• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HealthyHappyLife.com logo

  • about
  • RECIPES
  • LIFESTYLE
  • BLOGGING
  • VIDEO
  • SHOP
  • Cookbooks
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • My Books
  • Videos
  • About
  • holiday
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » recipes » entree » tofu » Peanut Zoodles with Crispy Maple Tofu

    by Kathy Patalsky · updated: Jun 21, 2022 · published: May 17, 2016 · About 5 minutes to read this article. Leave a Comment

    Peanut Zoodles with Crispy Maple Tofu

    Jump to Recipe


    If you have never made a “zoodles” meal, this is a great recipe to try. These Peanut Zoodles with Crispy Maple Tofu are rich in veggies and protein and loads of peanut-maple flavor…

    Some inspo. Before the yummy recipe goodness, I wanted to share this video clip with you of the commencement speech Lin-Manuel Miranda gave at Univ of Penn’s graduation ceremony on Monday. I am a huge fan of Lin’s writing and work on Broadway (In the Heights and Hamilton) and I loved hearing him speak. I also love his twitter account ramblings if you are into cool/nerdy 90’s references, goodnight GIFs and theater humor.

    Check it out!.. I love this part towards the end…

    “There will be blind alleys and one-night wonders and soul-crushing jobs and wake-up calls and crises of confidence and moments of transcendence when you are walking down the street and someone will thank you for telling your story because it resonated with their own.”

    .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

    Zoodles. Fun to say. Fun to eat.

    I love noodles. I love diving into a giant pile of sauce-covered noodles or pasta. (See my fun fact below though..) But sometimes I like to put a seriously healthy spin on my noodles and use veggies, spiralized veggies. And FYI I do not actually own a spiralizer (the tool that turns veggies into noodles) but I am happy that my local Whole Foods always has spiralized veggie noodles in the ‘short cut chef’ part of the produce section. So I have tried sweet potato, beet and of course the fan fave, zucchini.

    If you are in the market for a spiralizer, you can snag of for under $30 on Amazon.

    Fun Fact! “According to the standards published by the National Pasta Association, noodles must contain at least 5.5% egg solids by weight. Noodles can be added to soups and casseroles while pasta can be made a complete meal with addition of a few vegetables. Pasta is much lighter and, under Italian law, can only be made with durum wheat.” – diffen

    ..so I guess I never actually consume “noodles” as a vegan. And I rarely eat “pasta” since I usually choose gluten free (wheat free) varieties. Interesting! But these. These are definitely zoodles.

    Spiralized Zucchini. My noodles were processed a bit on the thin side, I usually like them cut a bit thicker, like spaghetti, but still these were so yummy and devourable.

    Peanut sauce is a perfect pairing with zucchini noodles. Modify the texture and sweetness to suit your preferences. My peanut sauce ingredients are super simple.

    Hot Meets Chilled. Alongside the noodles, I chose to add a sizzling skillet entree, my easy maple tofu. I love the combo of chilled cold peanut noodles alongside skillet hot tofu.

    Crispy tofu cubes, with an accent of maple and salt..

    Peanut Zoodles with Crispy Maple Tofu

    This easy dish is rich in peanutty flavor, veggies and protein from the crispy-amazing maple tofu.
    5 from 1 vote
    click the stars to rate
    Print Pin
    Prep: 10 mins
    Cook: 15 mins
    Total: 25 mins
    Servings: 2 servings

    Ingredients

    • 6 cups zoodles (raw zucchini noodles – or another veggie noodle – or use rice, buckwheat or wheat noodles too!)

    Simple Peanut Sauce: (double amounts if you like a lot of sauce, and some extra for tofu-dipping)

    • ¼ cup peanut butter, softened
    • ¼ cup warm water
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 11/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

    Crispy Maple Tofu:

    • 1-3 teaspoon coconut oil, virgin (for pan) **the more oil you use, the crispier your tofu will turn out, edges will be more 'pan-fried'
    • 2 cups firm tofu, cubed
    • 1 ½ tablespoon maple syrup
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt or a splash of tamari
    • optional: pepper and/or smoky paprika

    Instructions

    • Whisk or blend the peanut sauce ingredients. You can slightly modify the amounts to tweak your sauce. For example, add a bit more water for a thinner sauce, add more peanut butter for a thicker sauce, add more maple for a sweeter sauce, etc. Then, in a large mixing bowl, toss the zoodles with the peanut sauce. Zoodle Prep Note: You can serve the noodles raw or you can lightly steam them. I like them served raw.
    • For the tofu: Warm a skillet over high heat. Add the coconut oil and allow to melt and coat pan. "Dry" the tofu well by squeezing the cubes with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Add the tofu to the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes then start flipping the tofu so all sides get bronzed a bit – the color will actually be slightly yellow at this point. Add the maple syrup and shake pan to distribute. Keep flipping the tofu, which will be quite caramelized and browned now. Add salt and spices. When edges start to crisp, turn off heat and set pan aside.
    • Serve the peanutty noodles with the skillet tofu.
    recipe author: Kathy Patalsky
    dinner, entree
    American
    dinner, easy, entree, gluten free, noodles, pasta, peanut, protein, vegan, zucchini
    Did you make this?Snap a pic + tag me! @KathyPatalsky

    More recipes you may enjoy

    • Coconut Glazed Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Cake. vegan + gluten-free.
    • Wellness Wednesday! 10 Ways to Feel Better, When You Need a Boost
    • Simple Strawberry Crisp for Spring!
    • 3-Ingredient Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

    About Kathy Patalsky

    Hey there! I'm Kathy, lover of kitty cats, weekend baking, 90's movies, travel, beach fog and foamy lattes. Since 2007, I have been sharing my vegan recipes and photos. My goal is to make your cooking life a little easier, delicious - and plant-loaded - while sharing some LIFE and conversation along the way.

    Vegan Linzer Cookies

    5 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Pie

    Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping

    Vegan Oatmeal Cookies, Lunchbox-Ready

    Primary Sidebar

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    newsletter:

    Trending

    my cookbooks

    my cookbooks

    Disqus Latest Comments

    1. s

      s: Absolutely one of the best things I've ever baked. Used dairy butter…

      Commented on: Cinnamon Toast Morning Muffins, gluten-free and vegan

    2. JanetS

      JanetS: Neither of those non-grain flours will substitute for oats or wheat. As…

      Commented on: Cinnamon Toast Morning Muffins, gluten-free and vegan

    3. disqus_LfP7ofaP87

      disqus_LfP7ofaP87: Earth Balance brand HAS PALM OIL, as do most of the vegan…

      Commented on: Sticky Banana Bread Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

    about kathy

    kathy patalsky

    featured: peach coconut water smoothie

    browse recipes

    Breakfast  |  Entrees  |  Desserts  |  Smoothies  |  Sandwiches  |  Salads  |  Beverages  |  Soups |  Appetizers |  Snacks  |  Sauces  |  Sides   /  Cooking Videos  |  Round-Ups  |  Fan Favorites  |  Holiday  /  All the Recipes

    browse:

    • reviews
    • travel
    • vegan topics
    • people
    • videos
    • beauty
    • wellness
    • Mom Life

    my ttc + baby journey

    Footer

    BROWSE BY:

    Category:

    DATE:

    looking for something?

    contact   |   about   |   kathy’s cookbooks  |  press  |  findingvegan  |  meal plans  |  shop  |  vegan recipe index  |  privacy policy  | start a blog

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Services | Work with me