Vegan noodle salad with crispy tofu and Thai peanut sauce

This crunchy vegan salad packs plenty of flavour, perfect for spicing up weekday lunches and fueling you through the working day. A marriage between Asian slaw and tofu satay, crunchy sliced carrots and cabbage are combined with noodles, crispy fried tofu and a crunchy peanut sauce. I purchased a crushed chili paste from Waitrose which is perfect to add a little dollop of heat to tickle the tongue.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6)

TOFU

• 280g pack of tofu, squeezed and chopped into chunks

• 20 ml water (to loosen)

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp crushed garlic

• 1/8 tsp cayenne powder

• 1 tsp cornstarch

• Extra virgin olive oil (optional)

• sprinkle of sesame seeds (optional)

PEANUT SAUCE

• 4 thin slices ginger

• 2 fat cloves garlic

• 70g peanut or other nut butter

• 40ml orange juice

• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice ( 1 lime)

• 4 tbsp soy sauce

• 3 tbsp agave or maple syrup

• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

• ½ –1 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( or a squirt of sriracha sauce)

• ½ teaspoon salt

NOODLE SALAD

• 250g dry noodles (rice noodles or soba, use egg noodles for a vegetarian recipe)

• 700g cabbage and carrots (I use 1/2 spring cabbage and 1/2 red)

• 4 spring onions, sliced

• ½ bunch coriander, stalks removed and leaves chopped

• 1/2 fresh chili, sliced finely (garnish)

• chili paste/oil (for drizzling)

• ¼–½ cup roasted, crushed peanuts (garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice tofu and combine ingredients for marinade in a medium sized bowl. Add tofu to mixture and marinade for at least 15 minutes.

2. Heat up a medium-sized saucepan or wok with a slosh of olive oil. Fry tofu until crispy, set aside and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

3. Cook noodles according to directions on package. Drain and chill under cold running water.

4. While noodles are cooking, blend the peanut sauce. If you don't have a blender make sure to grate the ginger, crush garlic and mix well.

5. Place shredded veggies and spring onions in a large bowl. Add the cold noodles to the serving bowl and toss again to combine. I like to add the tofu chunks on top of each portion, along with dollops of peanut sauce and the chili and whole peanuts to garnish, when these elements are separated I find it keeps better in the fridge (to eat for the rest of the week).