! We typically eat the tofu hot, noodles at room temp, and veggies cold. Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
Barbara says
Ok to sub tempeh for tofu?
I would think it wld be fine, but am interested in your opinion.
thanks!
That would be delicious! Hope you love it =)
Allison says
This recipe was absolutely delicious – I used peanut butter instead of almond butter and it was awesome, and the dressing was really good. Loved the whole combo of flavors overall. I made for some friends and everyone loved it. And I love that it’s both vegan and gluten free. The only thing is that the prep took a LOT longer than 20 minutes. Measuring and mixing the sauce and the dressing, and prepping all the veggies and the tofu, took close to an hour. What is the secret to this only being 20 minutes of prep?
We’re so glad you and your friends enjoyed it, Allison! This recipe was originally for 2 servings so required chopping less veggies, etc., but we changed it to 4 as that seems to be preferred by our audience. We hadn’t factored in that would change the prep time, but could definitely see how it would!
Emily says
I don’t think I’ve ever reviewed a recipe on the internet and I make tofu all the time, but this recipe blew my mind. It’s amazing. The tofu is so crispy, the sauce is delicious, the combination of vegetables is so fresh, and the dressing is the special ingredient that I didn’t know I needed. Thank you so much for this recipe. It will be a weekly addition to our menu!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Emily. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Katie says
This is the TASTIEST tofu dish I’ve ever had. I’ve never had success with the texture/crispiness of my tofu… but this was perfect. The flavours were delicious and light and I enjoyed every bite.
Woohoo! We’re so glad you enjoyed this one, Katie. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Jess says
This was dope highly recommended
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jess. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Tonya says
This was delicious. I used a handful of baby salad greens instead of the fresh herbs and only 2 T arrowroot starch to coat the tofu.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Tonya!
Christina says
This recipe is incredible! I find I’m always adjusting seasonings in other online recipes but this was was perfect ! The combination of flavours with the two sauces creates such a depth of flavour to the recipe it was hard not to have seconds ! I did substitute honey for maple syrup as I had just run out and it was still wonderful . I also ran out of sesame oil so fried the tofu in grape seed oil . I thought it would lack flavour but the sauce has so much kick it was perfect .
Thanks for creating such an amazing recipe ! I am officially hooked to your blog now !
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Christina. Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review! xoxo
Kedi says
Amazing!!! I didn’t have everything on hand so I used olive instead of sesame oil, and honey instead of maple syrup. I love the texture of the tofu in this dish! I can’t wait to make it again tomorrow.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kedi! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!
Luvbaker says
Soo good! I subbed crunchy peanut butter for the almond butter and used brown rice noodles instead of the regular rice noodles. This one is a keeper!
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Olivia says
This recipe looked so good but because of the ingredients I had on hand and the mood I was in, I made some modifications. I tried this as a stir fry instead of a salad: I used the tofu sauce as my stir fry sauce, marinated my tofu in the dressing, and air fryed that tofu! It turned out AMAZING as a stir fry so I just wanted to share that for anybody who’s in the mood for some stir fry action instead of some salad action.
Love that! Thanks so much for sharing, Olivia!
Katie says
This was a huge hit and we loved both the tofu sauce and the dressing. However, the cooking time for step 8 did not work out for me. Maybe because of the maple syrup in the tofu sauce (I only used 2 tbsp), my tofu started to brown way too quickly in the pan, even after I lowered the heat. So cooking it for an additional 3-4 minutes in the sauce was not an option at that point. I took the tofu off the heat early and then spooned some remaining sauce on top. Other than that adjustment, this recipe was delicious and complex, and I would definitely make it again.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Katie! We’re so glad you enjoyed it overall. xoxo
Danielle Lépine says
I loved this recipe, I love your whole site lol. The recipe prep time was fast because I had all the ingredients at hand. This recipe is a definite keeper.
xoxo!
Kelly Spence says
Does the tofu still taste good if made ahead?
Hi Kelly, it’s best when fresh, but will be okay up to 3 days!
Stephanie says
This was the most delicious meal we made on COVID lockdown (and we have done a LOT of cooking). Only comment is that it took longer than the 30 minutes called for in the recipe, but it is well worth the time and effort. Added chopped peanuts on top for crunch. Yum!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie! Thanks for sharing!
Marie says
This recipe is amazing! The almond butter sauce is delicious. I used a vegetable peeler to ribbon the carrots so it took me while but the rest was very easy. I will definitely make this again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Marie! Thanks so much for sharing!
