15-Minute Meal Prep Teriyaki Tofu Noodle Bowls
4.34 from 6 votes

These teriyaki tofu noodle bowls come together in only fifteen minutes if you meal prep your tofu ahead of time. They’re high protein, nutritious, and flavorful. You might want to double the miso chili sauce: it’s irresistable!

An overhead image of a white bowl filled with cooked noodles, raw carrot and red cabbage, tofu, and a sauce.

The last year has really taught me how to use my favorite store-bought products wisely and effectively. Like many people, I developed a case of serious cooking fatigue in quarantine. Relying on a few grocery store staples (OK, more than a few) helped me to avoid feeling overwhelmed. It gave me comfort and sanity.

I’m finally starting to enjoy cooking again. But I came to rely on a few products that have inspired my own homemade staple foods.

Nasoya’s Plantspired TofuBaked was one of these. I so enjoyed the brand’s teriyaki seasoned tofu cubes. And I now have my own recipe that I turn to.

ps.

Tofu health benefits

Tofu is an ingredient MVP in my cooking. I love what it can do in recipes: it’s sturdy enough for grilling, absorbs flavor perfectly for homemade vegan feta cheese, and the silken version can be turned into a creamy pudding or soup.

I also love tofu for its solid nutrition. Tofu is a source of vegan protein, of course. It’s also rich in anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, a source of healthful fatty acids (which aid in satiety, among other things), and a good source of plant-based iron.

A white bowl holds baked and marinated bean curd.

In the tofu noodle bowls, marinated and baked tofu joins forces with pad Thai noodles, crispy raw vegetables, and a spicy, savory miso chili sauce. Altogether, it’s a meal that’s as varied and satisfying and colorful as it is nutrient-dense.

An angled photograph of a noodle bowl, which also features tofu and crisp raw carrot pieces.

Assembling teriyaki tofu noodle bowls

These bowls are so easy to put together!

Whenever you do your weekly meal prep: make the tofu

My weekly vegan meal prep always involves preparation of an easy, versatile plant protein (or two!).

In order to make this recipe especially quick and easy, try preparing the teriyaki tofu ahead of time. That way, all you’ll need to do is boil noodles, whisk together sauce, and chop up some raw vegetables when you’re ready to eat.

Step 1: boil water

I find it easiest to boil the water for the teriyaki tofu noodle bowls first thing. This way, it reaches a rolling boil just in time for all other components of the recipe to be almost ready.

Step 2: make the sauce

This sauce is based off of the sauce for the umami bowls in Power Plates, except that I use cashew butter here, rather than almond butter. I love the neutral, mild flavor of cashew butter for sauces like this one; it allows the spiciness of the chili sauce and the taste of sesame oil to shine through.

I prefer to use raw cashew butter, but roasted cashew butter is also fine. If you don’t have cashew butter, you can substitute almond butter without any problems!

Step 3: prep your vegetables

This is fastest and easiest with the use of a food processor for grating and shredding. But you can also use a mandolin or a julienne peeler to speed the process along.

Step 4: boil your noodles

Once you blend the sauce and prepare your vegetables, the water should be boiling nicely. At this point, you can simply add your noodles to the water and allow them to soften. Pad Thai noodles typically only take minutes to be fully cooked.

Step 5: assemble

To serve, just divide the cooked noodles, vegetables, cubed tofu, and sauce between bowls. Garnish with sesame seeds, if you like!

Added bonus: vegetable prep

One of the tips I highlighted in Thehttps://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Week-Recipes-Future-Cookbook/dp/198485948X/ Vegan Week is to wash and chop vegetables for recipes ahead of time. I call this step my “vegetable prep.”

The Vegan Week

Embrace the joy of eating homemade food every day with the hearty and wholesome recipes in The Vegan Week.

Whether you have three, two, or even just one hour of time to spare, The Vegan Week will show you how to batch cook varied, colorful, and comforting dishes over the weekend.

This usually includes cutting broccoli into florets, shredding cabbage, grating, chopping, or julienning carrots, washing and chopping kale, washing and cutting collards into ribbons, etc.

It’s a lot of work, but I’m always so grateful to have done it when weekday cooking rolls around.

It’s easy to shred the cabbage, grate carrots, and julienne or chop cucumber ahead of time for the teriyaki tofu noodle bowls. The cut vegetables can be stored in an airtight container with a small piece of damp paper towel for freshness; they’ll last up to two days before you assemble the bowls.

Storing teriyaki tofu noodle bowls

Once mixed and assembled, the bowls will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.

More quick & easy tofu recipes

Nothing enriches a plant-forward lunch with protein more efficiently than tofu. Here are a few other of my favorite quick, easy lunch ideas that feature tofu as a star ingredient:

An overhead, close-up image of a white ceramic bowl. It's filled with julienned carrot and cabbage, tofu cubes, noodles, and a sauce.
An overhead image of a white bowl filled with cooked noodles, raw carrot and red cabbage, tofu, and a sauce.
4.34 from 6 votes

15-Minute Meal Prep Teriyaki Tofu Noodle Bowls

Author – Gena Hamshaw
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Meal prep 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the miso chili sauce

  • 2 tablespoons white miso
  • 2 tablespoons cashew butter
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2-4 teaspoons sriracha or gochujang (to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

For the noodle bowls

  • 3 carrots, peeled and julienned
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded purple cabbage
  • 1 cucumber, julienned
  • 1 batch baked teriyaki tofu cubes (substitute 8-16 ounces of a store-bought, marinated and baked tofu, such as Wildwood Teriyaki tofu or Nasoya Plantspired Teriyaki TofuBaked)
  • 8 ounces pad Thai noodles (any variety, or substitute udon or soba noodles and cook according to package instructions)
  • 2 tablespoons hulled sesame seeds
  • chopped fresh cilantro or green onions, optional

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil.
  • Whisk together the dressing ingredients till smooth.
  • Boil the noodles according to package instructions and drain.
  • To assemble the bowls, divide the cooked noodles, vegetables, and tofu cubes into bowls. Top with the miso chili sauce, sesame seeds, and cilantro or green onion, if using. Enjoy!

I’m looking forward to a whole summer of fast, flavorful, filling vegan lunches like this one. Enjoy!

xo

This post is sponsored by Nasoya, my favorite brand of tofu. All opinions are my own. Thanks for your support!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission. Visit my privacy policy to learn more.

Categories: Recipes, Vegan Bowls
Ingredients: Cabbage, Tofu
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: 30 Minute or Less, Meal Prep, Quick & Easy

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    3 Comments
  1. 5 stars
    Yum. I made this for lunch today. It was light yet filling and the sauce is to die for… I could have eaten it neat with a spoon.

  2. Hi Gena, it’s been a while since I’ve commented, but I still love reading your blog and recipes as much as ever. I’m glad that you’ve felt more excited about food and receipe development lately. I understand how it can come in waves. Definitely going to try out this TofuBaked – sounds perfect for my lazy style of meal prep right now.