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Note: Recipe Updated on July 12, 2020
Move over peanut butter and jelly, because there’s a new way to enjoy peanut butter for lunch: Lower Carb, Crunchy Peanut Noodle Salad.
If you’re as much of a die-hard peanut butter fan as I am, then I’m sure you share the sentiment that it can and should be in all dishes, even savory ones. The vegetables and noodles in this dish definitely get a facelift when creamy, spicy, peanut sauce gets poured over them.
This meal prep friendly dish is a great option to bring to work throughout the week and customizable depending on your preferences and what you have on hand. This recipe uses a mix of parsnip and rice noodles, lowering the amount of refined carbs and adding fiber and nutrients. If you want to lower the carbs even more, you could use all parsnip noodles or your favorite spiralized vegetable. Just make sure they are a hardier vegetable if you plan to saute them with the garlic. You can also use all noodles, if you want some more carbs to fuel your noodles. If you don't have rice noodles, you could substitute them with ramen noodles, or even spaghetti if you want. It’s also packed with plant-based protein sources from the tofu and peanut sauce. Like the other ingredients in this recipe, if tofu is not your jam, then edamame or, if you eat meat, grilled chicken make great additions.
If you’re making this dish ahead of time, I’d recommend storing the sauce separately from the rest of the salad. Even though most of the vegetables are hardy and won’t get soggy, the noodles will absorb the sauce over time, making it dry. And this way, you get to eat any of that peanut sauce that’s left with a spoon, you nutty fiend!
Savory or sweet, enjoy your favorite nut butter in all forms, like this Lower Carb, Crunchy Peanut Noodle Salad. And then have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to make sure those peanutty-cravings are satisfied. You can never be too careful.
If you make this recipe or any others on my blog, tag me in a photo on Instagram @figisisters . I would love to see your recreation!
Recipe:
Makes about 3 servings
Recipe:
Tofu:
160 g - Extra Firm Tofu - Drained, pressed, frozen, and defrosted*
20 g - Soy Sauce - Sub tamari or coconut aminos for gluten free
½ tbsp - Rice Vinegar
8 g - Coconut Sugar
¼ tsp - Garlic Powder
¼ tsp - Ground Ginger Powder
¼ tsp - Ground Onion Powder
1 tbsp - Warm Water
Cooking Oil Spray
Salad:
84 g - Rice Noodles - Sub ramen noodles, shirataki noodles, or spaghetti
200 g - Parsnips - Spiralized
200 g - Red Bell Pepper - Julienned
100 g - Cucumber - Diced
150 g - Red Cabbage - Shredded
130 g - Carrots - Shredded
20 g - Jalapeno Pepper - Diced
2 - Garlic Cloves - Minced
Peanut Sauce:
32 g - Peanut Butter
16 g - Peanut Butter Powder or Peanut Flour* - I used Naked Nutrition
15 g - Soy Sauce
12 g - Coconut Sugar
7 g - Hot Sesame Oil - Omit to leave plain
½ tbsp - Rice Vinegar
¼ tsp - Ground Garlic Powder
¼ tsp - Ground Ginger Powder
3 tbsp - Warm Water - plus more if too thick
Optional Toppings:
Peanuts - Roughly Chopped
Cilantro leaves
Jalapeno Pepper Slices
Green Onion
Instructions:
Cut the tofu into cubes. Add to a ziplock bag.
In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients except the cooking spray. Pour mixture over tofu and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
To make the peanut sauce, add all ingredients to a bowl. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Remove tofu from bag and place evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray to avoid the tofu sticking to the paper.
Bake tofu for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
While the tofu is cooking, cook noodles according to package instructions.
In a pan, using non-stick method of choice, over medium-low heat add minced garlic. Saute until fragrant. Add in parsnip noodles. Cook until just softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add noodles and stir until everything is well combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Add noodles to bowls of Tupperware, add remaining salad ingredients, and tofu. When ready to serve, mix in peanut sauce*, and top with peanuts, cilantro leaves, jalapeño slices, and/or green onion if desired.
*Notes:
Pressing the tofu of excess water and freezing it gives it a “meatier” texture. You can find more detailed instructions about how to do this in this post.
If you do not have peanut butter powder, or prefer not to use it, increase peanut butter to 48 g.
If storing the salad for meal prep, I would recommend keeping the sauce separate from the salad until ready to eat.
If sauce thickens too much while being stored in the fridge, add a bit more water until desired consistency is reached.
Want a sweet way to use peanut butter? How about the Protein Peanut Butter Muffin?
