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This Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles recipe is made with the most irresistible peanut sauce recipe, and it’s easy to customize with your favorite noodles and veggies (plus optional chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu, if you’d like).
Meet…the ridiculously irresistible noodle recipe that’s perfect for just about any occasion in life. ♡
For example, looking for a quick and easy recipe for dinner tonight? These noodles can be ready to go and on the table in less than 30 minutes. Looking for an easy meal prep recipe for lunches and dinners for the week ahead? Done, these noodles keep in the fridge perfectly over the course of a work week, and that peanut sauce gets better and better with each passing day. Looking for a crowd-pleasing recipe to bring to a picnic or potluck, or maybe even bring to a friend in need? These noodles are wildly delicious, plus they’re easy to customize for various allergies (i.e. gluten-free or peanut-free) if need be. Looking for crazy-good vegetarian recipe that’s perfectly satisfying and filling? These noodles definitely hold their own as a main or side dish, although they would also welcome the addition of your favorite cooked chicken, shrimp, pork, beef or tofu, if you happen to be craving some extra protein.
These peanut noodles check all the boxes! And I think you are going to love them. I can at least vouch that we’ve been eating them all week long for meal prep lunches every day in our casa, and still haven’t grown tired of them yet. (Which says something, especially for the girl who gets bored with leftovers.)
Let’s make a batch!
Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles Ingredients:
To make this recipe, you will need:
Noodles: I used Chinese egg noodles that I happened to have on hand, and think they work really well here. But any favorite noodles (i.e. rice noodles, soba noodles, ramen noodles, spiralized veggie noodles, or even plain spaghetti) would work well here.
Veggies: I shredded carrots, cucumber and cabbage for this recipe. But feel free to add in any other raw veggies that you love. Plus lots of green onions (or diced red onions, if you prefer).
Cilantro: If you fall in the no-cilantro camp, feel free to omit this. But it’s my favorite fresh flavor to pair with a good peanut sauce.
Lots of toppings: Chopped peanuts (or your favorite nuts or sunflower seeds), toasted sesame seeds and fresh lime wedges are my go-to toppings here.
Sesame Peanut Sauce: Let’s talk more about that…
Sesame Peanut Sauce Ingredients:
This sesame peanut sauce recipe totally steals the show in this noodle dish. It’s the perfect blend of sweet and savory (plus however much spicy red pepper or Sriracha you might like to add). It’s quick and easy to make in just a few minutes. And it’s also easy to customize for food allergies. You’ll just need:
Natural peanut butter: Or almond butter or sunbutter, if peanuts aren’t your thing.
Lime juice: Freshly squeezed for the best flavor.
Low-sodium soy sauce: I recommend beginning with 2 tablespoons in your sauce, and then you can always add more. (Or use gluten-free tamari, if making this recipe GF.)
Rice vinegar: To balance out those flavors.
Honey or maple syrup: Optional, if you would like a sweeter sauce.
Toasted sesame oil: A must — one of my favorite ingredients!
Seasonings: 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, ground ginger, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (or you could use Sriracha instead)
How To Make Peanut Noodles:
Easy! Simply…
Cook, drain and rinse your noodles. Cook them nice and al dente, according to package instructions. Then drain in a strainer and rinse with cold water until chilled.
Prep your sauce. Whisk everything together until combined. Then taste and season with extra soy sauce, salt and/or pepper as needed.
Chop your veggies. I like to enlist the help of my food processor with the grater attachment. But you can also chop everything by hand.
Combine everything. Toss your noodles, sauce and veggies together in a large bowl until combined.
Then…serve! Garnished with lots and lots of toppings! Or, refrigerate the noodles in sealed containers until ready to eat.
How To Customize Your Noodles:
As mentioned above, feel free to customize your noodles however you prefer. Some ideas could include:
Add protein: Cooked chicken, beef, pork, shrimp or tofu would be delicious mixed into these noodles (or served on the side)
Add extra veggies: Any other favorite raw veggies would also be delicious in this recipe. (Or you can also use spiralized veggie noodles in place of traditional noodles.)
Make them gluten-free: Swap tamari for the soy sauce, and rice noodles for the egg noodles. And, of course, always check to be sure that all ingredients are certified gluten-free.
