Easy Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles
Easy spicy peanut butter noodles, bursting with spicy, tangy peanut flavor. This 20 minute meal is vegan and can be easily made gluten-free.
I make some type of version of this recipe at least once a week. And while the ingredients can change a lot based on what I have on hand, I have to say, this is probably my favorite version of these peanut noodles.
And, it’s a complete meal that includes plant-protein and some veggies without it eating up too much time to prep. If you’re not a spice person, totally okay! You might like this Sheet Pan Maple Soy Tofu and Noodles better.
Why You’ll Love These Spicy Noodles
- This is a meal you can make in less than 20 minutes. Minimal chopping required and everything cooks really quickly.
- You can customize the heat to your preference. If you’re not a big fan of spice like I am, adjust the spicy components to your preference.
- Loaded with plant-protein and fiber thanks to the addition of edamame and the delicious spicy peanut butter sauce.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Shiitake Mushrooms: You can use other mushrooms like white button or cremini mushrooms for this dish. I love using shiitake mushrooms as they have a little more chew compared to regular white mushrooms.
- Cabbage: Slicing up your cabbage helps to blend it in more visually with the noodles. To save more time, feel free to use bagged shredded cabbage. You can also add shredded carrots or opt for some sliced bell pepper.
- Garlic: Some fresh garlic really helps further elevate and flavor this dish. If you don’t want to chop, you can season your noodles with some garlic powder instead.
- Peanut Sauce: We are using a combination of peanut butter, sriracha, soy sauce, chili oil, garlic, ginger, lime juice and maple syrup to make this creamy sauce to coat our noodles. If you don’t want a spicy sauce, I do recommend this tamer Peanut Ginger Sauce. To make this nut-free, sub the peanut butter for tahini.
- Wheat Noodles: You can use the style of noodles you love for this dish. I used wheat noodles, but you can make this gluten-free by swapping for some rice based noodles too.
How to Make Spicy Peanut Noodles
To a bowl or jar add all of your peanut sauce ingredients and whisk until completely smooth. Taste the sauce and add more sriracha or chili oil depending on your spice preference. Then thaw out your edamame by placing in a bowl and covering with hot water.
Begin sauteing your sliced mushrooms in some sesame oil, allowing the moisture to cook off. Add in your garlic and cabbage and continue to sauté until the cabbage has cooked down and softened.
Prepare your noodles according to package instructions. Drain the noodles and edamame in a colander and then add both directly to the pan with the mushroom and cabbage mixture.
Pour over half the peanut sauce and toss the noodles to coat. Add additional sauce to the noodles directly or reserve to pour over your noodles when ready to serve.
Expert Tips
- Adjust the heat to your preference. In fact, the spice can be removed at your discretion and this dish will still be delicious. So start with a small amount of sriracha and/or chili oil and slowly increase to meet your heat tolerance.
- Rehydrate the noodles after 2-3 days. You may notice leftover noodles getting dry as they sit in the fridge for a few days. To rehydrate, add the noodles back to a pan with a splash of broth or water and sauté it together until saucy.
- Double the sauce. Whenever I make these noodles, I always double the sauce. Not only is it great to serve extra with your bowl, but it is perfect for rehydrating your noodles later in the week if you happen to have leftovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
After the noodles have cooled, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just note, your noodles will continue to absorb the sauce as it sits. To rehydrate, add the noodles back to a pan and heat it up along with a splash of water or vegetable broth. You can also add in leftover sauce to as the noodles heat up to make them saucy again.
This can be dependent on the type of noodle you use. With regular wheat noodles, I would say no need to rinse them as the starch will help the sauce stick to the noodles. Some noodles like soba, buckwheat or rice noodles are good to rinse under cold water as they tend to stick together due to their starches. One big tip, regardless, make sure you add your noodles to the pan and sauce them as soon as they are done cooking. Letting them sit for a longer period of time after draining will just make them clump together.
Yes! Just replace your wheat based noodles with rice based noodles. Also, make sure to swap your soy sauce for a gluten-free soy sauce or alternative like coconut aminos.
Use reduced-sodium soy sauce to help keep the ratios of the sauce in place while helping to cut the sodium back significantly. You can also use an unsalted nut butter to further reduce the salt in the sauce. You may also wish to serve yourself a smaller portion of sauce. So if you need to, add the noodles to the cabbage and mushroom mixture, add a small amount of sesame oil and toss together to prevent the noodles from sticking. Then, serve the noodles on a plate and drizzle the amount of peanut sauce you wish to use.
How to Serve
This dish as written provides:
- Plant-based protein from the edamame and peanut sauce
- Sustainable energy from the noodles
- Minerals from the combination of edamame, mushrooms and cabbage—fiber, iron, selenium, and antioxidants like sulforaphane that help to reduce cancer and heart disease risk while also helping to improve digestion
You can always boost the protein of this dish higher by either pairing this dish with some baked tofu or subbing your noodles for more protein rich noodles like edamame noodles. For more texture, sprinkling with some crushed peanuts is a must.
More Easy Weeknight Meals to Try
- Chipotle Red Lentil Potato Soup
- Quick Sautéed Lentil Bowl with Hummus and Chili Oil
- Peanut Red Curry Tofu
- Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
- Skillet Spiced Chickpeas and Kale
Easy Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy spicy peanut butter noodles, bursting with spicy, tangy peanut flavor. This 20 minute meal is vegan and can be easily made gluten-free.
Ingredients
Spicy Peanut Sauce
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1–2 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tsp chili oil, optional
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 2–4 tbsp of water
Noodle Base
- 1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
- 188 grams of noodles or about 3 servings based on package
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1–2 cups green cabbage, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
Garnish
- Crushed peanuts
- Sliced green onions
Instructions
- Start by making your peanut sauce. To a bowl or jar add all of your peanut sauce ingredients with 2 tbsp of water to thin and whisk until completely smooth. Add extra water by the tablespoon if too thick. Taste the sauce and add more sriracha or chili oil depending on your spice preference.
- Thaw out your edamame by placing in a bowl and covering with hot water.
- In a sauce pan, cook your noodles according to package instructions. This can take anywhere from 3-5 minutes depending on the noodles used. When draining, pour the noodles along with the edamame in a colander to drain off completely.
- While the water and noodles are boiling, heat up a large skillet, then warm up your sesame oil and add your sliced mushrooms in to sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in your garlic and cabbage and continue to sauté until the cabbage has cooked down and softened, about 3 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove from heat and add your noodles and edamame directly to the mixture.
- Pour over half the peanut sauce and toss the noodles to coat. Add additional sauce to the noodles in the pan or reserve some of the sauce to pour over your noodles when ready to serve. Garnish with some crushed peanuts and green onions if desired and enjoy.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase from those links. I only recommend and share products that I know, trust and personally use myself!
What a coincidence! I also make a similar peanut noodles at least once a week too! I subbed the cabbage with bok choy, it was delicious 🙂
Bok choy sounds perfect with this. Thank you so much for trying this! 🙂