This slightly sweet and spicy noodle salad delivers on flavor with minimal cooking effort required. Perfect for showcasing fresh summer produce, all of the vegetables are raw and you only need to turn on your stove to cook the pasta and the tofu. The colorful dish comes together in under 30 minutes so you can spend these warm days relaxing, or at least not cooking in a hot kitchen for long.
Peanut Noodle Salad with Honey Pepper Tofu
Ingredients
- 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti
- 1 small summer squash, peeled into thin ribbons
- 1 large carrot, peeled into thin ribbons
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped plus a few leaves for garnish
- 1 small watermelon radish, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- Honey Pepper Tofu:
- 1 16oz block firm or extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp honey
- Peanut Sauce:
- 1 Tbsp tamari
- 2 Tbsp peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp Sriracha (optional)
- 2 Tbsp water
Directions
- Prepare pasta per package instruction, fully cooked not to al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water.
- Meanwhile, heat a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat to cook the tofu. Add the tofu to the heated oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Let the tofu cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes before flipping. Then cook another 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to get all sides cooked. Remove from heat and drizzle with honey, stir to coat.
- Meanwhile prepare the sauce in a small bowl by whisking together all of the sauce ingredients until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the pasta, squash, carrots, green onions, and 1 Tbsp sesame seeds with the peanut sauce, stirring to coat the noodles and vegetables.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with remaining 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, watermelon radish slices, and basil leaves.
