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Not in the mood to spend a long time over the stove on hot summer days? I’ve got you covered with these cold peanut noodles. They come together in just about 20 minutes and taste super fresh and peanutty. The sauce’s made with simple ingredients like natural peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, and the noodles are served with crisp cucumber, julienned carrots, and plenty of fresh herbs!
If you’re like me and don’t feel like turning on the stove much during hot summer days, these cold peanut noodles are exactly what you need. Tossed in a creamy peanut sauce that’s nutty, tangy, and just slightly sweet, they’re packed with flavor without feeling heavy. Crispy cucumber, carrot, and mint add plenty of freshness, while roasted peanuts bring the final layer of crunch.
We’ve been making these noodles four times a week during the recent heat wave, and for good reason. They come together in less than 20 minutes, and the only cooking involved is sautéing the garlic and boiling the pasta. You can switch up the vegetables or add your favorite protein, like lemongrass tofu, sautéed tempeh, vegan teriyaki chicken, or vegan meatballs, so they taste a little different every time. Double (or even quadruple!) the sauce, keep it in a jar, and you’ll have a base for quick lunches and dinners all week long!
⭐️ Why You’ll Love These Peanut Noodles
- Creamy, balanced peanut sauce. Savory, zesty, and just a bit spicy, thanks to the combination of peanut butter, lime juice, garlic oil, chili sauce, and toasted sesame oil.
- Minimal prep time. You can prepare the sauce and add-ins while the noodles are cooking.
- Customizable. Add tofu, shredded cabbage, edamame, raw vegetables, or extra herbs depending on what you have on hand.
- Great for meal prep. Make a big batch of the sauce and store it in the fridge. Then you just have to cook the noodles, prep the add-ins, and combine.
🥜 Ingredient Notes
Just a handful of simple, wholesome ingredients are required to make these noodles. Here’s what you need:
- Noodles – Go for flat, thick noodles instead of spaghetti-style ones so the sauce clings to them better. Wheat noodles or rice noodles, both work.
- Peanut butter – Skip Skippy and opt for natural peanut butter instead. I used smooth, salted peanut butter, but the unsalted kind works too. Just keep in mind you might have to add a bit more soy sauce or a pinch of salt.
- Soy sauce – Adds saltiness and plenty of umami.
Gluten-free: Substitute tamari or coconut aminos for the soy sauce. - Toasted sesame oil – For delicious nutty notes.
- Maple syrup – Balances the saltiness and tanginess. I like using maple syrup, but agave syrup or coconut nectar also work.
- Lime juice – Use fresh lime juice, not bottled, please!
- Sweet chili sauce – I like using either Cholimex or Chin-su, but Sriracha also works.
- Garlic – You’ll make a very quick garlic oil, so use fresh garlic cloves.
Add-ins:
- Cucumber and carrots – Use a julienne peeler or a regular peeler, then slice the vegetables into thin strips.
- Fresh herbs – I used a mix of green onions, mint, and cilantro. Chop them thinly and sprinkle over the noodles just before serving.
- Roasted peanuts – For extra crunch.
🥣 How to Make It
- Sauté the garlic. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic.
- Sautée for 1 minute or until just slightly golden brown. Set it aside.
- Make the sauce. To a blender, add the sautéed garlic, peanut butter, and the remaining sauce ingredients.
- Blend until smooth. If it appears too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons more water.
- Assemble. Divide the sauce between 4 serving bowls. Add the cooked noodles, julienned cucumber and carrots, and garnish with roasted peanuts and chopped fresh herbs. Toss everything and enjoy!
📔 Vân’s Tips
Cook the noodles right before serving. The peanut sauce and julienned vegetables can be made ahead of time, but when it comes to noodles, I highly recommend cooking them right before serving. We’ve tried cooking a larger batch and storing it in the fridge, but they tend to dry out. And if you store them in water, they become soft and watery.
Cool the noodles. Once the noodles are cooked, drain them and rinse them under cold water 3-4 times to stop the cooking process and quickly cool them.
Don’t overcook the garlic. Burnt garlic has a bitter taste, so stop cooking it as soon as it’s just lightly golden around the edges. This usually takes about 1 minute, no more.
🥬 Variations
- Make it high-protein: Add baked tofu, sautéed tempeh, vegan chicken, or chickpeas to boost the protein content.
- Add a spicy, citrusy note: Replace the sweet chili sauce with 1-2 teaspoons of Vietnamese sate for a lemongrass peanut sauce.
- Incorporate extra vegetables: Try shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, or sliced bell peppers.
❄️ How to Store Leftovers
You can store the peanut sauce in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Julienned vegetables will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
💬 FAQs
You can prep the peanut sauce and julienne the vegetables ahead of time. Noodles should be cooked right before serving.
Rice noodles, ramen, soba, udon, or even tagliatelle all work well.
Yes, you can warm the peanut butter in a small saucepan and then whisk it with the other ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Yes! These peanut noodles taste great warm, too. Although we personally prefer them cold 😉
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Cold Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 cup (125 g) natural peanut butter
- 5 tbsp (75 ml) water
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice
- 1/2 tsp sweet chili sauce
For Serving
- 8 ounces (225 g) noodles
- 1 medium carrot julienned
- 1/2 small cucumber julienned
- 1/4 cup (37 g) roasted peanuts (optional)
- 1/3 cup chopped herbs (I used a mix of mint, green onions, and cilantro)
Instructions
- Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the noodles and cook them according to the package instructions. In the meantime, prepare the peanut sauce.
- Sauté the garlic. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
- Make the peanut sauce. To a blender, add the sautéed garlic (and the oil), peanut butter, water, maple syrup, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, lime juice, and sweet chili sauce. Blend for 10-15 seconds, or until smooth. If it appears too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons more water. At this point, you can taste the sauce and adjust the saltiness and sweetness to your liking.
- Drain the noodles. Drain the noodles using a colander and rinse them 3-4 times under cold water.
- Assemble. Divide the peanut sauce between 4 serving bowls (5 tbsp of the sauce per serving). Add the cooked noodles, a handful of julienned cucumber and carrots, and garnish with roasted peanuts and chopped fresh herbs. Toss everything and enjoy immediately!
- You can store the peanut sauce in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Julienned vegetables will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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