Sesame Peanut Asian Noodle Salad with Tofu
Protein-rich tofu and peanuts, with crisp snap peas, bean sprouts, green onions, and Fresno chiles, dressed with honey sesame dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
- 3 Tbsp dark sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper or chili powder (optional)
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce (less if using tamari which is more concentrated than soy sauce)
- ¼ c rice vinegar
Salad:
- 12 ounces of vermicelli, thin spaghetti, or angel hair pasta
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted salted peanuts
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1 cup diced snap peas
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 Fresno pepper, finely diced (no seeds)
- 1 cup firm tofu, drained & cut into 1/2” cubes
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Drain tofu by wrapping in a tea towel or several layers of paper towel, and then placing a plate or flat object on top with a soup can or other small weighted object. Leave at least 30 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, combine all dressing ingredients. Heat over medium until the mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat, whisk well to combine, and set aside.
- Place peanuts in a plastic zip bag and gently crush with a rolling pin or flat-bottomed pan.
- Roughly chop the cilantro
- Slice the green onions into thin slices (both white and green parts), and slice the snap peas on an angle into 1/2” pieces.
- Remove the seeds & white pith from the Fresno pepper and dice finely
- Once the tofu is drained, cut into 1/2“ cubes.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions, aiming for the “al dente” end of the cook time. Careful not to overcook!
- Rinse cooked pasta immediately in cold water and place in an ice water bath to stop cooking. When cold to the touch, rinse and drain completely.
- Place drained pasta in a large bowl and add all ingredients, including dressing, and toss to combine well. Add salt if needed and combine before transferring to a serving dish.
- Optional: garnish with peanuts, cilantro, sesame seeds, and/or extra diced chiles.
- Serve room temp or cold!