I am so excited to share today's Banh Mi Noodles recipe with you guys! These flavorful noodles are my quick and easy take on one of my favorite sandwiches of all time: the Banh Mi. This recipe is creamy, spicy, and super nutritious!
What Is A Banh Mi?
If you've never had, or never heard of a Banh Mi Sandwich, then these noodles may not make much sense to you. A Banh Mi sandwich is my absolute favorite sandwich. It's flavorful, healthy, and so freaking delicious.
A Banh mi sandwich is a Vietnamese sandwich that is made with a sourdough baguette, served with either meat, or a vegan substitute such as tofu, or tempeh. The sandwich is filled with fresh, or pickled vegetables such as: cucumbers, carrots, jalapeños, daikon radish, and cilantro.
Although I absolutely love the Banh Mi as is (see my Tempeh Banh Mi for a delicious sandwich recipe), there's something about a noodle dish that is just so good. It's mess free, and easier to make. Plus it makes a perfect healthy vegan lunch meal prep!
Ingredients For These Banh Mi Noodles:
For The Noodles:
- Rice Noodles - Any variety of rice noodles will work perfectly for these Banh Mi Noodles. I personally use thicker cut noodles, because I think they have the best texture for a mixed salad like this. You can also use low calorie noodle varieties like Miracle Noodles, or kelp noodles for a grain-free, raw, or weight loss substitute.
- English Cucumbers - You can use any cucumber variety, however I recommend using english cucumbers. They peel into strips much better than other cucumber varieties, and I think that they have a less bitter taste.
- Carrots - Carrots add the perfect crunch to this recipes. I always try to find the largest carrots, because they are much easier to peel into strips. I also recommend buying large carrots organic, because the taste is much different.
- Water Chestnuts - Adds the perfect crunch to this noodle salad. You can use either water chestnuts, or a daikon radish. I personally would recommend using the daikon radish, however it can sometimes be hard to find in stores (Asian markets usually carry it!).
- Cilantro - If you're not a fan of cilantro, you can leave it out. However I strongly recommend that you keep it in this recipe. Cilantro is one of the key flavors in these noodles, and adds some extra greens to the mix. Feel free to chop it as finely as you want. I personally love cilantro, so I prefer the larger pieces.
- Jalapeños - Add as many, or as little jalapeño as you like. The level of spiciness in this recipe is totally up to your personal preference.
For The Smoked Tofu:
- Extra Firm Tofu - Whenever I am cooking with tofu I always use the extra firm variety (the one that comes wrapped in plastic, not in a plastic container). If you're running into the problem of your tofu falling apart when you're cooking with it, this could be why. I also recommend pressing your tofu to get rid of any excess water.
- Smoked Paprika - Smoked Paprika is one of my favorite spices to cook with in any recipe. It has a strong smokey and savory flavor that goes well with so many recipes. If you're looking for one spice to add to your plant based protein to achieve a better flavor, I recommend using smoked paprika.
- Garlic Powder - Another great spice for flavoring plant based protein is garlic powder. It goes well with everything, and a little goes a long way.
- Liquid Aminos - If you're unfamiliar with liquid aminos, they are essentially just a lower sodium soy sauce. Compared to soy sauce that contains about 1000mg of sodium per serving, liquid aminos only contains about 300mg and tastes the exact same.
- Vegetable Broth/Oil - This recipe can be made oil-free, or with oil depending on how you want to cook the tofu. If you want it crispier, use oil, if you want it with less calories, use vegetable broth.
For The Creamy Sriracha Dressing:
- Aquafaba - Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. I know it sounds crazy to use chickpea liquid as the base of a dressing, but trust me on this one. It whips up and has the perfect flavor for this dressing. Both low-sodium, and regular chickpeas will work. Make sure not to use unsalted.
- Raw Cashew Butter - Makes up the creaminess of this dressing. I love using Wilderness Poets SPiN Cashew Milk and Cream Concentrate. It has the perfect smooth and creamy texture to use in dressings.
- Sriracha - You can use regular, or extra hot sriracha for this dressing. I love True Made Foods sriracha, because it is free of refined sugars, and it contains added vegetables. The best part is it tastes the exact same as traditional sriracha.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - The tiniest bit of apple cider vinegar ties this dressing together. It gives it the perfect kick.