D says
The food was delicious! Since I didn’t have lime juice on hand I used lemon and instead of rice vinegar, I used 3 TB of white vinegar. Also, I had a pot of rice ready so I ate the tofu with that instead of noodles.
The tofu sauce was so good!! I might start using that recipe as a dip from now on, and the dressing was also super good! Like other commenters, this recipe did take me around 2 hours, a majority of the time went to trying to fry the tofu, which ended up a little burnt (really wish my stovetop was a true medium…). If you’re trying to make this recipe don’t be light-handed with the cornstarch! I used a little more than 6 TB, adding another half a TB.
Instead of pouring the sauce directly onto the tofu, I took all my tofu out, placed it in a dish, lowered the heat, and then I added the sauce. I increased the heat every few minutes until it was medium-high, then when the sauce started getting liquidy I added in the tofu.
I read the instructions multiple times since I’m prone to messing recipes up, but this was quite easy! Just make sure you’re attempting your first try on the weekend lol.
Lily says
I made this recipe last night for dinner and it was so good. It was about 72 degrees in the evening, so it was a perfect temperature dish. I used cucumber, red bell pepper, carrot and cilantro and also added some thinly slices bok choy that I had. And I used peanut butter instead of almond butter for the tofu. And I also made this Asian crunch mix to put on the top that I learned about from a different recipe. It was made of crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, dried red bell pepper, dried onion, dried garlic, dried lemon peel, black pepper, and mustard seed. My recommendation would be that after you crisp up the tofu, don’t mix it all with the sauce immediately. I was giving each person two servings, so I put only half the tofu and half the nut butter sauce in the pan and heated it up together for a minute or two. And then when I went to serve the second portions, I heated up the rest really quick. This allowed the tofu to stay crispy and the sauce was warm, and a nice contrast to the cold noodles, even for the second serving. And I used Lotus brand organic rice ramen noodles, in the jade pearl version. They worked perfectly and the beautiful jade green noodles were very pretty with all of the colorful vegetables.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Lily. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Danielle says
We made this receipe just as written, it was amazing. So delicious that I shared the recipe with fellow college students the next day! Thank you for sharing and for all the time and effort you put into your lovely website.
Aw, thanks so much for your sweet words and lovely review, Danielle! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Nathalie says
Just like Jon, I probably already reviewed this recipe… but this might be my favorite from the Minimalist Baker! Fa-bu-lous! (However, I would never call it a quick prep! I spend way over an hour to make this dish! It’s very worth it!). Thank you, Dana!
Jon says
I am not vegan or vegetarian, but this recipe has been a regular in my house for a few years now. I’ve probably already reviewed it before, but I thought I’d review again just because I love it so much. It is absolutely delicious and I would recommend to anyone, even if you aren’t vegetarian. Thanks for sharing!
Now if I could just get my kids to eat it…
Ada says
RUN, do not walk, to the grocery store if you don’t already have the ingredients, and make this recipe. The flavours are just amazing! And make extra of both sauces — you won’t regret it. In case it helps, I also made it once with chickpeas instead of tofu and it was just as delicious. One of the best meals I’ve ever made, thank you :)
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Andie says
The almond butter sauce with the tofu is just AMAZING!! Excellent recipe !!
jm says
This was DELICIOUS!! We devoured this. And so easy to make too.
Great! Thanks for sharing!
Gia says
Recipe was absolutely yummy. I modified the type of veggies used as I needed to clean out the fridge. I only had Udon Noodles on hand and paired with bell pepper, onion, broccoli, and swiss chard. To my delight, it all worked very well together. I would highly recommend even if you do not have the same ingredients readily available. The only modification I made to the sauce and tofu is I switched the chilies for 1/4 tsp of chili garlic sauce. I went with almond butter. It was fantastic!!! I have made several of Dana’s recipes and they never disappoint. Keep up the awesome work :)
Elyse says
Tasted really good in the end but something happened with the tofu and I’m not sure why. After sautéing the tofu on medium, when I added the sauce it immediately bubbled and started smoking, and the liquid got sucked out really quickly. I had to immediately remove from heat so it didn’t badly burn (though it did a little, the flavor was actually nice with the “smokiness”). There was no way I could have continued cooking 3-4 minutes as the recipe said. On my second batch I removed the tofu from heat before adding the sauce, and then basically just tossed it in with no extra cooking. Even then it bubbled and soaked up really quickly and seemed like it threatened to burn. I’m newer to cooking so any advice/explanation of what this might have happened would be much appreciated!
Hi Elyse, it sounds like maybe the pan is getting too hot and not cooling down quickly even with removing from the heat (that can happen with cast iron). We would recommend trying to cook it at a lower heat. Hope that helps!
