Spring Roll Noodle Salad Bowl with Tofu and Peanut Dressing

This Spring Roll Noodle Salad Bowl is a deconstructed veggie spring roll in a bowl. It’s filled with crunchy veggies, crispy tofu, and rice noodles topped with a drizzle of rich and creamy peanut sauce. This vegan spring roll bowl brings refreshing flavor and is so nourishing without a hassle. Enjoy this easy summer salad as a healthy meal or light sides.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Fresh spring rolls are an easy refreshing meal for the summer. But spring rolls are even easier to make if we skip the rolling part! This spring roll salad has every element that spring rolls require: crunchy veggies, fresh herbs, and rich peanut dressing. The peanut dressing is creamy, sweet, savory, and a hint of heat.

Instead of rice paper, this spring roll bowl is beefed up with rice noodles to elevate it to a nourishing meal. So enjoy this vegan summer salad as an easy weeknight dinner or divide it into small portions to serve as a side dish for the BBQ.

The Ingredients

This recipe is vegan and gluten-free friendly. With a few ingredient swaps, you can make this recipe gluten-free.

For the Spring Roll Salad

• Firm Tofu: Firm tofu cubes cooked perfectly to golden brown are such a nourishing and satisfying protein source, especially when they’re dipped in peanut sauce. The key to the crispy tofu is draining the excess moisture. Press between the plates or pat dry with a paper towel to make the surface dry before cooking.
• Rice Noodles: You can find rice noodles at local Asian stores or in Asian food aisles at regular grocery stores. You can also use Pad Thai noodles.
• Romaine, Red Cabbage, Persian Cucumbers, and Carrot: Crunchy veggies are an important texture to this spring roll salad. you can julienne with a knife or peeler. Also, the precut Asian salad mix is a great item to use instead of chopping up all the veggies.
• Scallion and Cilantro: Fresh herbs are an important flavor in spring rolls! Add as much as you wish.
• Peanuts: Is peanut dressing peanut-y enough for you? Top the bowl with real peanuts for the crunch!

For the Peanut Dressing

• Peanut Butter: Use unsweetened, unsalted peanut butter. Creamy or Crunchy, use whichever you love.
• Soy Sauce: Adds savory umami. Use Tamari instead to make this recipe gluten-free.
• Rice Vinegar: Adds mild acidity.
• Maple Syrup: Adds wholesome sweetness.
• Garlic Powder: Adds garlicky flavor without the pungent flavor of raw garlic.
• Sambal Oelek: Sambal Oelek is a versatile chili paste used in Indonesia. It adds spicy heat to the dish and is usually made of chili peppers, vinegar, and salt, which makes them thorically gluten-free. However, some products are not certified gluten-free, meaning they might be processed with gluten products. So if you’re serious about avoiding gluten, make sure to check the label to ensure it’s gluten-free. You can omit this if you don’t like spicy.

Substitutions

This noodle salad is pretty adaptable. If you’re not feeling like chopping all the veggies, precut Asian salad mix is a great way to go.

If you don’t have sambal oelek, you can use garlic chili sauce or sriracha instead. Garlic chili sauce and sriracha are sweeter than sambal oelek, so the peanut dressing will be slightly sweeter.

For the main protein source, shrimp and chicken are also delicious! Think just like spring rolls. What goes into spring rolls works well in this recipe.

How to Make Spring Roll Salad

First, let’s start with cooking tofu.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add tofu and cook until golden brown. Work in batches if necessary. I like to cook my tofu until brown all over and crispy. Add a pinch of salt and a dash of black pepper to season. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Next, make the peanut dressing.

In a jar or small bowl, add all the ingredients of the peanut sauce. Mix with a whisk. If you’re using a jar, secure the lid and shake to mix.

Then cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Rinse noodles under the running water.

In serving bowls, divide the romaine, red cabbage, cucumber, carrot, cooked noodles, and tofu. Garnish with scallion, cilantro, and peanuts. Drizzle half of the dressing over the bowls and save the rest. Serve with lime wedges. Mix everything well. Taste and add more dressing if necessary. Enjoy!

Need More Salad Recipes? Try This!

Mango Cucumber Salad with Blueberries and Avocado

Spicy Asian Spiral Cucumber Salad

Kale and Quinoa Winter Salad with Pears and Pomegranate

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