A cozy, flavorful dish of Vegan Stir Fry Noodles with Tofu will hit the spot and satisfy those takeout cravings. This recipe is simple and uses pantry ingredients for the quick sauce, and is perfect for adding any vegetables of your choice!
Get ready to cozy up and get comfy with these delicious Stir Fry Noodles with Tofu. Start to finish, this dish can be ready in 30 minutes if you have all of your ingredients handy. And in my tiny kitchen, that’s never too hard for me!
In all seriousness (kinda), I find it so convenient to have the shelf-stable sauce ingredients close by in the pantry, and the others always have their designated spot in the fridge door. I can never go too long without a delicious, Asian-inspired noodle dish, and this one doesn’t disappoint!
These noodles are:
totally slurpable
ready in a flash
so satisfying
pretty much irresistible
easily customizable
How these Vegan Stir Fry Noodles with Tofu come together
- Boil water and cook the noodles.
- Brown the tofu.
- Saute the vegetables (I used carrots).
- Whisk the sauce ingredients.
- Combine!
I used flat rice noodles here, but you can use the noodles of your choice. There’s so many to choose from, so you don’t need to be limited to a certain type of noodle, with this dish.
There’s something about the texture of rice noodles that I just love! Other great choices would be brown rice vermicelli, soba noodles, or udon noodles. Even linguini, spaghetti, or angel hair pasta works. Any of these would be just as delicious.
The carrots in the dish add a great sweetness, and they get such a tasty flavor when lightly sauteed.
Another reason I’ve been loving carrots in general lately is that they last quite a long time in the fridge as compared to some other vegetables. This makes them a great option when it’s not feasible to get to the grocery store as often, where they’re just awesome to have on hand.
Still, you should feel free to use any veggies of your choosing for this stir fry!
other Noodle Recipes
Stir Fry Noodles with Tofu and Broccoli
Soba Noodle Vegetable Bowl with Tahini Dressing
Items that are helpful for dishes like this
- A tofu press
When I finally decided to buy a tofu press, I checked out the online options. This tofu press had over two thousand reviews and I liked what I saw.
You don’t need a tofu press, but it can makes things a little easier. Alternatively, you can place the tofu block on a plate and gently press on it with your hands with some kitchen towels to remove water, and dry it off.
Or, you can place it on a plate wrapped in kitchen towels and place something a little heavy on it for about 15 minutes. For example, you can place a frying pan on it, and put a can of beans, tomatoes or whatever in the skillet for added weight.
Just be sure to center the weight on the tofu, rather than slightly off to the side.
EZ Tofu Press – Removes Water from Tofu for Better Flavor and Texture.
2. A colander
Noodles are a staple in this house, and so a stainless steel colander is usually in frequent rotation.
Bellemain Micro-perforated Stainless Steel 5-quart Colander-Dishwasher Safe
3. Chopsticks
These aren’t my exact chopsticks, since I picked up mine during a trip to Japan, but they’re beautiful and made in Japan! So, a pretty and good substitute!
Sunlife Japanese Reusable Multicolor Bamboo Chopsticks Set – 5 Pair (Multicolor Bands)
Vegan Stir Fry Noodles with Tofu
Ingredients
- 6 oz. rice noodles
- 1 block extra firm tofu drained and patted dry.
- 2 tsp sesame oil (or other oil), divided for sauteing
- soy sauce and garlic powder for sauteing
- 2 cups carrots thinly sliced
Sauce ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp each rice vinegar maple syrup (or agave), dark soy sauce*, sesame oil
- 1-2 tsp garlic minced to taste
- 1 tbsp ginger paste or sub 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce or sambal oelek, to taste**
- 2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp sesame oil optional
- 1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp water whisked together
Garnish
- sesame seeds and chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Boil water, and cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, and rinse if desired.
- Meanwhile, wrap the tofu block in kitchen towels and press for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into cubes.
- In a large pan, add 1 tsp of the oil, along with tofu cubes. Season lightly with salt. Lightly brown on most sides. Avoid tossing the cubes around too much, as this may break them apart. Instead, let them brown undisturbed on each side, before gently turning them.
- During last few minutes, add a splash of soy sauce to the pan and sprinkle tofu with garlic powder. Remove from pan and set aside.
- While tofu is cooking, whisk together sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the other 1 tsp oil to the pan, and add carrots, cooking for approx 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Lightly season with salt (and pepper if desired).
- Add tofu and cooked noodles back to pan, and push them aside.
- Add sauce into the space created in the pan, and let bubble for 30 seconds to thicken, then gently toss all ingredients together.
- Serve and top with garnish.
Notes
** using 1 tsp will make it mildly spicy; using 2 tsp will make more medium spicy level; alternatively, omit.