Tahini Noodles

Tahini Noodles can be served hot or cold. With a light tahini sauce full of vegetables and rice noodles, this tahini noodle recipe is a fabulous, gluten-free, oil-free noodle bowl you will love. Dinner is 30 minutes or less!

Light yet satisfying tahini noodles are the answer to your 30 minutes or less dinner. When I'm in a hurry, I still want a quality meal even though I have limited time. Delicious, and satisfying, this Asian tahini noodle bowl is packed with vegetables and a light Asian tahini dressing. And this tahini noodle recipe can be made a day in advance for even more speedy delivery. 

Jump to:

• Noodle Recipe Ingredients 
• Noodle Recipe Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Prepare Rice Noodles 
• How to Make the Noodle Bowl 
• How to Make the Tahini Sauce 
• Sauce Substitutions
• How to Assemble the Bowl
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Suggested Asian Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

You can customize the tahini noodle bowl based on what's in your refrigerator or what you're craving.

In my refrigerator, I found purple and white cabbage, green onions, leftover shelled edamame, red pepper, and other veggies.

So, I used my extra veggies and dressed them up for dinner from start to finish.

Noodle Recipe Ingredients 

• Rice Noodles: I like Thai Kitchen Rice Noodles the best. You can choose wide noodles or thinner ones, which are oil-free and gluten-free.
• Broccoli florets: I love broccoli in bowls because it absorbs any sauce like a sponge. If your dish is spicy, broccoli always holds the heat.
• Red cabbage: Although called red cabbage, the purple hue is my favorite way to add color and crunch to a recipe.
• Green cabbage: I like to use green cabbage, which looks white, or I love Napa cabbage for a more delicate addition to the bowl.
• Carrots: I shred my carrots instead of chopping them, so they are similar to the texture of the cabbage.
• Red Bell Pepper: The red bell pepper adds vibrant red color and a sweet taste to the dish. I cut the red bell pepper for texture, similar to the cabbage and carrots.
• Scallions: I love green onions because they are mild but add a unique addition to the bowl. Add the greens at the ends as well.
• Jalapeño: Make sure to use gloves when handling jalapenos. Jalapenos are very mild if the seeds and veins are removed. However, if you like it spicier, add a few seeds to heat things.
• Mame- shelled edamame: Shelled edamame can be found in the produce section kept cold or in the freezer department. I always buy them shelled to save myself some time.
• Fresh cilantro: I love cilantro, but if you taste soap when you eat cilantro, choose Thai basil instead for this recipe.
• Peanuts: The peanuts add a crunch and a salty component to the noodle dish.
• Sesame Seeds: Sesame seeds are a good source of healthy fats, protein, B vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other beneficial plant compounds. Just a sprinkle will do.

Noodle Recipe Ingredient Substitutions

• Any noodles work well with this recipe.
• Choose green or yellow bell peppers to substitute for red bell peppers.
• Skip the jalapeno if you don't like spice, or if you want spice, consider adding a couple of seeds to make it hotter.
• Choose cashews to replace the peanuts, or skip the peanuts altogether for a nut-free version.
• Add any veggies you enjoy.
• Thai Basil is wonderful with these flavors.
• Substitute carrot ginger dressing with a nut-free, sesame-free dressing.

How to Prepare Rice Noodles 

Rice noodles are noodles made from rice, so they are naturally gluten-free.

The principal ingredients, for example, are rice flour and water.

Rice noodles are delicious, but they also cook in 4-6 minutes, depending on how you like them. Furthermore, rice noodles absorb the dressing flavors and maintain their texture regardless of dressing in advance.

Another great tip for cooking rice noodles is that it only takes 4-6 minutes to boil; you can also cook vegetables, like broccoli, simultaneously in the same pot.

How to Make the Noodle Bowl 

To satisfy my Asian food craving, I focused on creating delicious, slightly spicy, sweet, crunchy, and healthy tahini noodles. With that in mind, the tahini sauce brings savory and sweet flavors together in beautiful harmony.

Although I'm typically a savory girl, I like it slightly sweet. So I always add more red pepper flakes or ask for extra spice at our local Asian restaurant.

Not only do tahini noodles make a fabulous dinner, but if you're smart, you make enough for lunch the next day.

The longer it marinates in the dressing, the more fabulous the vegan Thai tahini noodle bowls taste.

How to Make the Tahini Sauce 

Despite my usual miso tahini or Thai peanut dressing, I used tahini differently for this particular tahini noodle recipe. Tahini, a paste made of pureed sesame seeds, is like almond butter or peanut butter but with a milder flavor.

Even though tahini is often used in Middle Eastern dishes such as edamame hummus, tahini is a versatile ingredient because it heightens the flavors of the other ingredients in the dressing.

Though the main ingredient, the tahini serves as the creamy base for the roasted sesame-flavored dressing.

• Tahini: Tahini may look a little like peanut butter but doesn't taste like it. Tahini isn't sweet like most nut butter; the nutty flavor is strong and earthy and can be a little bitter.
• Fresh Ginger: Whenever possible, I suggest using fresh over powdered ginger. There is also paste available as well.
• Garlic: Again, fresh garlic is always preferred over jarred or dried.
• Rice Wine Vinegar: Rice wine vinegar has a sweet flavor and works well with tahini to balance the flavors.
• Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice is always better, but bottled lime juice works in a pinch.
• Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce: I suggest a low sodium version because the tahini also has sodium
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Red pepper flakes give the dressing a little kick. If you don't like spice, skip this ingredient.
• Maple Syrup: Maple syrup gives the dressing a little sweetness
• Water: The water is used to thin the dressing
• Sea Salt: Just a little pinch of salt brings out the savoriness of the dressing.
• Pepper to taste: I prefer fresh ground pepper whenever possible.

Sauce Substitutions

• Choose almond butter or another nut butter to substitute the tahini.
• Ginger paste is closer to fresh ginger than powdered.
• Mirin is a good substitute for rice vinegar, and champagne vinegar also has a light and sweeter profile.
• Date syrup or agave works well in place of maple syrup.
• If you don't have red pepper flakes, consider adding a small amount of cayenne pepper.
• Choose Tamari or coconut aminos to replace the soy sauce with a gluten-free option.

How to Assemble the Bowl

Add additional flavors to the tahini noodles before serving. For example, serve peanuts, wasabi peas, sriracha peas, and extra red pepper flakes on the side. Furthermore, adding more cilantro is also an option.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• When making a dressing with tahini, add the tahini into the blender last, so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the blender. It tends to be thick and sticky.
• Transfer the rice noodles to a colander and rinse them in cold water to cool them down quickly if you plan to eat them cold. However, if you plan to eat them hot, transfer them immediately to the bowl to toss with the other ingredients once the noodles are drained.
• For a gluten-free option, choose Tamari instead of soy in the dressing.

If you enjoy this tahini noodle recipe, you will love my Spicy Tofu Asian Salad with Peanut Dressing and Kale Asian Pasta Salad.

So, if you want a quick and easy meal, try Tahini noodles!

Suggested Asian Recipes

If you love this Tahini noodle recipe, give it a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

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