Thai-inspired vegan peanut noodles are creamy, nutty, spicy, and ready in 20 minutes. They're versatile, slurpable, and perfect for busy weeknights!
Regular readers are aware of my love for peanut butter; it's very high on my list of comfort foods. I love it in savory dishes like this one, and in sweets, like my vegan peanut butter pie, peanut butter fudge cookies, and crispy peanut butter balls.
Thai peanut sauce is one of my favorite savory applications for peanut butter. It gives this noodle dish a lovely nutty flavor, provides rich creaminess, and pairs beautifully with the bright, crunchy bell peppers and cucumbers.
So much better than takeout, vegan peanut noodles could not be easier: whisk the peanut sauce together, chop the vegetables while your noodles boil, and dinner is ready!
Jump to:
⭐️ Why This Recipe Is The Best
- Rich & creamy, nutty spicy, fresh, and crunchy
- Hearty and satisfying plant-based meal ready in just 20 minutes
- Great for meal-prep
- Versatile dish with lots of variations and substitutions
- Nutritious, dairy-free, and gluten-free
🥜 Ingredient Notes
- All-natural peanut butter - We use unsweetened peanut butter here. If you only have sweetened peanut butter available, omit the maple syrup.
- Maple syrup - Be sure to use real maple syrup, not the corn syrup stuff.
- Rice, soba, or udon noodles - You can really use any noodle for this recipe, but these are my go-to options when making peanut noodles.
- Fresh cilantro - Adds fresh herbyness.
- Roasted peanuts - Finishes the dish with a fantastic crunchy texture.
📝 Variations and Substitutions
- Use your favorite veggies. Add seasonal vegetables like carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, etc.
- Add more protein. Although this dish is high in protein because of the peanut butter, you can definitely add more. Tofu, chickpeas, or chicken would all be delicious with the peanut sauce.
- Make it spicy: Add a dash of hot sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes to give it some heat.
- Gluten-free option: Substitute tamari for the soy sauce.
- Any noodles work. Go ahead and use spaghetti, linguine, or even zucchini noodles!
- Substitute any nut butter. Cashew, almond, or sesame butter will all work, and it's a great option for peanut allergies.
- Honey can used in place of the maple syrup if you don't need this to be strictly vegan.
🔪 How To Make Vegan Peanut Noodles
Make the peanut sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, water, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Set aside.
Cook noodles according to instructions on package, minus 1-2 minutes. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, and transfer to a large bowl.
Pour peanut sauce into bowl and combine until noodles are well coated. Add bell peppers, cucumber, and scallions, and toss to combine.
Serve garnished with cilantro and peanuts.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Storage: Store in a (covered) container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: Leftover noodles can be placed in a freezer-safe container and stored for up to 1 month. You can also freeze the peanut sauce separately for up to 3 months.
- Use unsweetened peanut butter. If using sweetened peanut butter, omit the maple syrup.
- Make ahead: Make the peanut sauce and prep veggies up to 24 hours ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator until ready to make the noodles and serve.
- Cook noodles al dente. To be safe, cook your noodles 1-2 minutes less than the suggested cooking time on package. We don't want overcooked noodles!
- Rinse noodles under cold water. This stops the cooking and prevents the noodles from sticking together.
- Crunchy or creamy peanut butter works. If you want a smoother, silkier texture, I recommend using creamy peanut butter. But if you prefer a more textured sauce (my preference), I recommend using crunchy.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, rice noodles are naturally gluten-free, as are soba noodles. However, udon noodles are not gluten-free, although you can find gluten-free udon noodles in certain supermarkets.
Because natural peanut butter AND soy sauce already contain a fair amount of salt, no extra salt is needed for this dish. Of course, if the finished dish is not salty enough for your liking, you can always add some at the end.
Yes, peanut noodles are naturally vegan, as no dairy products are traditionally used.
🍜 Related Recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.
20-Minute Vegan Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-natural peanut butter*
- 1 Tablespoon water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 (1-inch piece) ginger, minced
- 2 Tablespoon lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 8 ounces rice, soba, or udon noodles
- 2 bell peppers, julienned or thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, julienned or thinly sliced
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (garnish)
- ⅓ cup roasted peanuts (garnish)
Instructions
- Make the peanut sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, water, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, lime juice, maple syrup, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Cook noodles according to instructions on package, minus 1-2 minutes. Drain noodles, rinse under cold water, and transfer to a large bowl.
- Pour peanut sauce into bowl and combine until noodles are well coated. Add bell peppers, cucumber, and scallions, and toss to combine.
- Serve garnished with cilantro and peanuts.
Notes
- Storage: Store in a (covered) container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: Leftover noodles can be placed in a freezer-safe container and stored for up to 1 month. You can also freeze the peanut sauce separately for up to 3 months.
- Use unsweetened peanut butter. If using sweetened peanut butter, omit the maple syrup.
- Make ahead: Make the peanut sauce and prep veggies up to 24 hours ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator until ready to make the noodles and serve.
- Cook noodles al dente. To be safe, cook your noodles 1-2 minutes less than the suggested cooking time on package. We don't want overcooked noodles!
- Rinse noodles under cold water. This stops the cooking and prevents the noodles from sticking together.
- Crunchy or creamy peanut butter works. If you want a smoother, silkier texture, I recommend using creamy peanut butter. But if you prefer a more textured sauce (my preference), I recommend using crunchy.
Cynthia
I could have eaten this entire batch of peanut sauce in one sitting! So much flavor and it was so easy to make. Definitely a repeat recipe!
Gastronotherapy
Ha ha, so happy you loved the peanut sauce, Cynthia! I also love it, and probably make these peanut noodles once a month!