Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Tofu

This Vietnamese Noodle Salad is a fresh meal we love making in the summer. A perfect combination of vermicelli rice noodles, crunchy veggies, loads of greens, marinated tofu, and the most delicious and hearty peanut sauce.

Last year, for my birthday, my husband got me a Vietnamese cooking book. It’s not 100% Vegan, but it has many veggie recipes, and the ones with meat can be easily customized with plant-based protein, so I got inspired again to cook Vietnamese food. Also, I'm pregnant with my third kid, and funny thing, during my last two pregnancies I've craving Vietnamese food a lot, maybe it's all the greens in most dishes?

Last week, we ate at a Vietnamese restaurant in Dublin, and it brought loads of memories back. The flavors, colors, and textures of this cuisine are simply amazing!

This Vietnamese Noodle Salad recipe is a favourite at home, so why not share it? It's served with our famous peanut sauce. We learned how to make this during a cooking course in Hoi An, and we have customized the recipe over the years to make it our own. If you ask me, it's a very nice recipe to keep making this summer.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Cooking Method
• Vietnamese Noodle Salad
• Tips for making our Vietnamese Noodle Salad
• Serving Suggestions
• Other Vietnamese Recipes You Can Make:

Ingredients

For the Salad

Glass Noodles. Glass rice noodles or vermicelli noodles are the nicest for this type of salad. They won't need to be cooked; simply leave them soaking in hot water for 10-15 minutes, depending on the brand. You can find them in large supermarkets or Asian food stores. We also use this type of noodles for summer rolls or our Pad Woon Sen.

Veggies. We like adding summer veggies from our garden, such as zucchini, cucumber, and carrots. You can also add peas, bell peppers, or bean sprouts.

Fresh herbs. As for the veggies, I like using whatever is growing in my garden, such as mint, basil, spinach, coriander, lettuce, arugula, etc. Make sure you use at least 3-4 different type of greens as it will give a delicious crunch and taste to your noodle salad.

Marinated tofu. I like preparing a simple marinade for my tofu when cooking Vietnamese dishes with five-spice powder and soy sauce. It gives the protein an anise-like taste that we love.

Red chili. You can add fresh red chili if you like a bit of heat.

Garnish. Crushed peanuts and fresh lime are the perfect combo to finish this Vietnamese salad.

For the Sauce

Peanut Butter. For the peanut sauce, you will need to use smooth or creamy peanut butter. You can as well, make your own peanut butter. All you need to do is add roasted (unsalted) peanuts into a food processor and blend until you get a creamy consistency.

Brown sugar. We use brown sugar to give a bit of sweetness to the sauce, you can also add date syrup, or maple syrup.

Soy sauce. Also, tamari can be used for a gluten-free option.

Sesame oil. We use toasted sesame oil to add more umami to the sauce. You can use spicy sesame oil if you want to add a little kick to the dip.

Lime juice.

Rice vinegar. You can find rice vinegar in some larger supermarkets or Asian shops. If you don't find it or have it, skip it.

Warm water.

Sea salt.

Cooking Method

First, leave the glass noodles soaking in warm water until soft. Make sure not to soak them for too long, as you want them nice and chewy. Depending on the temperature of the water (I used boiling hot water), this may take a shorter or longer time. Normally, it takes me about 7-8 minutes to get the noodles to the right texture. Drain the water and rinse with cold water. Leave aside.

Cut the tofu into strips and place them in a shallow tray to marinate. Add the soy sauce and the five-spice powder and let it marinate for a few minutes. After a few minutes, while preparing the rest of the ingredients, flip all the pieces so they are evenly marinated. Stir-fry the tofu until golden brown and set it aside. Don’t discard the rest of the marinade; you can add it later to the salad.

Julienne the carrot and cucumber, and finely slice the red chili. We use half a chili, but you can add it whole if you like the salad spicier.

Then, place the glass noodles in a big salad bowl together with the sliced veggies and chili. Add the fresh herbs, no need to cut them into small pieces, but you could. Also add the crushed peanuts, marinated tofu, and squeezed lime juice.

Make the peanut sauce by combining all the ingredients and whisking until you have a smooth consistency. Pour the sauce over the noodle salad and combine all the ingredients.

Serve and enjoy!

Tips for making our Vietnamese Noodle Salad

• Make sure not to leave the noodles soaking for too long, otherwise they can become mushy and not as enjoyable as when they are still al dente.
• When setting aside the noodles, you can add some sesame oil to prevent them from sticking and add some extra umami flavor.
• You can use the leftover salad (if any) and some rice paper to make some summer rolls.
• If you prefer to use another plant-based protein, you can add edamame, tempeh, or soy curls to your salad.

Serving Suggestions

Our Vietnamese Noodle Salad is a fresh and light main dish perfect for a hot summer day or a late-spring picnic. I like serving the salad before mixing it, so we can enjoy the different colors and textures before everything gets combined.

You can serve the salad with some pickled daikon and hot chili oil for extra spiciness. Also, maybe use some of those fresh herbs or salad leaves to make noodle salad wraps.

If you'd like a whole Vietnamese dinner experience, prepare some vegan Pho to serve a small cup on the side.

Keep any leftovers in an airtight container for a maximum of three days. You can serve the leftovers as summer rolls using rice paper.

Other Vietnamese Recipes You Can Make:

• Vegan Banh Mi
• Tofu Summer Rolls
• Rice Paper Dumplings