Make them peanut-free: Just swap in your favorite nut butter. Or use sunbutter to make the recipe completely nut-free.
Make them spicy: I love sprinkling on extra crushed red pepper flakes, or stirring in Sriracha to make these extra spicy.
Meal Prep Ideas and Tips:
These noodles are the perfect vegetarian meal prep recipe! Just make them in advance, pop in your favorite meal prep containers, and they will keep well in the refrigerator for the work week ahead.
If you are looking for recommendations for meal prep containers, I own and love the following (all available on Amazon):
This Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles recipe is made with the most irresistible peanut sauce, and easy to customize with your favorite noodles and veggies (plus chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu, if you’d like). Perfect for weekly meal prep or served as a quick and easy dinner recipe.
Ingredients
Scale
Noodle Ingredients:
8 ounces Chinese egg noodles (or your preferred kind of noodle¹)
2 large carrots, grated² or diced
1 English cucumber, grated or diced
half of a small red cabbage, finely chopped
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
toppings: chopped peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, extra cilantro, lime wedges
Sesame Peanut Sauce Ingredients:
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
2–3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspooneach: garlic powder, ground ginger, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
Cook the noodles al dente according to package instructions. Drain, then rinse with cold water in a colander until the noodles are chilled.
Meanwhile, make your sesame peanut sauce. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until combined. Taste and add extra soy sauce, if needed. Also, if the sauce seems too thick (it should be thin enough to drizzle), whisk in a tablespoon or two of water.
Add noodles, carrots, cucumber, cabbage, cilantro, green onions and sesame peanut sauce to a large mixing bowl. Toss until evenly combined.
Serve cold, topped with your desired garnishes. Or transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Notes
¹ Feel free to substitute in your favorite kind of noodles (such as rice, soba, ramen, udon noodles, or even plain spaghetti) if you prefer.
² I use my food processor with the grater attachment to grate vegetables quickly. But a hand grater would also work well!
This recipe would also be delicious with cooked chicken, steak, pork, shrimp or tofu added in.
When ever I make something involving peanut sauce that I then refrigerate (hoping to eat the dish all week for lunches) the peanut sauce sort of solidifies, for lack of a better way to put it, when refrigerated. Does that happen with this recipe, or do you have any suggestions on how to avoid that happening?
Karen —
The natural oils in peanut butter will thicken the sauce when refrigerated, by adding a splash of hot water and mixing well, it will loosen the peanut sauce. ?
This looks delicious! I am going back to work next week (I’m a teacher) and I’m also almost 20 weeks pregnant, so I have been on the hunt for healthier, make-ahead lunches that still fit my cravings (namely, noodles/carbs). :) Thank you, making this next week!
Seriously so excited about that peanut sauce….I have a feeling that will be eaten on pretty much ANYTHING! It’s been way too long since I’ve made a savory peanut sauce.
I’ve just made the noodles for a picnic this evening. Delicious! I did feel the need to add 2 T. fish sauce. We’re having it with peanuts and shrimp. Thank you for this.
I read your post last night and made the recipe this morning! Followed the basic recipe, used a food processor to shred up the veggies and had crunchy peanut butter on hand for in the sauce, which is so delicious. Sriracha and fresh lime on the side. Next time I’d like to get creative with your ways to change up the recipe. This is so good I will likely eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it is gone! Thank you!
Prepped this last night for lunch today and the rest of the week…so easy and absolutely delicious!!! My meal prep needed some resuscitation and this was perfect. I needed the recipe to be under 400 calories so cut the amount of noodles in half, doubled the veggies and added some chicken using your Baked Chicken Breasts recipe. Thanks again for putting some pep in my prep!!
This recipe is going onto my must make list! I liked that you mentioned using different kinds of noodles – I just happen to have some Udon noodles that I have no specific use for. This recipe will get them out of my pantry and free up space for something else. Wish I could have this for lunch today…
i loved this recipe because i am big fan of noodles but the only thing i would change in it is not to make it cold, i like my noodles hot and steamy because i love the smell of it!
I loooooooved it! I sneaked zoodles and my husband loved it to… he hates zucchini but didn’t notice it! I will definitely make this one part of my recipe rotation ?
