During summer, I don’t like to use the oven or do too much serious cooking that will heat up the house. I eat a ton of salads during summer, but sometimes you just want something a little more substantial, but still light and refreshing. This Asian noodle stir fry salad hits all those points.
The noodles and the tofu are cooked while all the vegetables are fresh. The stir fry sauce is tossed over top like salad dressing and the noodles and tofu soak some up too.
The veggies are crisp and refreshing while the noodles add heft to the meal and the tofu adds filling protein. Top it all off with crunchy peanuts and zingy lime juice, and it is the perfect summer dinner.
Simple swaps for this Asian Noodle Stir Fry Salad recipe:
- Use shallot or ginger in place of garlic, or a combination of these.
- Try another green in place of romaine, such as fresh spinach.
- Use any Asian style hot sauce in place of the chile paste, such as sriracha or gochujang.
- Add or replace other fresh vegetables of choice such as red onion, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced zucchini, or snow peas.
- Use another plant-based protein such as chickpeas, tempeh, or frozen thawed edamame.
- Swap out the peanuts for another nut or seed such as cashews, sunflower seeds, or pepitas.
Asian Noodle Stir Fry Salad
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Alison's Allspice
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Asian
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 4 oz rice noodles or sticks
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 TBS reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 TBS sesame oil
- 1 ½ tsp each: honey and red chili paste such as sambal olek
- 1 TBS canola oil
- 8 oz tofu, pressed and cubed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups chopped romaine
- ½ a large cucumber, diced
- ½ a red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- ¼ cup peanuts
- 1 TBS fresh lime juice, from half a lime
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cold water to cool if desired.
- Mix together the garlic, tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and red chili paste.
- Heat the canola oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add the tofu and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tofu is golden, flipping twice, about 8-10 minutes. Spoon in 1-2 TBS of the sauce, stirring to coat. Remove from heat.
- Layer romaine, noodles, tofu, cucumber, carrot and peanuts in two bowls.
- Add the lime juice to the sauce and pour evenly over the noodle bowls.
