Vegan Vietnamese Rice Noodle Bowl with Ginger Peanut Dressing

Total cooking time: 20 minutes | Serves: 2 | Easy

Ingredients

For the bowl

• 200g thin rice noodles (increase to 300g if this is the main meal of your day)
• 1 x firm tofu, pressed and diced
• 150g small carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1-2 spring onions, diced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• Fresh herbs such as coriander, mint or sesame seeds for topping (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Peanut dressing

• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 tbsp salted peanut butter
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 splash lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger (minced or grated)
• 1 tbsp boiling water

Method

1. Start by preparing your rice noodles according to packaging instructions and set aside.
   
2. Add the oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the tofu (see notes below) and stir in 2 tbsp soy sauce. Season generously with salt and pepper and fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
3. In the meantime, make the peanut dressing, by whisking together all ingredients until well blended. This may take a minute or two.
   
4. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, drizzle with peanut dressing and top with sesame seeds.

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Notes:

As tofu contains a lot of water, you need to press it before cooking, especially if you’re frying, baking or grilling it. Simply wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen or paper towel and put a stack of books or something heavy such as a frying pan on top. Leave for 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, you can use your hands to press it lightly. Just make sure you’re distributing the pressure evenly and don’t push too hard.