Vietnamese-Inspired Pea, Tofu & Noodle Salad

Fancying a salad but don't want it to be boring? Give this Vietnamese-inspired noodle salad a go.

Blanched garden peas, tomatoes, rocket, chopped spring onions, fresh coriander, crispy tofu cooked in sweet chilli sauce and rice noodles. All tossed in a Vietnamese-inspired dressing made from rice vinegar, lime juice, garlic, soy sauce and chilli flakes. It can all be made up to three days in advance and tossed together with the rocket when you're ready to eat.

Substitute:

  • No tomatoes? Use peppers, carrots or shredded cabbage instead. 
  • No rice noodles? Try with spaghetti. 
  • No rocket? Swap for spinach or lettuce. 
  • No coriander? Try with basil or parsley. 
  • No lime juice? Use lemon juice instead. 

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

200 g Garden peas

50 g Rice vermicelli noodles

10 Cherry tomatoes

50 g Rockets

5 Spring onions (chopped )

15 g Coriander leaves (roughly chopped )

For the tofu:

1 tbsp Olive oil

100 g Smoked tofu (cut in cubes )

2 tbsp Sweet chilli sauce

For the dressing:

1 tbsp Olive oil

1 tbsp Rice vinegar

1 tbsp Lime juice

1 Garlic clove (grated )

1 tbsp Soy sauce

1 tsp Chilli flakes

Recipe:

  1. Start by preparing the peas. Pinch the top end of the pea pod and remove the tough string that runs along the side of it. The best way to do this is to snap off and pull the end to peel off the strings. Don't forget to compost the string parts.
  2. Fill a saucepan with enough water to just cover the peas and place over high heat. When the water is boiling, add the pea pods and blanch for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, drain and set aside.  Top tip: don't add salt to the water as it'll make the pea pods toughen up. Instead, add a pinch of sugar to bring out their sweetness.
  3. Place the rice noodles in a large boxing bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 6-8 minutes (or follow the packaging instructions) until ready to use. 
  4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, then add the smoked tofu and cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the sweet chilli sauce and toss to coat. Cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat. 
  5. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
  6. In a large mixing bowl, add the noodles, tomatoes, tofu, rocket, peas, spring onions, rocket and coriander. Pour the dressing over and mix well to coat. Enjoy! 
Vietnamese-inspired pea, tofu and noodle salad on a white plate

How to store

Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. All the cooked ingredients and dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance and tossed together with the rocket when ready to eat. 

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