Carrot Noodles with Peanut Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These carrot noodles with Thai peanut sauce are truly down-to-the-last-bite delicious!
The soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, pan-fried tofu, crunchy peanuts, and perfectly cooked carrot noodles are so good. You got to try this!
Also, whip up this carrot noodle stir fry for an easy weeknight meal!
The carrot noodles are smothered in a warm and inviting Thai peanut sauce made from red Thai curry paste. The peppers, bean sprouts, and peanuts make sure you have a perfect crisp textural balance with the softer carrot noodles, and the cilantro adds a fresh pop to finish.
This is a nutritious and seriously delicious meal to serve for the whole family!
3 reasons why carrot noodles are your next family obsession
- Carrot noodles are the perfect way to pack in a ton of nutrients. Bonus for your family if your household is gluten-free.
- The whole dish comes together in half an hour! Easy peasy.
- The Thai peanut sauce is so inviting that everyone around your table will eat it up! Even if veggies are a tricky food group to tackle.
What tool do you use to make carrot noodles?
No matter which of the following tools you use, you'll want to create uniform, long, slender pieces of carrot to create your noodles.
You can julienne the carrots by hand using a sharp knife, however, it's time consuming.
Here are your best options for prepping perfect carrot noodles:
- Straight-edge peeler: This is the most common type of vegetable peeler found in almost every kitchen. Using this will give you wide, thin strips of carrots, and will help the carrots retain some crunch when cooked.
- Julienne peeler: This type of peeler will produce thin strips of carrot. The blades shave the carrot evenly, to give long spaghetti-like noodles that become soft and extra noodle-y when they're cooked.
- Mandolin: The mandolin will also do the trick! You'll cut the carrot in half and place it on the food guard and run the carrot up and down the blade. This will give you thin, julienned carrots.
- Spiralizer: Using a spiralizer for the your carrot noodles will produce ribbons of carrots in no time. It's also a good choice.
How to make carrot noodles
For this carrot noodle recipe, you'll add tofu (or you can always add your protein of choice to this dish) as well as lots of veg, like onion, bell pepper, bean sprouts, and so much more! Here's how to make this carrot noodle recipe:
- Prepare the tofu: cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces and press them with paper towels to soak up any excess moisture. Add the coconut oil and tofu to a pan and fry until they're golden and crispy on all sides.
- Coat: Remove the tofu from the heat, put it into a bowl, and then pour some soy sauce over the tofu to coat it.
- Make the sauce: Add all the ingredients for the sauce (listed below in the recipe card) and bring the sauce to a simmering boil for 1 minute to thicken it.
- Prepare the carrots: Using one of the tools mentioned above, finely cut the carrots into noodles.
- Cook: Add the onion, red pepper, and carrots to the pan. Cover the pan or wok with a lid and let it steam for 2 minutes, or until the carrot noodles soften. Add the bean sprouts, tofu, and cilantro to the pot and pour the peanut sauce over the top. Stir everything together.
- Garnish & serve: Sprinkle with some peanuts on top, sesame seeds, and/or red pepper flakes. Serve and enjoy!
What to serve with carrot noodles
Cooking up a whole spread? Here are some ideas of what to serve with your carrot noodles side dish:
- Lemongrass Vietnamese Meatballs
- Cashew chicken or try using your preferred cut of chicken and this Thai marinade
- Ginger rice or coconut rice
- And for dessert, matcha cookies or chewy peanut butter cookies
Recipe FAQs
I'm not vegetarian. Can I make this with chicken?
You sure can! Simply cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and follow the directions for cooking the tofu. Shrimp or thinly sliced beef would also go nicely.
I don't have carrots, can I use another type of vegetable?
You can use zucchini noodles as a substitute for carrot noodles, or make sweet potato noodles. This recipe will also work with rice noodles (although won't be as nutrient-dense as using a veggie noodle).
What type of Thai curry paste should I use for carrot noodles?
Make sure you use a good quality Thai curry paste as it will affect the flavor of the dish dramatically. Amoy or Mae Jin are the ones we used to test this carrot noodles recipe.
Can you freeze carrot noodles?
You can prepare the carrot noodles in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, or freeze them for a couple of months. Keep the sauce separate, for best results.
Popular carrot noodle recipes
- Thai Chicken Curry Meatballs with Carrot Noodles
- Carrot Noodle Pad Thai
- Carrot Noodle Stir Fry with Bok Choy
Carrot Noodles Recipe
Ingredients
The Tofu
- 1 package medium-firm tofu (cut into chunks)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
The Peanut Sauce
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons EACH: natural peanut butter and red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons EACH: lime juice and soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
The Noodles
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 medium onion (sliced)
- 1 medium red pepper (sliced)
- 8 medium carrots
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 1 handful peanuts (to serve)
Instructions
The Tofu
- Cut the tofu into squares and dry it well with paper towels.1 package medium-firm tofu
- Working in batches if necessary, heat ¼ inch of coconut oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook it until it is golden on both sides.1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Remove the tofu from the pan and put it into a medium-sized bowl. Pour one tablespoon of soy sauce over the top and toss gently to coat.1 tablespoon soy sauce
The Sauce
- Add all the ingredients to a small pot over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer for 1 minute and then remove the pot from the heat.1 cup light coconut milk, 3 tablespoons EACH: natural peanut butter and red curry paste, 2 tablespoons EACH: lime juice and soy sauce, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 2 cloves garlic
The Noodles
- Using a mandoline, julienne peeler, or spiralizer, cut the carrots into noodles.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, just until it starts to soften. Add the red pepper and carrots then pour in the water. Cover the pan or wok with a lid and let it steam for 2 minutes, or until the carrot noodles begin to soften.1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 medium onion, 1 medium red pepper, 8 medium carrots, 2 tablespoons water
- Add the bean sprouts, tofu, and cilantro to the pot and pour the peanut sauce over the top. Stir everything together. Serve with some peanuts on top.2 cups bean sprouts, 1 handful peanuts, ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our veggie noodles recipes!
