Thai Rice Noodle Salad with Tofu Served Cold Recipe
This light salad with rice noodles and crunchy vegetables is a Thai answer to European pasta salad. It’s fresh, slightly spicy and tastes great cold – perfect for a work lunchbox or a summer meal when you don’t feel like spending much time in the kitchen.
The salad is inspired by Thai “yum” dishes, where noodles or meat are mixed with lots of herbs and a hot, sour dressing. Unlike many European pasta salads, it is completely mayo‑free and served cold as a full meal.
This is a light yet filling noodle salad without a drop of mayonnaise, built around the typical Thai balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy. It travels well in a lunchbox and still tastes fresh after a few hours, just like right after mixing. Thanks to the tofu you can easily make a complete plant‑based meal in a single container.
Why this version works
- Thoroughly pressing the tofu before frying lets it brown nicely and soak up the dressing instead of releasing water.
- Removing the cucumber seeds minimizes excess liquid so the salad doesn’t turn watery after a few hours.
- The noodles are soaked, not boiled, so they stay springy and don’t turn into a sticky mush.
- The dressing is balanced before mixing with the noodles, which makes it easy to control heat, saltiness and acidity.
Chef's tips
Always taste the dressing before you combine it with the noodles – if it’s too spicy or too salty at this stage, it’s hard to fix once everything is mixed. For the best texture, cut the vegetables into thin matchsticks so you get a distinct crunch with every bite but the noodles still play the main role. If you’re packing the salad for a lunchbox, keep the peanuts and some of the herbs in a separate container and add them just before eating so they stay crunchy.
How to serve
This salad works perfectly as a standalone lunch in a box or a light dinner on a hot day when you don’t feel like hot food. For larger gatherings, serve it in a big bowl with an extra small bowl of peanuts, herbs and lime wedges so everyone can adjust their own portion. It pairs well with grilled vegetables or simple chicken or shrimp skewers.
Watch out for
- Don’t leave the noodles in boiling water for too long – after a few minutes check that they’re soft but still springy.
- Don’t mix the salad with hot tofu – the steam will warm and soften the vegetables and they’ll lose their crunch.
- Don’t cut the vegetables too thick, or the heavy pieces will sink to the bottom and the salad will be less pleasant to eat.
Substitutions
- You can replace the tofu with grilled chicken or shrimp if you don’t need a vegetarian version.
- Peanuts can be swapped for cashews or toasted sunflower seeds if you have a peanut allergy.
- Coriander can be replaced with fresh mint or a mix of mint and flat‑leaf parsley for a milder flavour.
Ingredients
- rice noodles ryżowy cienki (nitki) - 150 g
- plain tofu - 200 g
- carrot - 1 pieces
- fresh cucumber - 0.5 pieces
- bell pepper czerwona - 0.5 pieces
- chives or spring onion - 3 tablespoon
- unsalted peanuts - 3 tablespoon
- oil roślinny do smażenia - 1.5 tablespoon
- soy sauce sojowy - 2 tablespoon
- lime juice - 2.5 tablespoon
- sugar trzcinowy lub miód - 1 tablespoon
- garlic - 1 clove
- fresh or dried chili pepper - 0.5 pieces
- sesame oil sezamowy (opcjonalnie) - 1 teaspoon
- fresh coriander or mint - 2 tablespoon
Preparation
- Pour boiling water over the rice noodles in a large bowl so they are completely covered. Leave for 5–7 minutes (or according to the package instructions), until softened but still springy and they don’t tear when gently pulled.
- Drain the noodles, rinse with cold water and drain very well in a colander, shaking it to remove excess water. The strands should be separate and slightly cool to the touch.
- Pat the tofu very dry with paper towels, pressing it lightly on all sides to remove as much moisture as possible. Cut into cubes about 1.5 cm – if they’re too small, they’ll crumble easily in the pan.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the tofu in a single layer and fry for 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until all sides are golden and slightly crispy. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool slightly.
- Grate the carrot on a coarse grater or cut into thin matchsticks. Halve the cucumber lengthwise, scoop out the soft, seedy centre with a teaspoon and cut the rest into thin strips. Cut the bell pepper into thin strips and finely chop the chives.
- Prepare the dressing: in a small bowl mix the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar or honey, finely chopped garlic, chopped chilli and sesame oil. Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved and the dressing is smooth and glossy.
- Taste the dressing – it should be clearly sour and salty with a bit of sweetness and heat; at this stage it’s easier to add a little more sugar, lime juice or chilli than to correct the flavour after mixing with the noodles.
- In a large bowl combine the rice noodles, carrot, cucumber, bell pepper, chives and fried tofu. Pour over the dressing and mix thoroughly with tongs or your hands, lifting the noodles from the bottom so all the strands are evenly coated.
- Add the chopped peanuts and fresh coriander or mint. Gently toss so the peanuts stay as crunchy as possible, then taste and, if needed, season with a little extra lime juice or soy sauce.
- Serve the salad slightly chilled or at room temperature. If it has been sitting for a while and the noodles have absorbed some of the dressing, toss again before serving and, if needed, drizzle with fresh lime juice to brighten the flavour.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I like this salad best after about an hour in the fridge, when the noodles have absorbed some of the dressing but the vegetables are still super crunchy – I often throw in leftover grilled vegetables from the day before.
