Vegan Noodle Bowl (Gluten-Free)
If you’re looking for a quick, delicious, veg and protein-filled meal, this vegan noodle bowl with a peanut sauce will undoubtedly hit the spot!
It takes only 30-minutes to make, and it’s super versatile. It’ll quickly become a household favourite as it has in ours.
The dish has a base of buckwheat noodles (to keep it protein-rich and gluten-free), followed by my crispy shredded tofu, loaded with fresh veggies – cucumber, carrot, red cabbage, spring onion, cilantro, radish, and mint topped off with a creamy homemade peanut sauce. How could you go wrong with that combination?!
I’ve been making this vegan noodle bowl for at least a year, and it came about as I wanted something fresh that was also high in protein. You’ll get a decent amount from the buckwheat noodles, peanut sauce, and shredded tofu.
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What other veggies can you add to this noodle bowl?
You can alter this easy noodle bowl to your liking. I’ve swapped out different vegetables for what I have in the fridge. As long as you can have at least three different fresh veggies, you’re good to go!
Some other options for this veggie noodle bowl are:
- Green cabbage
- Peppers/capsicum (any colour)
- Snow peas
- Mushrooms (yes, they can be eaten raw)
- Fresh peas
- Red onion or shallots
- Zucchini
- Broccoli
An Asian-inspired noodle bowl with a twist
This is an Asian-inspired noodle bowl that has some Thai and Vietnamese flavours. I’ve added the shredded tofu to replace the thin beef strips that you’d typically find in a noodle salad.
If you want to make it a little more traditional, you can use white rice noodles like pad Thai or vermicelli. You could also swap them out for udon noodles.
Just use what you have on hand. Texturally it’ll be different, but the recipe’s base is still the same, so it won’t alter the overall flavour profile.
What is in this peanut tofu noodle bowl, you ask?
- Buckwheat noodles
- Carrots
- Cucumber
- Red cabbage
- Cilantro/coriander
- Green onions/spring onion/scallions
- Mint
- Radish
- Marinated shredded tofu
- Simple peanut sauce
That’s it! Accessible, wholesome ingredients that will keep you full. A win-win situation, I think.
It’s filled with fresh flavours and bursting with colour. It’s certainly a feast for the eyes as well as your tastebuds!
You can make all the components beforehand and even add them together beforehand (besides the peanut sauce). This makes for a great lunch on the go, for work or school.
I’ve enjoyed it many times on day trips around beautiful Tasmania. It keeps well!
Some tips for making this recipe
- Once the noodles are cooked, it’s important to run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. That way, you won’t have a mushy, clumpy mess.
- If you’re not serving it straight away, add a touch of neutral oil to the noodles to help them stay separate and not clump together. Toss it through the noodles well and store them in the fridge or at room temperature if it’s a cooler day.
- You can prepare all the components ahead of time and portion it out (keep the peanut sauce separate).
- It’ll keep in the fridge for up to three days (not combined with the peanut sauce).
- If you like heat, you can add your favourite hot sauce like sriracha or fresh chillies at the end to give it an extra kick.
- Want a more intense flavour? Swap out the shredded tofu for my lemongrass tofu flavour bomb instead.
If you love a good noodle bowl and fresh flavours, you’ll love this easy vegan noodle bowl recipe!
Crunchy bright veggies with a peanutty sauce, and crispy shredded tofu with buckwheat noodles make this dish the perfect meal.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do and add it to your weekly meal rotation. I would love to know what combination of veggies you like in the comments below!
Other wonderful recipes you’ll love:
- Vegan Red Rice Salad With Tahini Dressing
- Vegan Falafel Wrap
- 30-Minute Vegan Buddha Bowls (Three Ways)
- Vegan Vietnamese Salad
- 20-Minute Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Bowl
- Healthy Vegan Burrito Bowl
- Turkish-Style Shredded Tofu Wraps
- Vegan Bún Chay Noodle Bowl (Vietnamese Noodle Salad)
If you try these recipes, let me know! We’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram or share your photo of the recipe/s on Pinterest.
PrintVegan Noodle Bowl
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4
Description
Quick, easy, colourful vegan noodle bowls filled with vibrant vegetables, crispy shredded tofu, buckwheat noodles, and a creamy peanut sauce. Perfect weeknight dinner or packed lunch!
Ingredients
Crispy shredded tofu:
Easy peanut sauce:
Use this recipe (we used crunchy peanut butter for these bowls)
Vegetables:
- 1 small carrot
- 1 small cucumber
- 1½ cups red cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1 scallion, finely chopped (aka spring or green onion)
- 1 cup (packed) cilantro, roughly chopped (aka coriander)
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 red chilli, sliced
- 2 stems mint leaves, removed and washed
- 200g / 7 ounces buckwheat noodles
Instructions
- To prepare the tofu: Marinate the tofu and set it aside as per instructions in the linked recipe.
- Make the peanut sauce as per instructions in the linked recipe.
- To prepare the vegetables: Using a peeler, shave the carrot. Gather all the shavings and stack them. Don’t pile it on too high as they can slip. Slice the carrots on a diagonal thinly to create thin matchsticks. This is how I do it; however, you can also julienne them normally.
- To create the effect I have on the cucumber, run a fork down the outside of the skin and then slice it thinly. You will create a flower look.
- Prepare the rest of the vegetables as instructed in the ingredients section.
- Once you’ve done all the vegetables, fry off the tofu.
- While the tofu is frying, cook the noodles as per packet instructions. Mine took 4 minutes; once they’re cooked, run them under cold wanted to stop them from overcooking.
- Plate up for four serves. In each bowl, add equal amounts of all the ingredients (noodles, carrot, cucumber, cabbage, shredded tofu, cilantro, radish and scallion), and then drizzle the peanut sauce over the top. Finish off with sliced red chillies (optional) and mint leaves.
- Enjoy straight away or keep in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container (keep the peanut sauce off until you’re ready to serve).
- Diet: Vegan
Very lovely, especially the crispy tofu.
So glad you enjoyed it, Maria! Thank you for the review x