Peanut Sesame Noodles with Vegetables

We’ve never been big take-out people. I’d much prefer to either dine IN a restaurant, or make it at home. So while we’re all in “stay-at-home” mode right now, I thought I’d make something fun. To me, noodles are FUN, and why not add some healthy veggies to make it even better.

The secret to this recipe is the peanut dressing. I’ve made plenty of different versions of this over the years, but this one is modeled after I saw Deb from Smitten Kitchen doing an Instagram Live lately. The tahini is perfect in it, and I love that there is a great balance of flavors. Try it! I think you’ll agree and will soon be hooked on like we are these days! 😀

Ingredients needed for Peanut Sesame Noodles with Vegetables:

For the salad:

• Spaghetti – I used regular spaghetti noodles for this recipe, but you could use some Asian noodles like ramen, udon, soba, or rice noodles too.
• Zucchini – I used just one medium zucchini and spiralized it using a larger setting. You could also just slice it thinly.
• Carrots – I took two carrots and used my potato peeler to peel them. Really easy!
• Edamame – Just use the frozen shelled edamame here. They add SO much flavor!
• Green Onions – One bunch will do nicely.
• Peanuts – Chop up a handful of peanuts and sprinkle them on top before serving.

For the dressing:

• Sesame Oil – An oil derived from sesame seeds, and very popular in Asian cuisine. It has a distinctive nutty aroma and taste, and should NOT be skipped in this recipe.
• Tahini – A condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame, used in many Mediterranean dishes. It resembles natural peanut butter in appearance, but has more of an earthy, nutty flavor of sesame seeds.
• Peanut Butter – A spread made from ground, dry-roasted peanuts. There are normally other ingredients used to modify its taste and texture.
• Soy Sauce – A liquid condiment of Chinese origin, and made from fermented soybeans and wheat. It is also used in many Asian recipes.
• Vinegar – Use rice vinegar in this dressing, for best results.
• Brown Sugar – Needed to balance the strong ingredients above.
• Ginger – Not only is ginger root healthy, it gives an amazing flavor to the peanut dressing.
• Chili Paste or Sauce – Adds some spiciness and depth of flavor.

How to make Peanut Sesame Noodles with Vegetables:

1. Make dressing. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, and whisk well. It may take awhile for the peanut butter to get nice and creamy. Just keep mashing and whisking it until you get a smooth consistency.
2. Cook noodles. – Cook noodles in some salt water until al dente. Then strain and rinse well with cold water. Drizzle with a little bit of oil so that they don’t stick together.
3. Prep veggies. Use a spiralizer to prepare the zucchini noodles (or you can use a knife to slice thinly. Use a potato peeler to shred the carrots. Chop the green onions.
4. Cook edamame. – Cook edamame in the microwave according to package directions. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, and let cool.
5. Serve. Pour the dressing over the noodles and toss well. Then incorporate the other veggies, and top with green onions and crushed peanuts.

This is easily a meal for me, but you could also serve it with some sautéed shrimp or pork.

Other delicious Asian recipes for you to enjoy:

• Grilled Chicken Asian Skewers – A great meal to grill outdoors, or you can make it inside on a grill pan to.
• Crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad – My most popular salad recipe on the blog!
• Shrimp Fried Rice – Skip the take-out and make this easy dish at home.

Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)

• Spiralizer – Used to spiralize the zucchini.
• Peeler – Used to shred the carrots.
• Global 7-inch Knife – My favorite kitchen knife.

Try this Asian recipe next: Crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad

Please let know if you try this recipe. Be sure to comment and leave a review on the blog so I can see what you think. You can also like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, and catch me on Instagram.

xoxo ~Sue