It is so yummy! It was easy to adjust the recipe to meet my dietary issues (omitted garlic powder and anything spicy) and my husband was able to add the spice he likes (adding kimchi). I really like that it uses natural pb as that is what we use. Thanks for the recipe. This will definitely be in regular rotation during the summer.
I made this back in August. It was refreshingly delicious. I didn’t have an occasion to make it for, I just wanted it. I shared some with a neighbor and a friend and they enjoyed it as well. I felt like it needed a little more sauce. I think next time I would make 1 1/2 of the sauce portion of the recipe. I used the peanut butter we had on hand (Jif) and it was fine. I didn’t put in any of the toppings, but next time I think I would add toasted sesame seeds.
I do NOT suggest grating the cucumber- it left a wet mess in our salad. Not a good idea at all. And I should have known better. Grated carrots and cabbage are great, but the cucumber ruined this salad, watering down the dressing and making a puddle at the bottom of our bowl. Yuck
YUM! I made these last night & doubled the recipe to get lunches for the week for me & my husband. The peanut sauce is great, not too thick but it also didn’t make everything soggy. Very fresh & flavorful! Textures were still perfect today for lunch. Thanks for a great healthy meatless recipe, perfect for packed lunches all week!
Delicious! The peanut sauce was tangy, subtly sweet and spicy. I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and included the maple syrup. Will definitely make again, this dish has many possibilities.
Really, really good. I love the versatility to use whatever veggies you have on hand and add (or not) protein of choice. I’ve wanted to make cold sesame noodle for so long, but all the recipes out there seem sooo unhealthy. I landed on this one because it’s about the healthiest version I can find. And it did not disappoint in flavor either! It makes a ton of noodles so you can feed a big family, eat on it all week, or cut it in half and still have a few leftover meals. I’m really grateful for this recipe and all the tips, too. Thank you!
I made with a linguine noodle, since that’s what I had on hand, and it absorbed all of the sauce before I was able to serve it! I recommend adding the sauce right before serving or using a different type of noodle.
OMG SO DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!! I made this for the family today and they just loved it!! Light, filling and so tasty. The only thing I did differently was I doubled the sauce and left it on the side. We all have different likes when it comes to how much sauce we put on our dishes. Will absolutely make this again!! Thank you
I made this with rice noodles and added fried tofu and sesame seeds. I didn’t use cucumber though because I knew I wanted to eat it for a few days and didn’t want it too break down. I thought the sauce was very tasty. Most of it got sucked up into the noodles, I might add a teensy bit of oil to each serving so they don’t stick together so much. Maybe I should’ve kept in the cucumber. Anyway. I’m trying to eat less wheat so I was happy this turned out so well. Thanks
Another commenter here said there was “waaay too much vinegar, ” but then said it was perfect after adjusting the vinegar. Well, same here, almost. But for me it was “waaay too much lime juice. ” Two ounces (one-fourth cup) of lime juice seems enough to re-title the recipe “cold lime peanut noodles.” So I toned down the over-lime with extra peanut butter, soy sauce and sesame oil. Next time I’ll leave out the lime juice until the end, then add it to taste. And then, for me, it will be as fabulously perfect as your excellent recipe for sesame noodles!
If I made this again, I’d do a lot differently. The peanut sauce was very acidic – I had substituted red wine vinegar for rice vinegar, maybe that was the reason? The grated cucumber made the veg mix very wet and that together with the grated red cabbage turned the noodles a very offputting purplish-green colour. I loved the idea and had been looking forward to preparing it, but unfortunately it wasn’t a great success. My kids said it “wasn’t exactly gross” and “was an experience we don’t need to revisit”. Oh well!
Fast and yummy. It made A LOT! I used rice pad Thai noodles and added chopped celery. To the sauce I added chili oil, tahini and turmeric curry since I was low on peanut butter. For an heartiness, I chopped up leftover eggrolls on top. Really great, colorful, and a nice mix of creamy and crunchy! Definitely not some “boring salad.”
This is an amazing recipe, its so healthy. Even my husband who would never normally eat these flavors, requests it. This is the 3rd time I’ve made it this month! Thank you for making such a health conscious low sodium peanut sauce!
I was looking for a sesame noodle recipe with sufficient peanut butter and your recipe seemed to be perfect-but next time I will leave out the citrus. Overpowered the peanut butter. Otherwise Perfect for what I was looking for. Thanks.
