Tender rice noodles are tossed with sautéed carrots, onion, bell pepper, broccoli, and garlic before being dressed in a creamy and spicy peanut sauce. The variety of textures and flavors make this dish hearty and satisfying while remaining light and fresh. It’s the perfect healthy meal that’s gluten free, vegan, and can be made in less than 30 minutes!
This rice noodle recipe is a prime example that healthy meals can taste delicious and be just as easy. You can get creative with what vegetables you add in, and there’s always the option to prepare tofu, tempeh, or meat to serve alongside this. Get creative and follow your tastebuds!
For another tasty rice noodle creation, check out my Tahini Rice Noodles recipe. Sautéed onions, jalapeno, mushrooms, and broccoli get served with gluten free rice noodles, all coated in an easy + super creamy Spicy Tahini sauce. You are going to love this vegetarian + vegan rice noodles recipe!
Spicy Rice Noodles Ingredients
Rice Noodles – I love the texture of rice noodles and how they really soak up the flavor of the peanut sauce. I personally love the taste and consistency of Lotus Foods rice noodles. &If needed, you can also substitute with ramen noodles!
Vegetables – Carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, and onion taste delicious with this rice noodle recipe but once again, use whatever vegetable you prefer/have access to in your fridge.
Peanut Butter – The main component of the sauce, I love the flavor of peanut butter in savory dishes. It adds the perfect nutty and salty flavor while making the sauce oh so creamy. Make sure to use an all natural brand!
Soy Sauce – Adds a salty, tangy flavor but can be substituted with coconut aminos if you need it to be gluten free.
Honey – The touch of sweetness helps balance out the salty flavors of this peanut sauce. Feel free to substitute with maple syrup or coconut sugar, both would work perfectly fine.
Lime Juice – Fresh is best as the acidic nature of lime juice helps to once again balance out the sweet and salty flavors of this peanut sauce.
Sambal Oelek Chili Paste – Adds a pop of heat to this peanut sauce and gives a very particular and delicious flavor. Substitute with sriracha or your favorite hot sauce.
Sesame Oil – I love the flavor of sesame oil in this sauce but if you don’t have any, a neutral oil like avocado oil would be best, or you can leave out entirely.
How to Make Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce
This peanut butter sauce is healthy, simple, and oh so delicious. If you’ve never tried peanut butter in a savory recipe I highly recommend trying it in this sauce!
For this peanut sauce I prefer to use an immersion blender to ensure it combines evenly. If you don’t have one, you can mix together using a whisk.
Add the peanut butter, water, soy sauce, honey, fresh lime juice, sesame oil, and the chili paste to a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in red pepper flakes and taste. Add additional red pepper flakes for extra spice, lime juice for acidity, or honey for added sweetness. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
How to Cook Rice Noodles
If you’ve never tried rice noodles … consider this your sign! They’re easy to make, have great texture, and truly take in the flavor of the dish. Unlike traditional wheat noodles that simply get coated in any type of sauce, rice noodles absorb the sauce and all the flavor.
There are a few different types of rice noodle and each differs in cooking method. For this rice noodle with peanut sauce recipe I opted for the pad thai style noodle. Pad thai rice noodles have a thicker, wider shape so they hold shape and give better texture in my opinion!
When cooking rice noodles there are a few notes to be aware of:
- Always use a larger pot with more water. The rice noodles expand while cooking and release surface starch from the rice flour. The more water there is, the less starchy it becomes which keeps the noodles from sticking together as much.
- Stir the pot while the noodles cook! This step is important as without stirring, the rice noodles will remain clumped up and cook into a chewy, semi-inedible mass. I like to use a fork to separate the noodles while cooking and then stir them every minute or so.
- Rinse the noodles with cold water after boiling to remove any lingering starches. If you don’t use the noodles right away, toss them with some oil or store the leftovers in a bit of broth or water to keep them moist and from sticking together.
How to Make Rice Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Once you have the peanut sauce made and the rice noodles prepped, the rest is easy!
- Heat a large skillet to medium and add olive oil. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent.
- Next, add carrots, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until veggies start to soften.
- Add broccoli florets and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Turn heat to low and add cooked rice noodles, scallions, and 3/4 of the sauce to the pan, stirring until evenly combined.
- Remove from heat and top with fresh cilantro and remaining 1/4 of the spicy peanut sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Also, feel free to get creative with what you add in – other delicious options would be shiitake mushrooms, spinach, purple cabbage, roasted tofu, and so forth.
Healthy Pasta Recipes
If you’re like me and crave a cozy pasta dish at least once a week, these are the recipes for you. Both can be made gluten free, dairy free, and vegan if you make some simple swaps. Healthy, easy, and delicious – what more could you need?!
Lemon Basil Pasta with Seared Scallops – Sweet sautéed summer corn and garlic is combined with a creamy lemon basil sauce and crisp seared scallops all overtop a bed of al dente pasta. This scallop pasta dish is light and flavorful while also satisfying those cozy comfort food cravings!
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta – Al dente pasta with sauteed onions and zucchini tossed in a creamy roasted red pepper sauce. Brimming with fresh flavor, the roasted red peppers and harissa bring a mildly sweet yet spicy experience to this pasta!
If you try any of these recipes, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you and it helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Rice Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce 🙂
Ingredients
Rice Noodles:
- 8 oz rice noodles cooked according to package instructions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion diced
- 1 " piece fresh ginger peeled & minced (~2 tbsp)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium carrot peeled and cut into half moons
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- 1½ cups broccoli florets chopped small
- ¼ cup scallions
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- garnish: lime wedges
Spicy Peanut Sauce:
- ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or sub coconut aminos to keep gf
- 2 tbsp honey or sub maple syrup or coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice ~2-3 limes
- 2 tbsp sambal oelek chili paste or sub sriracha
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Make your sauce. Add peanut butter, water, soy sauce, honey, fresh lime juice, sesame oil, and chili paste to a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in red pepper flakes and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet to medium and add olive oil. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent.
- Next, add carrots, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until veggies start to soften.
- Add broccoli florets and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Turn heat to low and add cooked rice noodles, scallions, and 3/4 of the sauce to the pan, stirring until evenly combined.
- Remove from heat and top with fresh cilantro and remaining 1/4 of the spicy peanut sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy
Notes
- I prefer to use an immersion blender to make the sauce to ensure it combines evenly. If you don’t have one, you can mix together using a whisk.
- Feel free to get creative with what you add in – other delicious add ins would be shiitake mushrooms, spinach, purple cabbage, roasted tofu, etc.
- I find it easiest to add cooked rice noodles to the pan with the vegetables immediately after they are done cooking since they stick together easily.
- I often double this recipe so we can have leftovers to eat the next day!
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Equally easy to make and yummy to eat! Love this recipe.
So happy to hear that, Bridget!
I loved this recipe! Absolutely delicious.
Aww thank you for leaving a review and so happy to hear you loved these!!! – Casey 🙂