Vegan tofu noodle salad is a fab fresh & vibrant recipe that sees fried soy glazed tofu paired with vermicelli noodles & lots of veggies.
Cooking time for this delicious and easy salad takes 6 or 7 minutes and preparation a leisurely 15 minutes making this a super quick meal too!
Vegan Rice Noodle Salad
The idea of having a main course salad for dinner growing up seemed all sorts of strange and a punishment rather than something to enjoy.
Oh how times, have changed, I’ve got everything from Indian-inspired paneer salad with poppadom “croutons”, a classy duck breast salad with oranges and asparagus, to a tongue-in-cheek gammon salad with boiled eggs and crispy potatoes!
My latest salad offering is a lovely little vegan number with fried tofu glazed with dark soy, rice vermicelli noodles, the same noodles that I use in my Singapore chow mein recipe, and a boatload of raw veggies.
It’s all finished with a spicey crispy chilli dressing that tastes divine and is sure to raise the heart rate a little.
It’s super simple to make, especially if you use a mandolin to chop the veggies… and it’s quick too!
This dish will go from your pantry to your table in a shade over 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of tofu in this recipe?
Not really, you need extra firm tofu in order to fry it. Anything else will break up whilst it is cooking.
Can I use different types of noodles?
Yes, knock yourself out use any sort of noodles that you like, but be aware that not all noodles are vegan. But let’s face it if the vegan nature of this recipe is important to you, then you know this already!
Can I use different vegetables?
Absolutely, again anything goes in this recipe, although it is a raw salad so you need to bear that in mind.
Everything from thinly sliced broccoli and cauliflower to shaved asparagus and red onion all work well.
What can I do with leftover red cabbage?
A couple of simple options include my red cabbage chutney and braised red cabbage.
The former is great for extending the life of the cabbage as it will last in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, it will last in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
I personally prefer the tofu warm, but it takes minutes to cook so that is not a problem
Serving Suggestions
If I am eating this tofu noodle salad as a main course, I generally don’t serve it with anything.
However, this absolutely rocks as a side salad! You can have it over a couple of days and serve it cold.
I’ve served it alongside dishes as varied as hoisin duck legs and my cod en papillote to char siu pork tenderloin and steamed gochujang chicken breast!
If you cut the tofu into long and thin strips you could even stuff this mix into spring rolls!
It’s also absolutely superb as a lunch box filler too!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- 30cm or 12″ frying pan or skillet.
- Chopping board.
- Kettle to boil water for noodles.
- Jar for mixing th dressing, you could use a bowl and whisk if you want.
- Mixing bowl to soak noodles.
- Colander.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Mandolin, this is optional but this really speeds up the preparation for this recipe.
- Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
Spicy Tofu Noodle Salad Recipe
This delicious "Asian" influenced vegan noodle salad is packed to the gunnels with fresh raw veggies including red cabbage, baby corn, carrots and mangetout and finished with rice vermicelli noodles. It's just as good as a main course salad as it is as a side!
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 280g (10oz) Extra Firm Tofu
- 200g (1½ Cups) Red Cabbage
- 100g (1 Cup) Carrot
- 100g (½ Cup) Baby Sweetcorn
- 100g (1 Cup) Mangetout
- 1 Medium Hot Red Chilli Pepper
- 100g (2 Bundles) Rice Vermicelli Noodles
- 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil (for frying the tofu)
- 1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
For the Dressing:
- 1 Tbsp Crispy Chilli in Oil, I use the Lao Gan Ma Brand
- 1 Tbsp Mirin
- 1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Ground Nut Oil
- 1 Tsp Sesame Oil
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients for the dressing into a jar and give it a shake.
- Remove the tofu from the packet, then cut it into a 10-15mm (¼") dice and set it aside on some kitchen paper to dry.
- Remove the tough heart from the red cabbage and then finely shred it, this is much easier with a mandolin. Then place it in a bowl
- Clean up the carrot and shred it in the same way you did the red cabbage and add it to the cabbage.
- Remove the seeds from the chilli pepper and then shred it into roughly the same size as the carrot and red cabbage and add it to the bowl.
- Cut the baby sweet corn into rounds 2-3mm thick (½") at a 45 degree angle and add them to the salad bowl.
- Top and tail the mangetout then cut them in half at a 45 degree angle and add them to the salad.
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and allow them to sit.
- Cook the rice vermicelli noodles as per the instructions on the packet, it should be soak in boiling water for 2-3 minutes then drained and refreshed in cold water.
- Heat the oil for frying the tofu over a high heat in a 30cm or 12" nonstick frying pan and then fry the tofu until golden, which should take around 4-5 minutes.
- Pour in the dark soy sauce and toss to coat thoroughly,
- Add the noodles to the salad vegetables and use your hands to combine.
- Finally, mix through the tofu and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 711Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 1177mgCarbohydrates: 78gFiber: 11gSugar: 19gProtein: 35g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
Gina Strauch
Wednesday 23rd of August 2023
Excellent meal, though I had to make a few substitutions to use what was on hand: green cabbage instead of red, and regular corn, since it is in season here. Next time I'll grill the corn, which I think will add a nice flavor. I also added scallions and Thai basil on top. My stove does not heat well, so I used a locally made marinated tofu, Tofu Kan, instead of the fried tofu. I did notice what looked like black and brown sesame seeds on top in the pictures, which aren't listed in the recipe, but would have been nice, as would chopped peanuts or cashews.
Brian Jones
Saturday 26th of August 2023
Glad you enjoyed this Gina... your substitutions sound great!