Liore says
Feedback on the tofu preparation, which I used to spice up my normal rice and veggies.
This tofu is AMAZING. I had to peanut butter and lemon juice instead of almond butter and lime juice, but the sauce was fantastic. Your instructions for cooking the tofu made it the first time I’ve ever made tofu have an excellent texture. Thanks so much!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Liore. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Sasha says
This is the best tofu I’ve ever had, hands down. You will not regret making it. This is definitely going to be a new go-to for me!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Sasha! xo
Jackie says
This is sooooooo good! Better than any restaurant take out. Do yourself a favour and make this today!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jackie! xo
Kara T. says
I was able to make this in 30 minutes after my daughter went to bed. It was light but filling. Perfect after all the holiday heaviness!
Tracey says
This was everything!!! The sauce for the tofu is gonna be my go to from now on!!
Brittany says
Easy and delicious
Hannah says
So delicious! We had most of the ingredients already so it was super easy to whip up. It’s the perfect combination of fresh and hearty and I’m sure it will be come a staple in our house!
Emmy says
Delicious!!
The freshness of the dressing really brightens the heaviness of the nut butter
Cathy H says
This is my ‘go to’ recipe when I want to impress guests and prove that plant based meals are easy and, most importantly, delicious! It is one of the first meals I made after going plant based 2 years ago and it helped confirm that I made the right decision.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Cathy. We are so glad you enjoy this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Cathy H says
Oops! Thought I did leave a rating – too bad it can’t be more than 5 stars !
Christine says
This was the first recipe I tried to make. It has turned into my favorite!!! My husband especially loves it. I had leftovers for lunch at work one day and everyone wanted a bite. It’s one of my go tos when i have had too much rich foods, it’s perfect to just reset me. This is the best tofu I’ve ever made! So yummy the next day too!
Wonderful! Thanks, Christine!
Laurie says
I had another plan for dinner until I saw your Instagram post this afternoon and decided to make this. It turned out to be SOOOO good! I try to limit our soy intake to no more than once or twice a month but this recipe might tempt me to eat tofu more often! Thank you for another winner!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Laurie! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Camila says
LOVED the tofu in the recipe! My husband did too! I loved the flavor combination – fresh veggies against the savory flavor of the tofu. I stir fried the leftover the second day with a little extra sesame oil and tamari sauce which was also wonderful! We prefer warmer dishes, so I’ll probably cook the vegetables next time I make this dish. Amazing though!!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Bahiraha Pushparajah says
One of my favorite tofu dishes. It takes longer than 30 minutes sometimes, but it’s worth it. The sauces are amazing.
Thanks for sharing!!
nicole novak says
Would it be possible to bake the tofu rather than fry it? I noticed you use this method in some of your other tofu recipes. Kind regards! Nicole
Hi Nicole, we think that should work! Let us know if you give it a try!
Jill says
This was honestly the best tofu I have ever had, let alone made! My husband was raving about it, too. I agree with some of the other comments. This definitely took me closer to an hour to make, so more of a weekend meal than after a busy day of work. Maybe after I make it a few times, I can cut down on the time. Keep up the amazing veggie and vegan recipes! It makes becoming more plant-based easier and appealing.
So great! Thanks for sharing, Jill!
Jenny says
This is one of my family’s favorite meals, especially in the summer. My husband gets so excited when I make it. I love using vegetables and herbs from my garden- I really like to add mint and basil to it. I’ve used both almond butter and peanut butter and both turn out great.
However it is a bit of a labor of love and is one of the more labor intensive meals that I make, which is different from a lot of meals I have made from Minimalist Baker. I let the tofu cook for a lot longer so it’s brown on all sides, probably 10-15 minutes. Then all the veggie and sauce prep takes a bit. But it’s so worth it because it’s so good!
Thanks for sharing, Jenny!
Chelsie says
This was very good, though next time I will use peanut instead of almond butter. I agree with others that the preparation took longer than 30 minutes (closer to an hour for me), but it was definitely worth the time spent!
Dahlia says
I made this on Sunday night with tofu and it was amazing. I have leftover everything except the tofu (feeding a family of two only) so I wanted to know if I can sub in tempeh since I have some in the fridge?
That should work!
sarahem says
THIS IS SO GOOD. Seriously, it’s so much better than takeout. I love the savoryness of the tofu combined with the acidity of the dressing and fresh crunch of the vegetables.
Caitlyn says
The flavors of this dish are incredible! The crispy almond butter tofu is probably my favorite part!!!
