15-MINUTE HIGH PROTEIN NOODLE RECIPE WITH TOFU

Overhead view of a ceramic bowl of rice noodles, a fork lying in the bowl. Surrounding the bowl are more dishes with food and small ceramic pinch bowls with garnishes.

Ugly delicious - that’s what I’d call today’s super quick, high protein and utterly scrumptious Asian inspired noodle recipe! Let’s be real, it’s not much to look at and certain dishes just aren’t, but should that stop us from sharing them with the world? In this case, I don’t think so!

I often carefully design a recipe both for taste and visuals, but after eating this on repeat pretty much the whole of March, I couldn’t find a way of a) NOT sharing it with you and b) making it prettier just for the sake of capturing better images. Adding flowers or any other fanfare would have felt dishonest and also, frankly, completely unnecessary from a taste perfective. In fact, what makes these 15-minute vermicelli noodles so special is how quickly and easily they come together to provide you with a healthy, nourishing meal full of protein for those days when you don’t have time to cook!

Now a word of caution - all the ingredients in this 15-minute noodle recipe are things I ALWAYS have in my cupboards, but, I’m a full-time food photographer and food content creator, so I’m well aware, some of you may not. That said, I’d strongly urge you to stock up on all the shelf stable ingredients used in this recipe because a) I can assure you, you’ll want to make this noodle recipe again and again and b) because tamari, mirin and sesame oil are staples in Japanese cooking and having them to hand will open up so many possibilities for you to create many more Asian inspired dishes!

A woman with long hair placing a plate of dry noodles and a small bowl of beans on a tiled surface among other ingredients.

Overhead view of a bowl of noodles with a fork lying in them, set on a tiled surface surrounded by more ceramic dishes of food and small pinch bowls with ingredients.

FINDING THE PERFECT NOODLES…

Just like pasta, there are 101 different noodle shapes to choose from. Unlike pasta though, noodles cook much, much quicker, so you’ve got to be careful not to overcook them and make them soggy! Personally I love thin rice noodles (like the white rice vermicelli noodles you see in this recipe) when I use lighter sauces. I enjoy cooking with thicker rice noodles for dishes like THIS one that include a richer, creamier sauce; that’s because it’s nice for those types of sauce to have a surface to latch on to.

Though I’m not gluten intolerant, I appreciate that many people are and am hence delighted that most Asian noodles on the market are made from rice - like the ones I used in this week’s recipe - or buckwheat which is naturally gluten-free. Many of the noodles you’ll find in regular as well as Asian supermarkets also tend to be naturally vegan. That said, egg noodles are very common and do provide that extra dose of protein if that’s important to you. If you prefer to keep things vegan, be sure to check the label before purchasing!

GIVING YOUR NOODLES FLAVOUR

As mentioned above, tamari, mirin (or Japanese rice wine vinegar) and sesame oil are ALWAYS to be found in my cupboards because I use them weekly. Tamari is a great alternative to soya sauce as it’s gluten-free and gives your food not only a lovely savoury note, but also a bit of umami. It’s a wonderful alternative to salt and great for any Asian inspired dressings.

Mirin in turn gives your sauces and dressings a wonderful sweet and sour note, balancing out the saltiness of the tamari. I love using mirin in all kinds of dressings, especially salad dressings. Alternatively, you’ll also find me using brown rice vinegar when making dressings and sauces, like I did in THIS Asian inspired dressing (so good!).

To make a dressing or sauce perfect, the savouriness and sweetness/acidity have to be balanced out with a little bit of fat and for Asian dressings and sauces, my go-to is always sesame seed oil! It’s so rich and instantly gives everything a lovely Japanese vibe!

Finally, in this recipe I use pre-made teriyaki sauce. I like using this one, because it’s quite light and not too sweet, but if you have a different one to hand, please do go ahead and use it. It may slightly alter the consistency of your sauce as well as the flavour, but using a different brand should still make this recipe delicious!

As always, if you make this recipe and share it, please don’t forget to tag @thelittleplantation on Instagram. And if you’re curious to see how I make it, head on over to THIS Reel here!

An overhead view of a pretty tiled surface on which there are some ingredients on small plates and some scattered around.

Overhead view of a ceramic bowl of noodles, with two more partially in shot

15-MINUTE HIGH PROTEIN NOODLE RECIPE WITH CRUMBLY TOFU

The broad beans (peas or edamame beans) and tofu give this dish a proper vegan protein kick! If you’re using egg based noodles, you’ll pack even more protein into this quick, easy and delicious lunch!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: 1-2

INGREDIENTS

2 spring onions, chopped

50g cooked broad beans, peas or edamame beans

140g firm tofu, crumbled

1tbs + 1 tsp tamari sauce

1 tsp of vegetable oil for frying

a handful of spinach or spring greens, roughly chopped (optional)

65g rice noodles (I used these)

water for boiling

For the noodle sauce

3tbs teriyaki sauce (I used this one)

1/2 tsp mirin

1 tsp sesame oil

To FINISH OFF (optional)

2 tbs of sesame seeds

a handful of crushed peanuts (optional)

1-2 tbs chilli flakes or chopped chillis (or more to taste, optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Chop your spring onions, set aside.

Select and weigh your preferred legume, and set aside. If you’re using edamame or broad beans, make sure the shells/skins are removed. Including these will give your noodle dish a protein boost!

Press your tofu to remove the surplus liquid, then crumble it up so it resembles the texture of scrambled egg. You can do this by hand or by using a fork. Mix your tofu with your tamari sauce.

Next, place a non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat. Add your vegetable oil and then the marinated tofu. Pan fry quickly until it just starts to brown further. Set the frying pan with the tofu aside.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Once the water is piping hot, add the noodles and cook for no more than 1 minute (longer if you’re using egg noodles or thicker noodles, in which instance please refer to the package for instructions but remember to slightly undercook them as you’ll be cooking them again with the other ingredients shortly). Remove immediately and pour cold water over the noodles to stop them from cooking further.

In the non stick frying pan with the tofu, add your cooked noodles, your spring onions, beans (or peas), spinach (if using) and your noodle sauce. Mix until combined (no more than 1-2 minutes) and your noodles take on a light brown colour from the sauce. If needed add another 1/2 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce. It is here where your noodles will be fully cooked, but watch not to stir too long as they can go soggy.

Serve immediately and top with sesame seeds, crushed nuts and chilli to taste!

P.S. I also added a few micro coriander greens, but honestly this is not necessary!

Looking for more noodle recipes? Why not try THIS easy vegan tofu satay bowl or THIS warm Japanese noodle salad.