If you’re a fan of peanut sauce, you’re going to love this one. This vermicelli noodle salad is packed with crunchy vegetables, peanuts and fresh herbs, but the star of the show is really the creamy peanut and lime dressing.
And what’s even better is that this a high protein salad with 27g of protein per serving.
It’s called a salad, but I think of it as more of a main meal. It works well as an easy lunch or even as dinner, and it’s particularly good for meal prep as the flavours develop as it sits.
I also love that it’s packed with different colours, textures and veggies. Such an easy way to get plenty of variety into one meal.
And, like all of the salads in my Fifty Fantastic Salads series, it’s completely plant-based and made with simple ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Vermicelli Noodle Salad
Full of crunch: Veggies like carrot, cucumber, pepper and red cabbage give this salad plenty of texture.
Creamy peanut sauce: The combination of peanut butter, lime, tamari, ginger and garlic makes a really delicious dressing.
High protein salad: Adding in a protein like tofu as well as the peanuts and peanut butter provide over 27g of protein per portion.
Great for meal prep: It keeps well in the fridge, making it perfect to prepare ahead.
Gluten free – using rice vermicelli noodles keeps this salad gluten free.
Why I Chose These Ingredients
✅Rice vermicelli noodles: I’ve used thin vermicelli noodles as they cook quickly and soak up the sauce well. But to be honest, use whichever noodles you like here.
✅Tofu: to up the protein, I’ve added in some quickly cooked firm tofu. It’s low in fat and absorbs the flavours of the peanut sauce really well without being overpowering. Along with the peanuts and peanut butter, it helps give this salad 27g of protein per serving.
✅Peanut butter: This gives the dressing its creamy texture and adds protein and healthy fats at the same time.
✅Red cabbage: As well as adding colour and crunch, red cabbage is a source of fibre and contains anthocyanins, antioxidants that give it its deep purple colour.
✅Carrot, pepper and cucumber: A simple combination that adds plenty of different textures, colours and vitamins to the salad.
✅Lime, ginger and garlic: These bring plenty of flavour to the dressing without needing lots of added sugar or oil.
✅Fresh mint and coriander: Fresh herbs make a big difference so don’t miss them out! And they add lots of extra nutrients at the same time.
Storage and Shelf Life
This Vermicelli Noodle Salad is best served at room temperature.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
It’s not suitable for freezing.
Recipe Tips & SWaps
Making the sauce: Add the water gradually until you reach your preferred consistency. You want the sauce to be creamy but thin enough to coat the noodles and vegetables easily.
Toasting the peanuts: If your peanuts aren’t already toasted, toast them briefly in a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Keep an eye on them as they can catch quickly.
Making it gluten-free: Use tamari rather than soy sauce and check that your noodles are certified gluten-free.
Adding more heat: Add a little chilli, chilli flakes or sriracha to the peanut sauce if you like a bit of heat.
Changing the vegetables: This is a very flexible salad. You could also add edamame, spring onions or beansprouts.
Related Recipes:
Here are some recipes from the fifty fantastic salad series:
Vermicelli Noodle Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 large block firm tofu
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 nests vermicelli rice noodles
- 1 large carrot
- ½ cucumber
- 1 red bell pepper
- ¼ red cabbage
- ⅓ cup unsalted toasted peanuts (50g)
- Handful fresh mint chopped
- Handful fresh coriander chopped
For the peanut sauce
- ⅓ cup natural smooth peanut butter (80g)
- Zest and juice of 2 limes
- 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1½ tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 tsp fresh ginger grated
- 2-3 tbsp water to thin
Instructions
- Prepare the tofu: Preheat the air-fyer (or oven) to 180C (350F). Cut the tofu into thin strips. Add to a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and toss with the garlic powder and some salt and pepper. Bake for around 10 minutes, giving it a shake halfway, until golden and slightly crispy. They may need slightly longer in the oven.
- Cook the noodles: Prepare the rice noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop them cooking and prevent them sticking together.
- Prepare the vegetables: Cut the carrot into thin strips or julienne them. Slice the cucumber and red pepper into thin strips and finely shred the red cabbage.
- Make the peanut sauce: Add the peanut butter, lime zest and juice, tamari or soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, garlic and ginger to a bowl. Whisk together, gradually adding the water until you have a smooth, pourable sauce.
- Assemble the salad: Add the noodles, vegetables, tofu, peanuts, mint and coriander to a large bowl. Pour over the peanut sauce and toss everything together until well coated.
- Serve: Finish with a few extra peanuts and fresh herbs and serve immediately.
Notes
- This will store in the fridge for about 3 days.
- If you’re not a fan of tofu – add any protein of choice.
Can you fry on stove top the tofu strips
Yes definitely!!
Delicious! Enjoyed by all from 7 years to 70. I used commercially available pre-marinaded tofu pieces for speed. Going to try adding beansprouts or water chestnuts next time for additional crunch.
That’s so great to hear! And love the sound of your additions.