I’ve made this recipe a handful of times now and love how customisable it is. For me it’s perfect to make the batch of it and have at least three lunches for the week! I also might toss in any veggies or leftover proteins I have as it tastes good with so many different things. Most recently I made with a packet of long ramen noodles I had and find these hold the sauce for a few days well, so will do this again in the future! I also added hot sauce this time to the sauce and will do it again. Rather than grating the veggies, I diced them small and while it’s harder to eat, it does hold up better for days and doesn’t have any wetness!
I would agree with others that the vinegar is very strong in this recipe–I felt that it dominated the flavor. I am making a second batch of sauce with no vinegar to tone the tanginess down a bit.
Hey, I’m Ali!
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I am not a big fan of cold noodles but this recipe sounds too good! Great one!
When ever I make something involving peanut sauce that I then refrigerate (hoping to eat the dish all week for lunches) the peanut sauce sort of solidifies, for lack of a better way to put it, when refrigerated. Does that happen with this recipe, or do you have any suggestions on how to avoid that happening?
The natural oils in peanut butter will thicken the sauce when refrigerated, by adding a splash of hot water and mixing well, it will loosen the peanut sauce. ?
This recipe with all the different options is wonderful.
Tasty and quick for a little old lady like me! Thank you.
This looks delicious! I am going back to work next week (I’m a teacher) and I’m also almost 20 weeks pregnant, so I have been on the hunt for healthier, make-ahead lunches that still fit my cravings (namely, noodles/carbs). :) Thank you, making this next week!
Seriously so excited about that peanut sauce….I have a feeling that will be eaten on pretty much ANYTHING! It’s been way too long since I’ve made a savory peanut sauce.
I’ve just made the noodles for a picnic this evening. Delicious! I did feel the need to add 2 T. fish sauce. We’re having it with peanuts and shrimp. Thank you for this.
I read your post last night and made the recipe this morning! Followed the basic recipe, used a food processor to shred up the veggies and had crunchy peanut butter on hand for in the sauce, which is so delicious. Sriracha and fresh lime on the side. Next time I’d like to get creative with your ways to change up the recipe. This is so good I will likely eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it is gone! Thank you!
Prepped this last night for lunch today and the rest of the week…so easy and absolutely delicious!!! My meal prep needed some resuscitation and this was perfect. I needed the recipe to be under 400 calories so cut the amount of noodles in half, doubled the veggies and added some chicken using your Baked Chicken Breasts recipe. Thanks again for putting some pep in my prep!!
This recipe is going onto my must make list! I liked that you mentioned using different kinds of noodles – I just happen to have some Udon noodles that I have no specific use for. This recipe will get them out of my pantry and free up space for something else. Wish I could have this for lunch today…
i loved this recipe because i am big fan of noodles but the only thing i would change in it is not to make it cold, i like my noodles hot and steamy because i love the smell of it!
I loooooooved it! I sneaked zoodles and my husband loved it to… he hates zucchini but didn’t notice it! I will definitely make this one part of my recipe rotation ?
It is so yummy! It was easy to adjust the recipe to meet my dietary issues (omitted garlic powder and anything spicy) and my husband was able to add the spice he likes (adding kimchi). I really like that it uses natural pb as that is what we use. Thanks for the recipe. This will definitely be in regular rotation during the summer.
I made this back in August. It was refreshingly delicious. I didn’t have an occasion to make it for, I just wanted it. I shared some with a neighbor and a friend and they enjoyed it as well. I felt like it needed a little more sauce. I think next time I would make 1 1/2 of the sauce portion of the recipe. I used the peanut butter we had on hand (Jif) and it was fine. I didn’t put in any of the toppings, but next time I think I would add toasted sesame seeds.
I do NOT suggest grating the cucumber- it left a wet mess in our salad. Not a good idea at all. And I should have known better. Grated carrots and cabbage are great, but the cucumber ruined this salad, watering down the dressing and making a puddle at the bottom of our bowl. Yuck
YUM! I made these last night & doubled the recipe to get lunches for the week for me & my husband. The peanut sauce is great, not too thick but it also didn’t make everything soggy. Very fresh & flavorful! Textures were still perfect today for lunch. Thanks for a great healthy meatless recipe, perfect for packed lunches all week!
