Ready in 30 minutes, this tofu noodle stir fry is a quick, easy, and healthy vegetarian recipe that is perfect for a weeknight meal. It’s packed full of plant-based protein, veggies, and flavor.
If you’re looking tasty yet simple dinner idea, this tofu noodle stir fry is for you! It’s filled with crispy tofu, and crunchy veggies, and covered in a flavorful homemade stir-fry sauce, and the best part is, it’s super versatile. You can mix and match different noodles and veggies to use whatever you’ve got on hand without any fuss.
Plus, these tofu stir fry noodles keep well in the fridge and freezer making them a great meal prep idea for healthy lunches and dinners when things get busy.
Why You’ll Love It
- Quick and Easy – This tofu noodle stir fry is ready in less than 30 minutes making it a great healthy weeknight dinner idea.
- Vegetarian – The use of tofu ensures that this recipe can be enjoyed by everyone including vegetarians and vegans.
- High in Fiber – This veggie-loaded stir fry contains over 5 grams of fiber per serving.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Tofu – To add some plant-based protein. Be sure to use firm or extra-firm tofu for the best results.
- Noodles – To add some complex carbohydrates. The recipe calls for rice noodles, however, brown rice noodles, soba noodles, udon noodles, or any other stir-fry noodles also work well.
- Veggies – To add some fiber and micronutrients. I used a mixture of carrots, bell peppers, snap peas, and broccoli, however, you can use any fresh veggies you like, baby corn, water chestnuts, and bok choy would also work well. While the recipe calls for fresh veggies you can use frozen vegetables if preferred, see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Green Onion – To flavor the stir fry and finish it as a topping.
- Garlic and Ginger – To add flavor. The recipe calls for fresh ginger and garlic, however, you can use garlic powder and ground ginger if preferred, see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Soy Sauce – To make the stir-fry sauce. You can use regular soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos.
- Chili Paste – To spice things up, chili garlic sauce, gochujang, sambal, and sriracha all work well.
- Sesame Oil – To flavor the sauce. You can use regular or toasted sesame oil, or swap it for olive oil if needed.
- Rice Vinegar – To balance the sauce.
- Brown Sugar – To add a hint of sweetness to the stir-fry sauce, maple syrup will also work well.
- Corn Starch – Although optional, it helps to make the crispy tofu. Potato flour, tapioca flour, and arrowroot powder will also work.
- Sesame Seeds – To finish the stir fry, although optional. You can use regular or toasted sesame seeds.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make it Gluten-Free: Swap the soy sauce for gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos.
To Make it Dairy-Free: No adaptations are needed, this recipe is dairy-free.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
I opted to use regular tofu in this recipe, however, you can use smoked tofu to add more flavor. You could also swap the tofu for tempeh to increase the protein content, as tempeh contains significantly more protein than tofu per serving.
Serving Suggestions
These tofu stir fry noodles are a balanced meal complete with protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and healthy fats, however, the recipe can be easily adapted to suit your personal dietary needs. For example:
- To add more protein, swap the tofu for tempeh, add a 1/2 block of tofu, or add some ground turkey or ground chicken, if you eat animal protein.
- To make it low-carb, swap the rice noodles for low-carb noodles, such as konjac noodles or zucchini noodles.
- To add more fiber, swap the rice noodles for brown rice noodles or soba noodles and/or add more veggies.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the cooked stir-fry noodles to cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Place the cooled tofu noodle stir fry in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: To reheat on the stovetop, tofu noodles to a pan with two tablespoons of water (this helps to rehydrate the noodles) and cook on medium heat, tossing the noodles frequently and gently, until warmed through. To reheat the noodles in the microwave, place the noodles in a microwave-safe container with 2 tablespoons of water and heat for 1-minute increments, tossing the noodles in between, for a total of 2-3 minutes. If frozen, allow to thaw completely before reheating.
More Tofu Recipes:
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Tofu Noodle Stir Fry
Ready in 30 minutes, this tofu noodle stir fry recipe is a quick, easy, and healthy vegetarian recipe that is chock full of plant-based protein and fiber.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 20 minutes
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Total Time: 30 minutes
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Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Category: Dinner
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Method: Stovetop
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Cuisine: Asian
Prep Time:
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Cuisine:Ingredients
Stir-Fry:
- 12 ounces rice noodles
- 1 block (14 ounces) extra-firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 green onions, sliced, white parts only
- 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 cup snow peas, thinly sliced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
Sauce:
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili paste, plus more as desired
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
- 1-inch ginger root, finely minced or grated
To Serve:
- Sesame seeds
- Green onion, sliced, green parts only
Instructions
- Begin by pressing and draining the tofu. Remove the tofu from the packaging and place it between two pieces of paper towel or wrap it in a tea towel and place it on a cutting board. Set something heavy on top, like a cast-iron skillet, and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes to remove excess moisture. Once pressed, unwrap the tofu from the towel or paper towel, place it on a cutting board, and cut it into even bite-size cubes.
- In a small bowl, add the sauce ingredients: soy sauce, chili paste, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, minced garlic, minced ginger, and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust the spice level as desired, then set it aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add rice noodles and cook as per package directions until tender. (If the noodles are quick-cooking, wait to cook them until you stir-fry the veggies.)
- Once the tofu has been pressed and cubed, add the tofu to a large bowl, sprinkle with corn starch, and toss until well coated.
- In a large skillet or pan, warm the olive oil, then add the cubed tofu, working in batches to not overcrowd the pan, and cook for about 1-2 minutes per side until lightly browned on all sides. Once cooked, transfer the cooked tofu to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan used to cook the tofu, add the green onion (white parts only), carrots, bell pepper, snow peas, and broccoli florets to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, return the tofu cubes to the pan, add the cooked noodles, cover with sauce, gently toss to combine, and cook for a final 1-2 minutes until the sauce has thickened and everything is well coated.
- The tofu noodle stir fry can be served immediately with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onion. Any leftovers can be cooled and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Use Frozen Veggies: Swap the fresh veggies for 4 cups of frozen stir-fry vegetables.
To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the garlic cloves for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
To Use Ground Ginger: Swap the ginger root for 1 teaspoon of ground ginger.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 534 calories
- Sugar: 9 grams
- Fat: 13 grams
- Carbohydrates: 88 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Protein: 14 grams
So so easy and yummy. Loved this recipe
Thank you so much, Hope!
Super recipe!
Delicious! I doubled the sauce and did a fridge clear out of all the veggies. I had a bit of chicken and tofu, so both went in. Will definitely make this again. Thanks!
Love that! Thanks for sharing, Lorraine.