When it's too hot outside to turn on my oven... this is the kind of meal I turn to. The crispy tofu topping is made in my air fryer in 15 minutes. The rice noodles are rehydrated in boiled water from my kettle. The 5 minute peanut sauce is whisked up in a bowl and the veggies are chopped. Toss it all together and I have a delicious cold noodle salad that is full of colour and diversity!
So colourful, fun to eat, and full of flavour
Perfect for meal prepping
Ready in 30 minutes or less
Packed with diversity, fibre, and nutrition
Ingredients For Cold Noodle Salad
This cold noodle salad recipe is one that you can get creative with but here are the ingredients I use:
Crispy Baked Tofu: a great simple protein source that can be prepared in advance. Either oven bake for 20 minutes or air fry for 15 minutes. Alternatively, rely on the edamame and peanut sauce for protein which makes for a quicker preparation. Crumbling my "Crispy Tempeh Bacon" is another great option.
Rice noodles: these are my go to for this recipe because they can usually just be rehydrated in boiled water from my kettle. Not having to turn on my stove can be a plus on hot summer days. Alternatively, soba noodles would be delicious in this salad and they cook quickly on the stovetop.
I fill up the salad with:
- Red Cabbage
- Edamame
- Carrot
- Cucumber
And then garnish with fresh Thai basil from my garden and toasted sesame seeds. Fresh cilantro or chopped green onion would be nice alternative herbs to use here and chopped roasted peanuts instead of sesame seeds would be great.
Method For This Cold Noodle Salad
This is a great recipe to meal prep. You could prepare the crispy baked tofu in advance, whisk up the 5 minute sauce and chop all the veggies. Store everything separately in the fridge until you are ready to compile it all. Even the noodles could be made in advance if you cool the cooked noodles under cold running water and toss them in sesame oil to prevent them from sticking together.
Don't worry though, it will only take about 30 minutes to make everything at once if you want to enjoy it right away.
Start by preparing the Crispy Baked Tofu.
- Cube 350 grams extra firm tofu.
- Toss the tofu in tamari (or soy sauce), smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
- Then toss in nutritional yeast.
- And air fry for 15 minutes at 400 F or oven bake for 20 minutes at 425 F.
Meanwhile,
- Cook the noodles according to your package instructions.
- Shred the cabbage, shell the edamame if required, and julienne the carrot and cucumber.
Finally, whisk up the 5 Minute Peanut Sauce in a small bowl.
Recipe Cost
This cold noodle salad with crispy tofu serves 4 and costs me just over $10 Canadian. That means we have a beautiful and satiating salad for about $2.50 per serving!
Let me know in the comments below how you make this cold noodle salad your own! You might like my Crunchy Cabbage Salad with Peanut Dressing as an alternative to a traditional coleslaw. Another delicious noodle dish to try would be my Vegan Japchae made with sweet potato glass noodles!
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Cold Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A colourful & satiating cold noodle salad with crispy tofu and a creamy peanut lime dressing. Simple to prepare & perfect for summer!
Ingredients
- 350 g Crispy Baked Tofu (recipe card below)
- 8oz rice noodles or soba noodles
- 215 gram red cabbage, shredded (about ¼ of a small cabbage)
- 120 g edamame, shelled (¾ cup)
- 100 g carrot, julienned (1 medium carrot)
- 100 g cucumber, julienned (half of an english cucumber)
- 1 cup 5 Minute Peanut Sauce (recipe card below)
- Thai basil to garnish (or cilantro, green onion etc)
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Start by preparing the crispy baked tofu (see the recipe card below for instructions). Try the air fryer method for quicker preparation.
- Meanwhile, prepare your noodles according to your package instructions. If using rice noodles you can usually simply boil water in a kettle and pour it over the noodles to rehydrate them for 12-15 minutes until softened. Once cooked, cool the noodles under cold running water and toss in a drizzle of sesame oil if desired to prevent sticking.