Delicious! The peanut sauce was tangy, subtly sweet and spicy. I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and included the maple syrup. Will definitely make again, this dish has many possibilities.
Loved! On low fodmap and gluten free so used rice ramen and chopped leeks in place of garlic
…amazing.
Really, really good. I love the versatility to use whatever veggies you have on hand and add (or not) protein of choice. I’ve wanted to make cold sesame noodle for so long, but all the recipes out there seem sooo unhealthy. I landed on this one because it’s about the healthiest version I can find. And it did not disappoint in flavor either! It makes a ton of noodles so you can feed a big family, eat on it all week, or cut it in half and still have a few leftover meals. I’m really grateful for this recipe and all the tips, too. Thank you!
I made with a linguine noodle, since that’s what I had on hand, and it absorbed all of the sauce before I was able to serve it! I recommend adding the sauce right before serving or using a different type of noodle.
Waaay too much vinegar, but after I adjusted for that it was delicious!
OMG SO DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!! I made this for the family today and they just loved it!! Light, filling and so tasty. The only thing I did differently was I doubled the sauce and left it on the side. We all have different likes when it comes to how much sauce we put on our dishes. Will absolutely make this again!! Thank you
I made this with rice noodles and added fried tofu and sesame seeds. I didn’t use cucumber though because I knew I wanted to eat it for a few days and didn’t want it too break down. I thought the sauce was very tasty. Most of it got sucked up into the noodles, I might add a teensy bit of oil to each serving so they don’t stick together so much. Maybe I should’ve kept in the cucumber. Anyway. I’m trying to eat less wheat so I was happy this turned out so well. Thanks
Very good. I recommend using only half of the lime juice called for. I added green onions, carrots, small diced fresh jalapeño and cilantro.
Another commenter here said there was “waaay too much vinegar, ” but then said it was perfect after adjusting the vinegar. Well, same here, almost. But for me it was “waaay too much lime juice. ” Two ounces (one-fourth cup) of lime juice seems enough to re-title the recipe “cold lime peanut noodles.” So I toned down the over-lime with extra peanut butter, soy sauce and sesame oil. Next time I’ll leave out the lime juice until the end, then add it to taste. And then, for me, it will be as fabulously perfect as your excellent recipe for sesame noodles!
I’m interested in knowing the nutritional value of this recipe
If I made this again, I’d do a lot differently. The peanut sauce was very acidic – I had substituted red wine vinegar for rice vinegar, maybe that was the reason? The grated cucumber made the veg mix very wet and that together with the grated red cabbage turned the noodles a very offputting purplish-green colour. I loved the idea and had been looking forward to preparing it, but unfortunately it wasn’t a great success. My kids said it “wasn’t exactly gross” and “was an experience we don’t need to revisit”. Oh well!
Absolutely delish!!! I love the combination of flavors.
Very delicious! I omitted the cucumber and used a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix.
Fast and yummy. It made A LOT! I used rice pad Thai noodles and added chopped celery. To the sauce I added chili oil, tahini and turmeric curry since I was low on peanut butter. For an heartiness, I chopped up leftover eggrolls on top. Really great, colorful, and a nice mix of creamy and crunchy! Definitely not some “boring salad.”
This is an amazing recipe, its so healthy. Even my husband who would never normally eat these flavors, requests it. This is the 3rd time I’ve made it this month! Thank you for making such a health conscious low sodium peanut sauce!
I was looking for a sesame noodle recipe with sufficient peanut butter and your recipe seemed to be perfect-but next time I will leave out the citrus. Overpowered the peanut butter. Otherwise Perfect for what I was looking for. Thanks.
I’ve made this recipe a handful of times now and love how customisable it is. For me it’s perfect to make the batch of it and have at least three lunches for the week! I also might toss in any veggies or leftover proteins I have as it tastes good with so many different things. Most recently I made with a packet of long ramen noodles I had and find these hold the sauce for a few days well, so will do this again in the future! I also added hot sauce this time to the sauce and will do it again. Rather than grating the veggies, I diced them small and while it’s harder to eat, it does hold up better for days and doesn’t have any wetness!
Could you make this with ground turkey?
I would agree with others that the vinegar is very strong in this recipe–I felt that it dominated the flavor. I am making a second batch of sauce with no vinegar to tone the tanginess down a bit.