Tofu Noodle Stir Fry with SunButter Sauce

Name: Tofu Noodle Stir Fry with SunButter Sauce
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 1 14-oz package extra firm tofu; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; ⅓ cup No Sugar Added SunButter; 1 1/2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce; ½ tablespoon rice vinegar; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided; 1 tablespoon avocado oil, divided; 4 ounces buckwheat soba noodles; 1 10-oz bag frozen stir fry vegetables, thawed; ½ teaspoon chopped garlic; ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger; ¼ cup sliced scallions (green onions)

October 3, 2022

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For an easy balanced dinner try this Tofu Noodle Stir Fry with SunButter Sauce that’s full of cozy noodles drenched in a SunButter Sauce, yet light enough thanks to veggies and crispy tofu. This meal comes together in less than 30 minutes start to finish!

Nut Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free option

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by SunButter. Thank you for supporting the brands that make the Chelsey Amer Nutrition blog possible!

My picky, carb-loving 3-year old son is OBSESSED with tofu. It’s one of the only proteins that he’ll gladly eat, so I make sure to cook it weekly. Although he will run up to the cutting board and grab a cube raw, I like to try various flavors so he gets some variety.

One day I decided to combine two of his favorite dinner foods: tofu AND noodles. Heaven reached for my precious toddler!

This Tofu Noodle Stir Fry with SunButter Sauce is…

Freakin’ delicious
a 30-minute meal
Allergy-friendly
Easier than it seems to prepare
Great for leftovers
Cheap

Slurp up noodles drenched in a umami-filled SunButter sauce. Use a fork. Use chopsticks. Whatever you feel comfortable with, you’re going to want to try it!

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make this Tofu Noodle Stir Fry with SunButter Sauce

You’ll need a handful of ingredients – most of which I consider pantry and fridge staples – to prepare this meal.

Add these items to your shopping list:

Extra firm tofu
Cornstarch
Avocado oil – it’s great for cooking over high heat
No Sugar Added SunButter
Low sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce (if gluten free)
Rice vinegar
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Frozen stir fry vegetables – or fresh – see the note below
Garlic
Ginger
Scallions (green onions)
Noodles – see the note before for which type I prefer

How to Make the Best Crispy Tofu

I forget where I originally heard of this tip to make the best crispy tofu, but if you toss pressed tofu in cornstarch before cooking, it makes for the crispiest tofu! I need to update my older recipes, but this is how I make tofu every time now.

If you don’t have cornstarch you may use arrowroot powder, but honestly, it’s not the same. You get the best results from the cornstarch. It’s only 2 tablespoons per block of tofu.

I also like to pan-fry tofu in avocado oil because medium-high heat is best. I find avocado oil has the mildest flavor, so it’s my top choice to also get in those healthy fats. I buy mine at Costco or Thrive Market, usually.

It’s also super important that you use extra firm tofu. It has the best structure and this Tofu Noodle Stir Fry recipe comes out so much better than when using firm tofu.

Do I have to use frozen stir fry vegetables? What is that?

A frozen bag of “stir fry” vegetables is my go-to tip to make dinner easy. There’s no chopping, dicing or slicing. They do all the work for you! And it’s a great variety of veggies, especially if you’re only serving 1-2 people.

Did you know that frozen vegetables are just as nutritious (and sometimes MORE nutritious) than fresh? They’re picked at their peak ripeness, then flash frozen, so you can be assured you’re getting the freshed vegetables on your plate.

Of course you could buy fresh vegetables, but I often found the quantity overwhelming when I was just cooking for 1 or 2 people.

The frozen stir fry veggies I like have a mix of broccoli, string beans, shredded carrots, mushrooms and onions, but you can use any mix you have or even just a bag of frozen broccoli to add veggies to this meal.

If you’re using fresh veggies, you may need to add some cook time as well. You can use…

Broccoli
Mushrooms
Bell peppers
Shredded carrots
Cauliflower
Onions
Green beans
Snap peas

SunButter sauce is the extra satisfaction factor you didn’t know you needed…

I’ve said it a million times before, but your meals should be SATISFYING! This sauce is so easy to make and sesame free too, unlike a lot of other “peanut sauce” alternatives.

I prefer to use No Added Sugar SunButter for this recipe because sugar just isn’t necessary in this sauce. It’s my go-to choice for savory recipes.

What type of noodles should you use?

Personally, I like to switch it up, but most often for a noodle bowl I’ll use buckwheat soba noodles. You could use ramen noodles, rice noodles, or any other pasta variety that you have (even spaghetti!). I like the flavor and texture of buckwheat noodles the best.

Fun fact… Despite its name, buckwheat is 100% gluten free! As a whole grain it adds some extra protein to your meal.

Despite being a whole grain, 100% buckwheat soba noodles only contain 2 grams of fiber per 2oz serving. Typically I like to aim for 8-10 grams of fiber per meal, so if you’re trying to add more fiber to your meal you may wish to try a lentil spaghetti, which contains triple the amount of fiber (6 grams per 2 oz serving).

How to Make Tofu Noodle Stir Fry with SunButter Sauce

This recipe comes together in 4 key steps that only take 30 minutes (after pressing your tofu):

Make the crispy tofu
Cook the vegetables
Make the sauce
Cook the noodles

As a recipe developer I actually had a hard time writing this recipe because so many steps can be done simultaneously. You can play around with the order in which you do these steps, but they all must get done to make the most delicious tofu noodle bowl you’ve ever had!

In advance of making this recipe, press the block of tofu to remove excess water. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!!! If I know tofu is on the menu I’ll often press it the night before or in the morning so it’s ready to go when I’m ready to cook. Yes, it takes some prior planning, but as I say, prior planning prevents poor performance! If you’re trying to get dinner on the table quickly, you need a stellar performance!

When you’re ready to get cooking, first you’ll toss cubed tofu in cornstarch. As I mentioned earlier, this makes it super crispy.

Next, you’ll begin to prepare the SunButter sauce. You’ll finish off the sauce after the noodles cook.

Now it’s time to cook the tofu. It takes about 10-15 minutes to brown the tofu on all sides, so while the tofu cooks you can also bring a large pot of water to a boil.

When the tofu is done you’ll remove the tofu from the pan and saute the now-thawed frozen vegetables. At some point while the vegetables cook your water will boil and you can add in the noodles. Buckwheat soba noodles cook very quickly, but be sure to follow the instructions on the package.

Before draining the noodles, reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta water. You’ll add this to the SunButter sauce you started earlier. Add just a tablespoon at a time to get your desired consistency.

Now it’s (finally) time to assemble your tofu noodle stir fry bowls. To the pan with the vegetables you’ll add back the tofu and the noodles. Then drizzle the SunButter sauce on top and mix together. Yes, the noodles will make one big nest and you’ll have to separate them, but hey, that’s part of it!

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Make a Tofu Noodle Stir Fry with SunButter Sauce

If you press your tofu in a shallow bowl with any heavy kitchen object, like I do, you don’t need many kitchen tools to make this recipe.

You’ll need:

Cutting board
Stock pot (to boil the water for the noodles)
Saute pan
Mixing bowls
Sharp knife
Tongs – I find them helpful to toss the noodles in the SunButter sauce

Happy cooking!