Thai Noodle Bowl with Air Fried Tofu and Peanut Sauce

Close up of a bowl of noodle salad with tofu.

5 from 16 votes

Thai Noodle Bowl with Air Fried Tofu and Peanut Sauce

This Thai Tofu Noodle Bowl has air fried tofu to make it lovely and crispy, with rice noodles and veggies plus a delicious Thai peanut sauce.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Meal

Cuisine: American, Thai

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 258kcal

Author: Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts

Cost: $15

Equipment

Air Fryer
mixing bowl
Cutting board
Knife

Ingredients

For the air fryer tofu

1 ½ cups (300g) firm tofu cubed
1 tablespoon cornflour
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of dried chilli flakes chopped finely
1 tablespoon oil

For the dressing:

2 tablespoon peanut butter smooth or crunchy
2 tablespoon soy sauce
Juice of ½ lime
2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon grated ginger
Sriracha chili sauce to taste

For the Thai noodle salad

3.5 oz (100g) thick rice noodles (or thin vermicelli)
¼ of a red cabbage thinly sliced
2 carrots spiralized or julienned into thin matchsticks
1 red bell pepper thinly sliced into matchsticks

To garnish (optional):

Spring onion scallions chopped
Black and white sesame seeds
Coriander cilantro
Peanuts chopped
Dried chilli flakes I like to chop them up finely
Wedges of lime

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix the cornflour and spices. Chop the tofu into cubes and gently toss them in the spice mixture.
Add them to the bowl of the air fryer with 1 tablespoon oil and cook for 10 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 10 minutes or until crispy.

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing and noodle salad.

For the dressing, whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
For the salad, place the rice noodles into a bowl and cover with boiling water until soft (usually 5 minutes). Drain and rinse under cold water then set aside.
Cut all the vegetables into thin long matchsticks, or use a spiralizer.
Toss the vegetables and noodles in the dressing and add to serving plates. Top with the tofu and desired garnishes.

Notes

Air Fryer Tofu Tips

The air fryer uses hot air to cook the tofu so it gets crispy on the outside and stays soft and chewy on the inside.
Try it with other seasonings or add a bit of chilli for more of a kick
If you're oil-free, the tofu still gets perfectly crispy without oil.
Be sure to use the cornstarch/cornflour. That's what makes it super crispy!
You can also make air fryer tofu with a wet marinade. Just marinade the tofu cubes in a few tablespoons, then toss it with the cornflour (cornstarch) and air fry!
Try it with Thai curry paste mixed with a little oil or water. Or even just a bit of soy sauce or tamari (gluten free).

OVEN METHOD - To cook the Thai Tofu in the oven, preheat it to 175C/350F, spread the prepared tofu onto a baking tray, drizzle with a little oil and bake for 30 mins, turning halfway through.

Peanut Sauce Tips

It's still tasty without any hot sauce or chilli flakes if you don't like heat. Just leave it out.
If you're gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
If you aren't vegan, you could substitute honey for the maple syrup.
You can substitute dried chilli flakes, cayenne pepper or other hot sauce for the Sriracha sauce. Add to taste.

Noodle Salad Tips

Feel free to swap the veggies for your favourites! Zucchini (courgette) spiralized works well, as does other bell peppers, spring onions etc...
You can slice the veggies thinly with a knife, or use a spiralizer or food processor.
If you don't like rice noodles and you're not gluten free, swap for wheat noodles or linguine.

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is created with online calculators. Info will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition