Thai Tofu Noodle Bowls come together super quickly, so they’re the perfect dinner for busy weeknights! This dish travels well, so it makes a great packed lunch for the office. Whether you like your food spicy or not, you can easily customize this this asian style bowl of noodles to your tastes. It’s an easy recipe that’s vegan and gluten-free.
Easy Recipe
May has been super busy for me, so I’ve been making lots of fast and easy meals like burrito bowls and stir-fries. I have my freezer stocked full of cooked whole grains, sauces, and dressings to make cooking easier, and I’ve been buying pre-chopped vegetables to cut down on meal prep time.
Thai Tofu Noodle Bowls
One quick and easy meal that I’ve enjoyed a few times this month is a Thai-style noodle bowl. I love Thai rice noodles because they’re ready in a matter of minutes. And I love bowls like this because they’re super flexible and can be made with just about any kind of veggies that I have on hand.
How to Make Thai Tofu Noodle Bowls
This recipe is super easy to make!
- First you cook the noodles according the package instructions. Most rice noodles just need to soak in boiling water for a few minutes.
- Then you cook the ginger, garlic, and onion in the peanut oil for about 5 minutes.
- Next you add the bell pepper and carrots to the pan and cook them for about 5 more minutes.
- You then make the sauce by mixing together the stock, garlic chili sauce, lime juice, turmeric, and black pepper in a small bowl.
- You add the sauce the pan and allow it come to a boil. Once it is boiling, you turn the heat down to a simmer.
- Finally, you add the baby bok choy, tofu, and noodles to the pan and cook for about 5 more minutes.
- You can serve your noodle bowls topped with chopped cilantro, peanuts, and sliced chili peppers.
Customize Your Noodle Bowl
I like to make these Thai Tofu Noodle Bowls with onion, red bell pepper, carrots, bok choy, and my favorite Baked Tofu.
This recipe is versatile, so you can swap the vegetables, if you don’t like any of the ingredients I’ve included. It will taste just as good with spinach instead of bok choy and snowpeas instead of bell peppers. Don’t skimp on the garlic and ginger though, as they’re crucial to the dish’s flavor!
If you don’t want to make your own baked tofu, you can use your favorite store-bought baked tofu.
If you’re sensitive to heat, reduce the amount of garlic chili sauce and skip the Thai chilis. If you like spicy food, pile it on!
This dish travels well, so it makes a great packed lunch for the office, as well as a quick after work dinner!
Thai Tofu Noodle Bowls
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Thai rice noodles
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ red onion diced (about half a cup)
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 carrots julienned
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoons garlic chili sauce (sambal oelek)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 recipe Baked Tofu or 2 (8-ounce) packages premade baked tofu
- 3-4 heads baby bok choy chopped (about 4 cups)
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup chopped peanuts
- Thai chili peppers thinly sliced, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the package and set aside until ready to use.
- Add the oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and onion to the pan. Cook until they become fragrant and begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the bell pepper and carrots to the pan and cook for about five more minutes, or until tender.
- Whisk together the together the stock, garlic chili sauce, lime juice, turmeric, and black pepper in a small bowl. Add the mixture to the pan. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer.
- Add the Baked Tofu, baby bok choy, and cooked noodles to the pan. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until the bok choy wilts and everything is heated throughout.
- Divide the mixture among four bowls. Garnish each with chopped cilantro, peanuts, and chili peppers, if using. Serve hot.
Other noodle recipes you might enjoy include:
- Tofu and Shiratake Noodle Stir-Fry
- Sesame Noodles
- Tahini Noodles
- Peanutty Pad Thai Noodles
- Coconut Curry Noodles
Oh my gosh, I JUST ordered basically this exact meal for delivery last night. Next time, I’m going to just make your recipe instead! It would have taken less time than waiting for delivery.
It’s so easy to make!