Thai Noodle Salad with Sautéed Tofu

6 Reviews
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Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Mary Drennan Ankar
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6 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)
By Lorrie Hulston
April 2008
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

This colorful noodle salad is a zesty one-dish Thai meal. Leftovers are great chilled or at room temperature. Draining tofu under a weight expels moisture, making the sautéed tofu crisp. For a pronounced nutty flavor, use roasted peanut oil.

Ingredients

  • Tofu:
  • 3/4 pound firm water-packed tofu, drained
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • Noodles:
  • 3/4 pound uncooked rice vermicelli
  • Dressing:
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (such as Three Crabs)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • Remaining ingredients:
  • 2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded carrot
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 336
  • Caloriesfromfat 26%
  • Fat 9.8g
  • Satfat 1.5g
  • Monofat 5g
  • Polyfat 2.8g
  • Protein 10.3g
  • Carbohydrate 57.2g
  • Fiber 2.4g
  • Cholesterol 0.0mg
  • Iron 2.5mg
  • Sodium 794mg
  • Calcium 132mg

How to Make It

Step 1

To prepare tofu, cut tofu into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange tofu slices in a single layer on several layers of paper towels. Top with several more layers of paper towels; top with a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan. Let stand 30 minutes. Remove tofu from paper towels; cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Combine tofu, 2 tablespoons juice, and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate at room temperature 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Step 2

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 30 seconds. Remove tofu from bag; discard marinade. Add tofu to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until crisp, carefully turning to brown all sides. Remove from heat.

Step 3

To prepare noodles, while tofu marinates, place vermicelli in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain well. Set noodles aside.

Step 4

To prepare dressing, combine 1/4 cup juice and next 8 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon red pepper), stirring with a whisk.

Step 5

Combine vermicelli, lettuce, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss well to combine. Top with tofu.

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Ratings & Reviews

kvanselow's Review

kvanselow
March 30, 2014
Both of us loved this salad. Only change was using Thai noodles as I did not have vermacelli. Dressing was very good, could be used on many other dishes.

mchldinicola's Review

Robi1knobi
April 27, 2012
Thai Noodle Salad with Sauteed Tofu is great to eat and easy to make. It taste just like regular Thai Noodle and Chicken if you know how to blend the spices and flavors. I would definitely suggest using a tofu press like the one from TofuXpress to firm and drain the tofu. Worked great and sped up the process!

bunnycous's Review

naturemurph
March 14, 2010
This salad is wonderful! I have made it a few times over the past 2 months. I've done cabbage instead of lettuce but prefer the lettuce. I usually add bean sprouts and green onions if I have them. It's a bit spicy which I like. Also, pretty easy to make, I usually marinate the tofu and make the dressing the night before. I will make this over and over again.

Robi1knobi's Review

mchldinicola
February 10, 2010
disgusting! I had to throw it away! bleh!

naturemurph's Review

bunnycous
July 10, 2009
This was way too spicy for my husband and me (and he likes spicy food). It may have been the garlic chili sauce that we used? He also wasn't crazy about the flavor but I thought it was ok. I subbed cabbage for the lettuce and added a little basil and mint which I thought it might have been better without (although it was hard to tell cuz it was so SPICY).

RenoTX's Review

RenoTX
April 20, 2009
Wow, we loved this recipe. I made it for dinner, along with CL recipe for hot & sour soup. I bought a 1-lb tub of tofu, and the soup was a great way to use the extra. As for this salad, I followed many of the suggestions of the other reviewers: I used Napa cabbage instead of Romaine, added more carrots. When I first mixed it together, it looked like there might not be enough sauce, but the sauce was so flavorful that a little goes a long way. I bought a 12 oz package of noodles instead of 1 lb, and it was plenty. Soaked it for double the time, b/c we like the nooldes a bit more tender than al dente. The best thing about this recipe is the yummy, yummy taste of the sauteed tofu. So very tasty (but turn on the exhaust fan b/c the browning marinade gives off a very strong odor). This was the first tofu recipe I've been able to get my family to eat, and we LOVED it (but it was a bit too spicy for my younger child). Hands-down the best recipe ever for introducing a tofu entree to the family.