- Garlic Powder - Even though sriracha contains garlic powder, I like to add a little extra to elevated the flavor of this dressing even more.
How To Make These Banh Mi Noodles:
These Banh Mi Noodles are one of my favorite quick, easy, and healthy meals to make. They're full of vegetables and only take about 15 minutes to make. All you'll need is a cutting board, a knife, a julienne peeler, a blender, and a large bowl.
Begin by boiling a pot of water and cooking the rice noodles according to package instructions. Marinate the tofu by combining the liquid aminos, garlic powder, and smoked paprika together in a shallow dish or plate. Mix. Cut the tofu into triangles, and and place in the dish. Coat to marinate and set aside.
While the noodles are cooking, and the tofu is marinating, prepare the vegetables. Use the julienne peeler on the carrots and cucumbers, cut the jalapeños into thin slices, strain and rinse the water chestnuts, and roughly chop the cilantro.
Cook the tofu with either vegetable broth, or oil in a pan, flipping once the tofu is crispy.
Make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients together and blending until smooth. Add the noodles, vegetables, and tofu together in a large bowl. Cover with the dressing, and serve. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can These Banh Mi Noodles Be Meal Prepped?
These Banh Mi Noodles are one of my favorite meals to eat during the week, because they make a fantastic meal prep. The noodles and vegetable soak up the dressing so perfectly, and they don't get soggy at all.
Are These Banh Mi Noodles Good For Weight Loss?
These Banh Mi Noodles are one of my favorite vegan weight loss meals, because they're high in fiber and volume, yet they're low in calories. If you make these noodles with low calorie noodles they're even better for weight loss, because they're extremely low in calories.
The dressing is slightly high in calories, but this should not be something you should worry about since the noodles and vegetables are so low in calories. The dressing is full of healthy fats and whole foods plant based ingredients.
Related Vegan Noodle And Pasta Recipes:
- Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta
- Sweet Potato Mac And Cheese
- Vegan Vietnamese Noodle Salad
- Fettuccine With Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
- Red Curry Peanut Kelp Noodle Salad
Banh Mi Noodles
Equipment
- 1 julienne peeler
Ingredients
For The Noodles:
- ½ package rice noodles can sub low calories noodles such as miracle noodles, or kelp noodles.
- 2 english cucumbers
- 4 medium carrots
- 2 cans water chestnuts
- ½ bunch cilantro
- ½-1 jalapeño
For The Smoked Tofu:
- 1 package extra firm tofu
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 3 tablespoon liquid aminos
For The Creamy Sriracha Dressing:
- ⅔ cup aquafaba or the liquid from one can of chickpeas
- ½ cup Wilderness Poets Cashew Cream & Milk SPiN
- 4 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Begin by boiling a pot of water and cooking the rice noodles according to package instructions.
- Marinate the tofu by combining the liquid aminos, garlic powder, and smoked paprika together in a shallow dish or plate. Mix. Cut the tofu into triangles, and and place in the dish. Coat to marinate and set aside.
- While the noodles are cooking, and the tofu is marinating, prepare the vegetables. Use the julienne peeler on the carrots and cucumbers, cut the jalapeños into thin slices, strain and rinse the water chestnuts, and roughly chop the cilantro.
- Cook the tofu with either vegetable broth, or oil in a pan, flipping once the tofu is crispy.
- Make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients together and blending until smooth. Add the noodles, vegetables, and tofu together in a large bowl. Cover with the dressing, and serve. Enjoy!
Judith
This looks so delicious with so many fresh veggies. A great lunch that can be prepared quickly.
Melissa
Thank you for the clear and easy directions. I really enjoyed this light and fresh recipe!
Christina's Bread Bakes
Yummy flavors and textures in this vegan meal.
Jess
Such a delicious and filling meal
tianna
This looks so good the picture just makes you want one right now.
Sam
I’m obsessed with this recipe! The flavors are just incredible and this keeps my satisfied all afternoon. Such a yummy meal!
Kris
I made this last night and it was FANTASTIC! So filling and it makes a lot of food. Can't wait to make it again.
Isabella
Banh Mi sandwiches are my favorite sandwich, so I was absolutely stoked when I saw this Banh Mi Noodles recipe! It turned out amazing and was super easy to make!