- Shred the cabbage, shell the edamame if needed, and julienne the carrot and cucumber. Feel free to change up the veggies used!
- Whisk all of the ingredients for the quick peanut sauce in a small bowl until combined (see the recipe card below).
- To serve, either toss the cooked and cooled noodles with the prepared veggies, tofu, and peanut sauce OR assemble the noodles, veggies, and tofu and drizzle the sauce over top. The second option can be helpful if you will have leftovers and want to keep each component separate for maximum freshness. Garnish with fresh herbs and toasted sesame seeds or chopped peanuts if desired.
- Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Approximate Cost: Just over $10 Canadian or about $2.50 per serving.
This is a good meal prep recipe where you can prepare each element in advance, refrigerate them, and then toss them all together when you’re ready to eat.
Crumbling my Crispy Tempeh "Bacon" is a great alternative protein source (or make the preparation quicker by just relying on the edamame and peanut sauce for protein)!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Various
- Cuisine: Asian Inspired
Crispy Baked Tofu
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 350 g 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
My go to crispy baked tofu recipe. Oil-free, flavourful, and perfect for tossing into a stir-fry, on a power bowl or whatever you would like!
Ingredients
- 350 g extra firm tofu, pressed
- 1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet with a silicone mat or sheet of parchment paper.
- If your tofu is not pre-pressed, remove as much excess water as you can. Use a tofu press for 10-15 minutes or wrap the block of tofu in a clean kitchen towel and place a heavy object on top. I usually place a cutting board on top of the wrapped tofu and stack a couple of heavy cookbooks on the cutting board. This will apply pressure to the tofu and squeeze out excess water. *If you add too much weight you could cause some tears in the tofu so be careful to not overload it too much.
- Chop the pressed tofu into small cubes about 1 inch in size. (I find that smaller cubes absorb more flavour).
- Add the tofu cubes to a large bowl and gently coat with the tamari, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
- Finally, sprinkle the nutritional yeast on top and stir to coat. (I add the nutritional yeast after the other seasonings so that the tofu absorbs the tamari. If added all at once the nutritional yeast will soak up the tamari and the seasonings will clump).
- You can proceed straight to baking the tofu or leave the cubes to marinate for 15 minutes or longer in the fridge. (Marinating does increase the flavour but I still find them really flavourful if baked right away).
- Bake for 20 minutes then check the tofu. They are done when they are crispy, puffed up, and a little shiny. I find that store-bought pre-pressed tofu is really crispy after 20 minutes. Blocks of tofu that I have pressed myself tend to take 30-40 minutes to get really crispy (but you can remove them from the oven earlier). Turn the pieces of tofu if leaving them in for longer than 20 minutes. This will allow them to crisp up on all sides. (Alternatively, try air frying at 400 F for 15 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes).
- Enjoy on a stir-fry, power bowl, in a wrap, or however you would like!
Notes
Approximate Cost: $4.31 Canadian for 350 g. I often add this tofu to a recipe that will serve 4 so it works out to just over $1 per serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Thrifty How-Tos
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
5 Minute Peanut Sauce To The Rescue
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This 5 minute peanut sauce comes to the rescue time and time again. 6 ingredients, one bowl, instant flavour boost!
Ingredients
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce (reduce to 1 tbsp for a lower sodium option)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp chilli garlic sauce
- ⅛ - ¼ cup warm water to thin
- optional: ⅛ cup chopped peanuts for garnish
- optional: ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes for garnish
*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and gently whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the flavour to your liking. Add more lime juice or vinegar for tanginess, maple syrup for sweetness, or chilli garlic sauce for heat.
- Garnish with chopped peanuts and a pinch of chilli flakes if serving as a dipping sauce for fresh spring rolls.
- Alternatively, drizzle over buddha bowls or use as a marinade to season tofu!
Notes
Approximate Cost: CAD $1.79 ($1.94 with optional chopped peanuts to garnish).
- Category: Sauces & Dips
- Method: One Bowl
- Cuisine: Thai
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