If you love Asian flavors, crunchy veggies, and a rich peanut sauce, you just found a recipe for your next meal! This Zucchini Noodle Salad served with our popular Peanut Sauce is easy to prepare, a great salad to enjoy all year round, and simply delicious. Learn how to make the classic noodle salad using zoodles (zucchini noodles).
I first made this Zucchini Noodle Salad Recipe during the summer when I had so many zucchini growing in my veggie garden; this Zucchini soup is another example of the recipes I make when zucchinis are growing like crazy! If you ever had zucchini plants, you may know how many vegetables you can harvest from one single plant. Last summer, I had four plants, so I was harvesting zucchini every day. I thought a good investment would be a vegetable spiralizer, and I wasn't wrong! You can do so many recipes with zoodles and use the spiralizer for other veggies, such as carrots or cucumbers.
As much as I thought this Zoodle Salad would be a summer dish, I've been making it regularly since I first tried it. Zucchinis are around all year, so you can prepare this salad whenever you like!
For this recipe, we use our Thai Peanut Sauce as a salad dressing. It's easy to prepare, umami-rich, and so creamy. It's a lovely combination of flavors, and I think you will love it too.
Ingredients
Zucchinis. Get a large zucchini that looks fresh and juicy inside. I've had zucchinis that were very dry, and these wouldn't work for this recipe as the zoodles break easily.
Carrot and Red Cabbage. These are the two other veggies I like including in our zucchini noodle salad. You can also add other vegetables such as white cabbage, cucumber, red bell pepper, baby corn, or radish.
Plant-based Protein. For this salad, I used tempeh. I slightly marinated the tempeh with some soy sauce and maple syrup and pan-fried it before adding it to the salad. You can also use tofu, smoked tofu, or edamame beans for this salad.
Fresh cilantro. No Asian salad is completed without some fresh cilantro added right before serving.
Ingredients for the Peanut Sauce
Smooth Peanut Butter. Crunchy peanut butter would also work; it just adds another crunch to your salad.
Soy sauce. You can use tamari for a gluten-free version of the recipe.
Rice vinegar.
Maple syrup. Also, brown sugar or another sweetener of your choice can be used.
Sesame oil.
Lime juice.
Cooking Method
First, prepare the zucchini noodles by spiralizing them. You can also use a food processor if you have an add-on to cut into thin strips. Cut the carrot and red cabbage into thin strips, and chop the coriander. You can also use the spiralizer to cut the carrot.
Cut the tempeh into thin slices, marinate with soy sauce and maple syrup, and briefly sautée. Then, let it cool down before adding it to the salad.
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, and lime juice until smooth and well combined. You don’t want to sauce too watery, as the zucchinis will release some water.
Place the zoodles, cut vegetables, chopped cilantro, and tempeh into a large salad bowl, and pour the peanut dressing over the salad.
Combine well until all the ingredients are evenly coated. For a spicy kick, add some chili flakes or hot sesame oil.
Once all your ingredients are well combined, you can garnish the salad with some crushed peanuts, some more fresh cilantro, and sesame seeds.
Don’t forget to drizzle some fresh lime juice before serving it.
Zucchini Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large zucchini
- ¼ red cabbage
- 1 carrot
- A handful of cilantro
- 4 oz tempeh
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Peanut Salad Dressing
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar optional
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Juice from one lime
Instructions
- First, prepare the zucchini noodles by spiralizing them. You can also use a food processor if you have an add-on to cut into thin strips. Cut the carrot and red cabbage into thin strips, and chop the cilantro. You can also use the spiralizer to cut the carrot.1 large zucchini, ¼ red cabbage, 1 carrot, A handful of cilantro
- Cut the tempeh into thin slices, marinate with soy sauce and maple syrup, and briefly sautée. Then, let it cool down before adding it to the salad.4 oz tempeh, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, and lime juice until smooth and well combined. You don’t want to sauce too watery, as the zucchinis will release some water.2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter, 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, Juice from one lime
- Pour the peanut dressing over the salad and mix until all the ingredients are evenly coated.
- Once all your ingredients are well combined, you can garnish the salad with some crushed peanuts, some more frehs cilantro, sesame seeds, and if you like a bit of spice, add some sesame chili oil, it adds a great spicy kick.
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Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
This noodle salad is a great main dish for a light meal, but it also makes for a fantastic appetizer or side dish. I love its versatility, and I've served it in many different ways:
- Main dish. Enjoy as a light lunch or dinner. When we serve this zoodle salad as a main, we like cooking some rice paper crisps to serve on the side, they are perfect to soak up those last bits of sauce!
- Side dish or appetizer. With this recipe, you can serve four people if you intend to prepare the salad as an appetizer or side dish. We love serving this zucchini noodle salad with our vegan massaman curry.
- Potluck dinner. This salad makes for a great potluck dish to bring to your next event. It's easy to prepare, served at room temperature, and a crowd-pleaser! You can serve it with other fresh salads like our Mediterranean lentil salad.
Our favorite toppings for this zucchini noodle salad are sesame seeds, crispy fried onions, and crushed peanuts. For spicy lovers, add some sesame chili oil, sriracha, or chili flakes.
If you have any leftover peanut sauce, you can serve it with tofu satay, or use it as a dipping sauce for vegan gyozas or these crispy vegan spring rolls.
Store
Store any leftovers in the fridge using an airtight container. You can store this zucchini salad for 1-2 days. I recommend leaving it at room temperature one or two hours before serving.
FAQ
Smoked tofu would be my second choice for this recipe, but also plain firm tofu slightly marinated and pan-fried will work great.
One option is almond butter, which has a similar creamy texture and nutty flavor. Another option is cashew butter, which is slightly sweeter than peanut butter and has a milder flavor. You can also use sunflower seed butter or tahini, which are made from seeds and have a slightly different taste but still work well in peanut sauce recipes.
Once the zucchini noodles are made, you can add a pinch of salt and let them rest for a few minutes, then remove excess water using a cheesecloth. I personally like the excess moisture that the zucchini noodles have when all the ingredients are incorporated, as it makes the sauce lighter, but that is my personal taste.
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