These Tofu Peanut Noodles are weeknight comfort made easy! 🥢✨ Crumbled tofu cooks up quickly, then gets tossed with tender rice noodles, broccoli, and a creamy peanut sauce for a wholesome, flavor-packed meal in under 30 minutes.
30 Minutes
minimal prep
You’ll Learn: How to make a comforting meal from scratch
Worth It: It’s a healthy and satisfying dinner, but takes less than 30 minutes to make
Bonus: We crumble the tofu right in the pan to make it extra easy
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 30 minute meal – This tofu peanut noodles recipe comes together in 30 minutes for an easy weeknight meal for the whole family.
- Vegetarian dish – I love tofu paired with a really flavorful sauce because it takes on the flavor so well. This is a great meat free diner option!
- Tofu made easy – To keep this dish simple, we are crumbling the tofu right in the pan! There’s no need to spend time pressing the water out of the tofu.
Serving suggestions
I love this peanut tofu noodle dish because it’s a complete meal on its own. You get veggies from the broccoli, carbs from the noodles, and protein from the tofu. If you want to add some additional greens on the side, you could make this kale caesar or a quick salad with green dream dressing.
If you like this peanut tofu recipe, try this peanut broccoli pasta salad next.
Ingredients and Ingredient Substitutions
- Creamy peanut butter – the creamy texture is best for the sauce, but if you like some crunch, you could use crunchy peanut butter
- Low sodium soy sauce – I prefer to use low sodium soy sauce to avoid the dish getting too salty
- Lime juice – the fresh lime juice is the perfect zest to add to your sauce
- Freshly grated garlic – I save time and use the frozen cubes or
one in a squeeze tube - Freshly grated ginger – the ginger adds a ton of flavor to the sauce. I like to use pre-grated or ginger in a squeeze tube
- Instant rice noodles – if you are not using instant noodles, make sure you cook according to package instructions
- Chopped broccoli – chop the broccoli to your preferred size. To save time, you can boil your noodles with the broccoli
- Olive oil – I used olive oil but you can also use a neutral oil like avocado oil
- Extra firm tofu – extra firm creates the best texture in this dish. If you want to use meat, you can substitute ground pork, turkey, or chicken.
- Kosher salt, garlic powder and onion powder – this simple spice blend helps season the tofu prior to adding the sauce
- Toasted sesame oil – use the toasted sesame oil to finish the dish and add a great flavor to your noodles along with the sauce
How to make
Step 1: Make Sauce and Boil Noodles
Whisk creamy peanut butter, low sodium soy sauce, lime juice, freshly grated garlic, and freshly grated ginger together to make a sauce. Set to the side.
Place instant rice noodles and chopped broccoli in a large pot. Boil water separately either in a sauce pan or a kettle.
Step 2: Saute Tofu
While the water boils, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Use your hands or a spatula to crumble the brick of tofu directly into the skillet. Let the tofu saute and brown slightly before seasoning it with kosher salt, onion powder and garlic powder. Reduce heat to low.
Once the water has boiled, pour into the pot with the noodles and broccoli. Cover the pot with the lid and let the noodles and broccoli cook for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the noodles and broccoli in a colander and immediately rinse with cold water.
Step 3: Combine Everything
Add noodles and broccoli to the skillet with the tofu, pour in sesame oil and toss to coat immediately – this also helps with clumping.
Pour the peanut sauce into the skillet and toss to combine everything. I like to cover the skillet with a lid on med-low heat for about 2 minutes to help the sauce really soak into the other ingredients before serving with scallions and sesame seeds on top.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat your tofu peanut noodles in the microwave or on the stove until warmed through.
Check out these Other Weeknight Dinner Recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Tofu Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp freshly grated garlic (I save time and use the frozen cubes or one in a squeeze tube)
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger (I save time and use the frozen cubes or one in a squeeze tube)
- 3.5 oz instant rice noodles**
- 12 oz chopped broccoli The smaller the pieces of broccoli, the softer they will be in the stir fry. I like a bit more of a bite.
- 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 14 oz extra firm tofu opened and liquid drained
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Whisk 3 tbsp creamy peanut butter, 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tsp freshly grated garlic, and 1 tsp freshly grated ginger together to make a sauce. Set to the side.
- Place instant rice noodles and 12oz chopped broccoli in a large pot. Boil water separately either in a sauce pan or a kettle.
- While the water boils, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is warm, use your hands or a spatula to crumble the 14oz brick of tofu directly into the skillet. Let the tofu saute and brown slightly before seasoning it with 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp onion powder and 1 tsp garlic powder.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Once the water has boiled, pour into the pot with the noodles and broccoli. Cover the pot with the lid and let the noodles and broccoli cook for exactly 2 minutes (you do not need any heat on under the pot). Drain the noodles and broccoli in a colander and immediately rinse with cold water – this prevents the noodles from being too sticky and clumpy in the stir fry.
- Add noodles and broccoli to the skillet with the tofu, pour in 2 tsp of sesame oil and toss to coat immediately – this also helps with clumping.
- Pour the peanut sauce into the skillet and toss to combine everything. I like to cover the skillet with a lid on med-low heat for about 2 minutes to help the sauce really soak into the other ingredients before serving with scallions and sesame seeds on top.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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