A super quick rice noodle salad, these easy peanut butter noodles are the ideal weeknight meal. With grated raw vegetables, greens, and a spicy orange peanut sauce, it makes good use of winter produce, but it’s light and refreshing.
Brown rice noodles take about eight minutes to cook, so you can prepare the vegetables and sauce while they’re cooking. If you’re a skilled multitasker, this can easily be ready in ten minutes.
With a citrus-ginger-peanut butter dressing, it’s zesty and fresh despite using seasonally appropriate ingredients. I usually serve this as a side for a main, or with something like soft boiled eggs, but it makes a great standalone lunch.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Rice noodles: brown rice or otherwise (whatever you like most). Black or white rice noodles can be subbed for brown if preferred. The cooking time may differ. Soba or another pasta type can be subbed.
- Beet: I don’t peel the beet for this recipe unless it’s really gnarly. Simply remove the top and any particularly thick-skinned parts and grate as usual. use a golden or striped beetroot to avoid colouring everything pink.
- Spinach: or another hardy green like rucola (rocket/arugula), baby kale, or baby chard. The hot noodles wilt the spinach.
- Frozen corn: thaw beforehand if you prefer, or if you want to rinse the noodles in cold water.
- Orange juice: sub lemon or lime if you don’t have oranges, or a splash of vinegar.
- Olive oil: sesame oil is a good sub for olive here.
- Coconut aminos: or soya sauce. If you can’t get coconut aminos and don’t want to use soya sauce, you’ll need to add extra salt to make up for it, and a splash of water.
Step by Step
Step 1: grate the beet and carrot, then add to a mixing bowl with the other vegetables.
Step 2: cook the noodles and add to the bowl while hot.
Step 3: add the peanut sauce over the noodles.
Step 4: mix to coat and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Unlike glass noodles or rice vermicelli, brown rice noodles are typically boiled rather than soaked, but you should check the package instructions. Be sure to rinse in hot water – you want the hot noodles to wilt the spinach slightly.
While this salad keeps well in the refrigerator for a day or two, it’s best at room temperature or a little warm. I usually take it out about an hour before I plan to eat so that it can warm up a bit beforehand.
Pickled onions can be a nice addition if you like extra acidity.
Newsletter
Expert Tips
- Rinse the noodles: rice noodles should be rinsed after cooking or they will taste very starchy. Some brands won’t mention this on the package but it should be done in any case.
- Season to taste: be sure to add salt if needed before serving, especially if you aren’t adding aminos or soya sauce.
- Use natural peanut butter: make sure to choose unsweetened peanut butter that doesn’t have extra ingredients like oils for this recipe.
More Quick Pasta Dishes
Hummus Pasta
Spring Green Vegetable Coconut Rice Noodles
Quick Garlic Spinach Pasta
Super Green Pasta
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Ten Minute Peanut Butter Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 250 grams brown rice noodles
- 1 small beet grated
- 1 medium carrot grated
- 100 grams frozen corn optional
- 50 grams spinach
Orange Ginger Peanut Sauce
- 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons orange juice about one orange
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos*
- 1 tablespoon olive or sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated
- ¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Start by cooking the rice noodles, according to package instructions. Be sure to rinse with warm water, not cold (undercook by a minute to account for this).250 grams brown rice noodles
- Prepare the vegetables and peanut sauce while the noodles are cooking. Add the grated beet and carrot, corn, and spinach to a large mixing bowl.1 small beet, 1 medium carrot, 100 grams frozen corn, 50 grams spinach
- Once the noodles are cooked, rinse and add to the bowl with the vegetables.
Orange Ginger Peanut Sauce
- Add the peanut butter, orange juice, coconut aminos, oil, ginger, and hot pepper to a jar or bowl. Shake or whisk until fully combined, thinning with a splash of water if needed.3 tablespoons natural peanut butter, 3 tablespoons orange juice, 2 tablespoons coconut aminos*, 1 tablespoon olive or sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
- Add the peanut sauce to the bowl with the noodles and mix until fully coated. Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep for a day or two in a sealed container in the refrigerator but taste best at room temperature.
Notes
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
This post was originally published in February 2018. It has been updated with some improvements to the recipe as of February 2022.
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Sabrina Kaici says
Hi Alexandra
Thank you for your gorgeous salad recipes, I made the quinoa/carrot moroccan salad today and absolutely loved it! I’d love to try this one as I love noodles, I’m just not sure if the beet you use is cooked or raw? Sorry for the silly question, I imagine it’s cooked but I prefer to ask before ruining the dish :). Thank you!
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Sabrina, this is raw grated beet! You can use cooked, raw does taste a bit earthy, but I like it 🙂
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Ana! I don't make them myself, I just use different boards and stone or tile backgrounds. Sometimes I just use the floor too. This one is a kiln shelf from a wood-fired kiln of a friend so it's essentially stone with a salt coating, and I also use regular house tiles, window sills, wood, or whatever's around! If it's a white wall in the background it'll be plaster and otherwise it's another board that I'm using. Junk makes the best food photography backgrounds, in my opinion. I hope that helps!
Ana says
Hi Alexandra! Great blog and recipes! I have a question: how do you usually make your backgrounds? This one for instance has this stone-like texture. And some of the background walls are also textured. Do you use any special technique? 🙂
Alexandra Daum says
Thanks, Melanie! It's nice to have a little refreshing food, even when it's still cold out 🙂
Melanie says
This looks lovely – so refreshing and nourishing!