These tahini noodles are made with fresh veggies, peppery tofu, and a super creamy, flavor-packed sesame tahini sauce. This delicious vegan dinner can be on the table in about thirty minutes!
I always keep a jar of tahini on hand for things like roasted garlic hummus or tahini salad dressing. But you know what? Tahini also works great as the star ingredient in main dishes ... like these noodles!
If you're a fan of tahini you'll love this dish. The sauce is somewhat similar to peanut sauce, but whereas peanut sauce is sweet and tangy, tahini sauce is more savory with a little bit of heat. It also packs a lot of sesame flavor!
In addition to being delicious, these noodles are incredibly easy to prepare and can be on the table in a flash.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Peanut oil. Feel free to substitute another high heat oil, if you'd like. Vegetable oil, coconut oil, canola oil, and avocado oil will all work just fine!
- Tofu. The recipe calls for super-firm tofu. I love this variety! It has a great texture and is really easy to cook with. If super-firm isn't available, extra-firm tofu will also work, as long as you press it before cooking.
- Soy sauce. You can keep the recipe gluten-free by swapping out the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari.
- Ground ginger.
- Black pepper. Use freshly ground black pepper if you can!
- Rice noodles. Pretty much any size of rice noodles will work, as long as they can be boiled. (Some varieties are cooked by soaking instead of boiling.) I used pad Thai noodles, but wide or skinny rice noodles are just fine. You can even use other types of noodles like soba noodles, ramen noodles, or plain old spaghetti if that's what you've got!
- Broccoli.
- Red bell pepper. Got an orange or yellow bell pepper? Use it!
- Tahini. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. Most supermarkets sell it in the international aisle.
- Rice vinegar. This should also be available in the international aisle.
- Sriracha sauce. This will give your noodles a little kick. Feel free to reduce the amount or even skip it for a milder dish, or use extra if you like heat.
- Maple syrup.
- Toasted sesame oil. This is another item you can get in the international aisle.
- Garlic.
- Water.
- Toasted sesame seeds.
- Scallions. You might also know these as green onions.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
First, make the tofu. Heat some oil in a skillet and add diced tofu. Brown the piece for a few minutes, flipping them once or twice, then pour a mixture of soy sauce, ground ginger and black pepper over them.
Toss the tofu cubes a few times to coat them with the seasoning mixture, then cook them for a minute or so longer, just until the excess liquid from the soy sauce dries up. Move the cooked tofu pieces to a plate.
Next, boil the noodles according to the package directions. Add the broccoli when the noodles have about a minute to go. Finish cooking the noodles with the broccoli, then drain them together and return them to the pot.
Make the sauce by whisking tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, maple syrup, sesame oil, and garlic together in a small bowl. Thin the sauce with a few tablespoons of water.
Add the tofu to the pot with the noodles and vegetables, then pour in the sauce. Stir everything up well to coat the ingredients with the sauce.
Your tahini noodles are ready to enjoy! Top each serving with a sprinkle of scallions and sesame seeds.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover tahini noodles will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. The sauce will thicken over time, so add a splash of water when you reheat them.
More Noodle Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Easy Tahini Noodles
Ingredients
For the Peppery Tofu
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 8 ounces super-firm tofu, diced (about ½ inch)
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Noodles
- 10 ounces stir-fry rice noodles (Note 1)
- 1 broccoli crown, broken into florets
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
For the Sauce
- ½ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
For Serving
- 4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 2 scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Begin by making the tofu. Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with the oil and place it over medium heat.
- Add the tofu cubes in a single layer. Cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, flipping the pieces once or twice so they brown on multiple sides.
- While the tofu cooks, stir the soy sauce, ginger, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
- Pour the soy sauce mixture over the tofu and flip the pieces a few times to distribute the ingredients. Cook the tofu for a minute or two longer, until most of the liquid dries up. Transfer the tofu to a plate when it's done.
- While the tofu cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and set the timer for one minute less than the package instructions specify. When the timer goes off, add the broccoli. Cook the broccoli and noodles together for one minute, then drain them together into a colander and return them to the pot. Add the bell pepper.
- To make the sauce, whisk the tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, sriracha, maple syrup, sesame oil, and garlic together in a small bowl. Thin the sauce with water, adding as much as you need to achieve a creamy but pourable consistency (Note 2). Taste-test the sauce and adjust any seasonings to suit your taste.
- Add the tofu to the pot with the noodles, then pour in the sauce. Stir everything up to coat everything with the sauce.
- Divide the noodles, veggies, and tofu among bowls or plates, then top each one with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and scallions. Serve.
Notes
- You can substitute other varieties of rice noodles if you'd like, but check the package directions to make sure they can be cooked by boiling (as opposed to soaking). If you happen to have a variety on hand that requires soaking, they're fine to use, just boil or steam the broccoli separately.
- Tahini tends to get thicker the longer it hangs out in the fridge. Thee tablespoons should be perfect if you're using a brand new jar of tahini. If it's older and thickened, you'll need more.
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I really wanted to make this today, but I had some cooked brown rice that needed processing first, and the Asian store had some delicious looking Chinese broccoli, which is more leafy.
I ended up throwing the rice on the pan with a couple of tbsp of water, after the tofu was done, covered it steamed for a minute to get the rice hot. Then added the Chinese broccoli and red pepper and served it as suggested -
What a feast!
I took aside half the tofu and there is plenty of sauce, so I am going to have it with noodles tomorrow.
Thank you for a lovely and diverse recipe <3
I think it needs half as much tahini and half as many noodles to let the flavor of the spicy tofu and the veggies stand out! The tofu was truly delicious after I sautéed it, but I felt it was overshadowed by the tahini sauce. Very good recipe though. I will tweak it.