Like a few other commenters, I too spent about 2 hours making this meal. The tofu took quite a while to cook and get crispy, and when I added the sauce to the pan it burned almost immediately. With the second half of the tofu, I fried it until crispy and then tossed it with the remaining sauce in a bowl instead of adding the sauce to the pan. I also may have taste-tested like 6+ pieces of tofu because it’s addicting!!!
I made this for meal prep for lunches throughout the week, but found it somewhat difficult to eat – definitely not something you can chow down quickly! All of the little bits like the red bell peppers, green onion, and cucumbers fall to the bottom and the noodles and carrots kind of all clump together. I definitely recommend eating this fresh after cooking!
I think if I make this again for meal prep, I will use quinoa instead of noodles and dice all the vegetables up, and I’ll probably just double the almond butter sauce and use that as dressing because it’s SO GOOD!!! 100% going to make that tofu again – can’t get over it!
Nathalie says
Amazing. Bold flavors, freshness, bright colors. Not a quick prep though! I personnally spent almost 2 hours to make the recipe!
Heather says
I made this last night and my husband almost died. LOL He said it was one of the best things I have ever made! It was so yummy! The only thing I did differently was I cooked the carrots, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions at when I added the tofu sauce.
Hah! We are glad it was a hit with your husband, Heather!
Cheryl says
This is absolutely delicious. I’ve left out the chili because we don’t really like things spicy here. I’ve made it with peanut butter and soy-nut butter. My husband would eat this every night if I made it.
So. Good.
We are glad you and your husband enjoyed it, Cheryl! :D
Rachel Ferguson says
One of the best noodle bowls ever! I reduce the amount of male syrup as I don’t have such a strong sweet tooth. Regardless, awesome flavor in this recipe.
Aaliyah Leflore says
Woooowie this was amazing, my bf came home from a long day of work to this and nearly teared up hahah. Switched almond butter for peanut butter and baked the tofu until crispy. I reduced the oil in the dressing. :-)))
Yay!
Kaili Carlton says
I tried to make it a little healthier w brown rice noodles and used half almond butter and half pb2 peanut powder. I reduced the oil in the sauce and did a quick rice vinegar pickle on the cucumbers. Easy and delicious and so easy to modify to your needs!
Thanks for sharing, Kaili!
Emily Tiemann says
I’ve been trying to get back into plant based eating and subsequently have fallen in love with Minimalist Baker all over again! I have forgotten how much I love all of Dana’s recipes and this one is no exception. I made this last night for dinner and oh man was it delicious!! I sautéed the tofu for double the time in a non stick pan (I still have yet to invest in a cast iron skillet) to get it nice and crispy before adding the sauce. As suggested I added green onions, red peppers, and basil to veggies. This was such a satisfying and easy meal! I’m already looking forward to eating my leftovers for lunch.
Yay! We are so glad to hear it, Emily!
Betsey Mowery says
Tonight I made the Thai Noodle Bowls with Peanut Butter Tofu (I was out of almond butter). For the very first time, the tofu was crispy, and had the perfect texture. Oh. My. Word. It was SO delicious that I had an extra helpful of the nutty, tasty tofu. Your photos inspire me to cook more and to try new dishes. Thank you!!!!!
Woot woot! We are glad to hear you enjoyed this dish, Betsey!
Marsha says
Wow. What a fantastic dish! I followed your recipe carefully, with my only substitutions being the red pepper flakes instead of the chili peppers, adding the optional chopped red bell peppers, and the non-GF soy sauce. It was absolutely delicious, and turned out perfect. Every instruction was exactly what I needed to create the dish, and I could easily follow everything.
Genius!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Marsha!
Kaely says
Very yummy ! Used peanut butter instead of almond butter because I prefer the saltiness of it . Love your recipes ! Very easy and delicious !
Trudy says
This was so good! 10/10. wish i doubled the recipe.
Tanvi Ladha says
yummilicious!
judee says
This looks amazing. As a vegetarian, I can’t wait to try it. The almond butter really makes it for me.
Max says
Super yummy! My husband and I tagged teamed this recipe last night. Great flavours and colours! We switched out the Almond butter to Peanut butter- just what we had. And used Cilantro which we love.
The whole thing was a bit labour intense for a weeknight, but well worth the effort. Thank you!!
p.s. wanted to post a photo, but not allowed?
Glad you and your husband enjoyed the recipe, Max! We’d love to see what you cooked up and if you post it to Instagram using the hashtag #MinimalistBaker we’ll keep our eyes out for it :D
Hannah says
Do you have any substitutes for the thin rice noodles? Would thicker noodles work? Or rice, quinoa, etc.
