Should this noodle salad be eaten hot or cold?

This salad is meant to be eaten lukewarm or cold. However, you can warm the salad up if you prefer. Just heat the dressed noodles in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warmed through to your liking.

How long does this salad last?

With the dressing you can store the noodle salad in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also store the prepared noodles with shredded veggies in one container and the dressing in a separate container and store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

If you use the recommended rice noodles and wheat-free tamari listed in the ingredients, then this recipe is gluten-free as is. If you swap these two ingredients, just make sure to read labels to ensure you are using gluten-free alternatives.

Can I add more protein?

Yes! Some other plant-based ways to add protein to this dish include adding some edamame and topping with some pistachios or pepitas. Pistachios and pepitas provide a nice little bump in protein as well as some additional minerals.

Maple Lime Cold Noodle Salad

Description

This Maple Lime Cold Noodle Salad is packed with veggies and protein. A perfect refreshing lunch or weeknight meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale

Shredded Tofu

1, 16oz block super firm tofu, drained and pat dry
1 tbsp tamari or reduced sodium soy sauce
Juice of half a lime
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp avocado oil

Maple Lime Dressing

2 tbsp tamari or reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
2–3 tsp toasted sesame oil
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of half a lime
1/2 inch ginger, grated

Salad Assembly

2 bundles/servings (90 g) of vermicelli rice noodles
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 Persian cucumbers, seeds removed and shredded
1 large carrot, shredded
1/4 cup pickled red onions, optional
1/4 cup cilantro, stems removed and minced
8 leaves of mint, chiffonade (thinly sliced)
1/4 cup pistachios or pepitas, roughly chopped

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place a box grater over a parchment lined baking tray and grate the tofu over the largest holes on the grater. Top with soy sauce, lime juice, cornstarch and oil and toss to combine. Spread it out into an even layer then bake the tofu for 15 mins. Give the tofu a toss then bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until crispy around the edges.
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and set to the side.
To a heat safe bowl add the dry noodles and cover with boiling water. Allow the noodles to soften for at least 3 minutes or according to package instructions. Give the noodles a whisk to loosen them up then run under cold water and drain.
Place the drained noodles in a large mixing bowl with the vegetables, pickled onions, cilantro, mint, pistachios and half the baked tofu. Pour over the dressing then toss everything together to evenly mix. Store the remainder of the tofu or add more to your bowl as desired. Portion out your serving then enjoy.

Notes

Rinse your cooked noodles under cold water. This will help remove some excess starch and prevent the noodles from sticking together.

Customize the salad to your liking. Use the type of noodles you love and feel free to change up any of the vegetables used in this recipe for other vegetables you love. Check the key ingredients and substitutions section of this post for some inspiration.

For some extra fiber, swap the white rice noodles for some whole grain rice noodles. I like this brand as they offer a whole grain noodle version that gives you 3 grams of fiber per serving.

Turn this into a no cook recipe. Just swap the baked tofu for some thawed edamame or some shredded smoked tofu instead (ready to eat and can be shredded straight from package).