Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Tofu

This vermicelli noodle salad with tofu and almond butter dressing is a delicious, healthy, and filling salad recipe! It can be enjoyed both for lunch or dinner, and comes together in about 30 minutes. The salad can also be made both gluten-free and nut-free (see notes). Enjoy!

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 25-35 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 block extra-firm tofu (about 350g)
• 2 tbsp flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (+ more for frying)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
• 1 cup red cabbage
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 pepper (I used green)
• 1 avocado
• Vermicelli noodles for 2 (about 110g)

Almond Butter Dressing

• 2 heaping tbsp almond butter (see notes for nut-free)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
• 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
• 1/2 lemon (about 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2-3 tbsp water

Equipment

• Non-stick frying pan
• Pot
• 2 bowls

Instructions

1. Cut tofu into 1 1/2 cm cubes, then add to a bowl with flour, olive oil and soy sauce and mix until the tofu cubes are coated.
2. Heat a bit of oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat, then add tofu cubes. Each side of the cubes needs to be fried, so every couple of minutes, use tongs to flip each piece of tofu.
3. Bring water to a boil in a pot to cook the vermicelli noodles.
4. While keeping an eye on the tofu, start preparing the vegetables. Start by shredding red cabbage, then add to a bowl with white vinegar and a pinch of salt. Next, grate the carrot (either into ribbons or shreds), slice the pepper, thinly slice the avocado and cut the green onion.
5. Prepare the almond butter dressing by mixing together all ingredients in a small bowl or jar. You can adjust sweetness by adding more soy sauce for saltiness or more sweet chili sauce/maple syrup for sweetness. You can also add a bit more water if you want a more liquid consistency for the dressing.
6. Once the water boils, add vermicelli noodles and cook according to package directions (should only be a few minutes).
7. Drain the vermicelli noodles and toss them in a bit of sesame oil (this will prevent sticking and sesame oil adds a delicious flavour!). If you want the salad to be cold, you can also rinse the noodles in cold water before tossing in sesame oil.
8. Start assembling the salad by adding vermicelli noodles, tofu, red cabbage, carrot, pepper, avocado, green onion, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Drizzle with almond butter dressing, and enjoy!

Notes

*For a gluten-free version, substitute cornstarch for white flour and use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.

*For a nut-free version, use a soy or seed butter in the dressing, or simply season with sesame oil, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce & maple syrup (make sure to adjust the sauce for saltiness or sweetness).