Yes, feel free to swap the noodles for your favorite go-to!
Lisa says
My goal this weekend was to find a recipe wheee I could learn to like tofu. Well……DONE! First time ever coming with tofu and this recipe was what did it. Absolutely delicious. Definitely making again this week. Fresh simple ingredients and so much flavour. I can’t wait to have it again! This will be the recipe on my blog this week for sure. Thank you for sharing.
We’re glad you enjoyed it, Lisa!
Christina says
Definitely worth making! Insanely easy t make and delicious. I’ve made tons of recipes from this site and this is one of the best so far!
Kelli says
I made this for dinner last night. I’m obsessed! The only thing that I will change the next time I make it is I’ll double the batch. Three of us ate all of it in one sitting.
Amy says
I never usually leave reviews but I had to on this, it was just so amazingly delicious!!! And stored separately was great for lunch the next day. Can’t wait to make this again very soon!
Megan says
Love this! I’m a mom of two small (picky) kiddos and this recipe is so easy and tasty that it has become a staple in our meal rotation! I cheat and buy the pressed tofu to make it even simpler but otherwise make this as written and I highly recommend! Even my meat-eating also-slightly-picky-eater husband really likes this! Thank youuuuuuu!
Johanna says
Saw your post on facebook and had to try it.
what a delicious combination and really a simple recipe. unfortunately i wasnt able to find firm tofu, mine was quite soft, so the almond butter mixture didnt really stick to the tofu.
was very tasty still!
Anjelica says
THIS IS SO GOOD!! All the textures and flavors are out of this world amazing. Thank you for all your delicous recipes, I wouldn’t be vegan if it weren’t for you Dana :)
Carly says
I love this recipe but find the dressing a bit thin. What would you recommend adding to thicken it? I tried 1/4 cup of olive oil but find it changes the taste (too diluted).
Thank you!
abbie says
I just made this for dinner & it was exactly what I was hoping for! Thank you!
Jill says
We loved this recipe! A nice break from meat focused meals and delicious!
Chelsea says
I LOVE your almond butter tofu recipe (I make it almost once a week), and have always been a fan of Thai food. So excited to have found this recipe! Trying it out tomorrow!
Autumn says
It was wonderful, and easy to put together!
Josie says
Oh my. Another winner! As new vegans, nothing warms my heart more than my husband raving about tofu! I warmed the veggies in the pan briefly after the tofu was done. Perfect!
Alicia Camarillo says
Can I use honey almond butter?
That’s all I have in the house.
I think that would change the taste quite a bit but you can give it a try!
Lena says
Just had this for luch! Thanks for this (and all your other great recipes) – it was very yummy! :-)
corinna says
I made this tonight and it was super yummy. But I doubled the salad dressing. Thanks for the recipe
Megan says
Looks delicious, but having read through the recipe, I’m fairly certain it would take me a solid 2 hours to prep.
David Lawson says
Just wanted to say thanks for all of your recipes! You’ve helped to keep a guy who’s applying for medicare next month healthy and well fed. I do appreciate all your hard work, and love to eat the food coming from your website and books.
Thanx again.
Dave
Barbara Voss says
Absolutely delicious. My husband (the non-tofu fan) thought that it was the best meal ever and went back for more!
Lindsey says
I made this noodle dish with the marinated peanut tempeh recipe from your blog and it was very good! Will be making this again.
Morgan Elle says
Havnt had tofu in years but I saw this recipe and wanted to try it and, my darling, you changed the game!! best tofu I ever had!! The sauce that goes on the tofu…omg I could eat it with a spoon, so freakin good! Thank you sooo much for sharing this recipe so others can enjoy your wonderful creation!
Also, another thanks for tips on how to adjust the dressing and sauce to our liking, being a new cook this was so appreciated and helpful. I wish everyone did this! I will be making this again and again. thank you!
Robbi says
This is becoming my ultimate favourite recipe site ❤ this noodle bowl is amazing, I’ve never had tofu like this before and even in a house full of meat eaters, my family adores it too!
Jamie says
We loved this fresh and yummy recipe. I made it a second time for a potluck with sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter and it was a hit there too!
Ugeshni Khan says
Just wanted to say that we love the tofu recipe here. We have made this several times over and it’s always good. The only changes we made were to use crunchy peanut butter. We tried it with almond butter once, but I prefer the peanut flavour. We have had the tofu in bowls like the recipe demonstrates, with stir fry veggies and we once turned it into tofu steaks to have as a vegetarian burgers. It’s so good!