Easy Vegan Peanut Noodle Recipe

Name: Easy Vegan Peanut Noodle Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: ½ cup natural peanut butter (or other nut or seed butter); 1 tablespoon sriracha (more to taste); ¼ cup lime juice (or rice vinegar); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free option); ¼ cup warm water (more if needed); 8 ounces gluten-free rice noodles (or gluten-free linguine); 1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced); 2 medium carrots (shredded or peeled); 2 green onions (thinly sliced); ¼ cup peanuts (chopped for garnish (optional)); cilantro (chopped for garnish (optional)); lime wedges (to squeeze on top (optional))

By Sarah Pilley · Updated Jan 10, 2024 · Published Jan 10, 2024

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This Easy Vegan Peanut Noodle Recipe is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. Filled with fresh veggies and a creamy, spicy peanut sauce, these peanut noodles are sure to become a favorite.

Thai vegan peanut noodles in a bowl with a hand holding chopsticks picking up the noodles. The background shows another bowl of peanut noodles and lime wedge.

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Looking for a satisfying meal in just 15 minutes from start to finish?

Discover the delight of these Thai-inspired peanut noodles… which are also vegan and gluten-free!

Keep this noodle recipe in your back pocket for a busy weeknight dinner or meal prep on Sunday. It’s a recipe you will keep returning to; it is so good.

The creamy peanut butter sauce that coats the rice noodles, carrots, and red bell peppers is the true star of this dish.

And to top it all off, chopped green onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice take the flavor to the next level!

If you love these creamy peanut noodles, you will also love chickpea lettuce wraps with almond sauce and sriracha lime chickpeas!

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Ingredients
Directions with Pictures
Top Tip
Serving Options
Ways to Customize
Storage
More Tasty Vegan Meals
Easy Vegan Peanut Noodle Recipe
💬 Comments

Ingredients

You will need these simple ingredients to make vegan peanut noodles:

Peanut Sauce consists of peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, sriracha, ground ginger, and garlic powder for the ultimate creamy sauce. Make sure to use natural peanut butter without any added sugar.
Rice Noodles absorb the rich flavors of the peanut sauce, creating a satisfying base for the dish.
Red Bell Pepper and Carrots add to the crunch while also giving this peanut noodle recipe extra color.
Fresh Cilantro and Green Onions are huge flavor powerhouses that complement the peanut sauce.
Chopped Peanuts add an extra layer of crunch and nuttiness. This garnish enhances both the texture and flavor profile of the peanut noodles.
Lime Wedges enhance the peanut sauce's lime flavor, brightening the dish.

The recipe card below includes the full list of ingredients + instructions.

Directions with Pictures

Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the best vegan peanut noodles:

Step by step guide to making peanut noodles. 1. Cook rice noodles. 2. Peel or shred a carrot. 3. Thinly slice bell pepper. 4. Whisk together peanut sauce. 5. Mix veggies with noodles in large bowl. 6. Add peanut sauce and mix to thoroughly coat the noodles.

Cook noodles according to package instructions and drain.
Peel, thinly chop, or shred the carrots.
Thinly slice the red bell pepper.
Make the creamy peanut sauce by whisking all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, add the chopped veggies to the noodles and stir.
Pour the peanut butter sauce over the noodle mixture and stir to coat the noodles thoroughly.

Plate the peanut noodles, then garnish with chopped peanuts, cilantro, and green onions. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Top Tip

Make sure to thinly chop or shred the peppers and carrots. This helps them blend in with the noodles to be a cohesive size.

Serving Options

Room Temperature - The recipe naturally results in room-temperature noodles, providing a delicious option straight from the preparation.
Chilled - For a refreshing twist, chill the peanut noodles in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes to an hour or even overnight. Avoid rinsing the noodles, as this can remove starches, making it challenging for the sauce to adhere to the noodles.
Warmed - If you prefer a cozy, warm dish, heat the noodles, sauce, and vegetables on the stovetop over medium heat. Alternatively, stir-fry the vegetables separately to fully cook them before combining them with the noodles.

Up close photo of peanut noodles with creamy sauce and cilantro and green onion for garnish.

Ways to Customize

This vegan peanut noodles recipe is easy to customize based on the veggies you have on hand and any allergies or dietary restrictions.

Peanut Alternatives - Swap peanuts for almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter as a peanut-free or nut-free alternative.
Extra Veggies - Add your favorite veggies like edamame, red cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, and sugar snap peas for freshness and variety.
Noodle Options - One of my favorite ways to customize this recipe is to change up the kind of noodles! Try making this Thai noodle salad with soba noodles, ramen noodles, zucchini noodles, regular spaghetti noodles, or udon noodles, catering to your preferences.
Raise the Heat - Add an extra drizzle of sriracha, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, or chili sauce.
Crunchy Additions - Add a satisfying crunch with toppings like chopped peanuts, roasted chickpeas, sesame seeds, or popped quinoa for extra texture.
Extra Protein - Add crispy tofu or tempeh for some extra protein.

Storage

To store vegan peanut noodles, refrigerate them in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.

Peanut noodles can be served warm or cold. If reheating, just add a splash of water to maintain the sauce's consistency, and microwave in 30-second intervals or heat on the stovetop until thoroughly heated.