Today’s Rice Noodles with Tofu & Spinach recipe makes for a satisfying vegetarian stir fry dinner, packed with fresh lime-basil flavor and filling ingredients.
How about a hearty vegan stir fry today? This skillet full of Rice Noodles with Tofu & Spinach incorporates a nice variety of tastes and textures, while the lime and basil flavors here pair well with Thai brown rice noodles.
On these particular ingredients, I do use ALDI’s organic tofu pretty often, but for some reason haven’t posted a lot of those recipe ideas. With meat prices through the roof lately, it’s high time to talk about some filling vegetarian alternatives! When I saw that this week’s ALDI ad also featured various types of Thai rice noodles, it seemed high time to incorporate both of these into a simple weeknight meal.
In all honesty, yesterday’s stir fry didn’t come out exactly as I’d pictured since I’m cooking in a new kitchen, on an unfamiliar stove, in unfamiliar pans. This is largely because I didn’t realize that this new oven sports an extra-hot burner (and really didn’t find the most non-stick of pans to use). So, some of my tofu stuck to the bottom of the pan, losing that nice browned texture on the final pieces.
Your tofu, however, will likely turn out even better. And that’s kind of the whole point of cooking for a family, right? Everyday family recipes don’t have to be Pinterest-picture-perfect in order to be perfectly satisfying, and dinners don’t have to be 100% right to be good. Don’t sweat the small things; just pick yourself up and keep on cooking.
Rice Noodles with Tofu & Spinach
Ingredients
– for the tofu
14-16 oz package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into cubes
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
– for the noodles
8 oz package thin brown rice noodles
– for the veggies
1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 of a medium or one small yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp minced garlic (about 4 small cloves)
8 oz fresh spinach
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 a small lime
2 green onions, chopped
Directions
Drain the tofu, then press it:
- Wrap the block in either a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
- Put the wrapped tofu on a dinner plate, place a second plate on top, and add cans or another heavy weight on top to help press out some of the liquid.
- Let the tofu sit and press for at least 10-15 minutes
Note: You can start this process earlier and then come back to the recipe, if you’d like to give the tofu a little more time to press.
While the tofu is pressing, cut up your onion, green onion, and garlic (if not using pre-minced).
Meanwhile: Boil a pot of water and cook the rice noodles al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Once you have pressed the tofu, unwrap the block, pat it dry, and cut it into bite-sized cubes.
Place the cubed tofu in a large bowl. Drizzle tofu cubes with soy sauce and stir very gently, trying to keep the pieces intact. Add in the corn starch and seasonings, and stir again gently to coat.
Heat the canola and sesame oils in a large skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. Add the seasoned tofu and brown for about five minutes, then flip and brown the other side for about five minutes. Wipe out the bowl you used to season the tofu, then remove the browned tofu into that bowl while you cook the veggies.
Add more canola and sesame oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then deglaze the pan with the reserved pasta water.
Stir in the garlic, then stir in the spinach until just wilted.
Stir in the cooked noodles, ginger, basil, crushed red pepper, soy sauce, and lime juice.
Once the noodles, seasonings, and veggies are nicely combined, gently stir in the pan-fried tofu. Top with chopped green onion and serve garnished with additional lime wedges, if desired.
Note: Be sure to use extra firm tofu so that it holds together for the recipe.
That’s a satisfying stir fry
Everyone here enjoyed this filling, Thai-inspired stir fry recipe! This all-in-one vegan dish includes hearty pan-fried tofu, satisfying spinach, slurpy noodles, and lots of basil-lime-soy flavor. When, unlike me, you don’t lose any of your tofu to the pan, you also get the contrast of its nicely browned outside with the soft creamy inside, along with the satisfyingly chewy noodles with their pops of spinach & onion.
Season your individual plates with a little more lime juice to taste, if desired.
Looking for more vegetarian recipe ideas? Take a few minutes to browse through the Meatless Monday category for additional dinner options — or, check out fifteen favorite meatless meals to jump start your vegetarian cooking.
Rice Noodles with Tofu & Spinach, printable recipe
Rice Noodles with Tofu & Spinach
Equipment
Ingredients
– for the tofu
- 14-16 oz package extra firm tofu drained, pressed, and cut into cubes
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
– for the noodles
- 8 oz package thin brown rice noodles
– for the veggies
- 1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 of a medium or one small yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 tsp minced garlic about 4 small cloves
- 8 oz fresh spinach
- 1 tsp powdered ginger
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- Juice of 1/2 a small lime
- 2 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Drain the tofu, then press it:
- Wrap the block in either a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
- Put the wrapped tofu on a dinner plate, place a second plate on top, and add cans or another heavy weight on top to help press out some of the liquid.
- Let the tofu sit and press for at least 10-15 minutes
- Note: You can start this process earlier and then come back to the recipe, if you’d like to give the tofu a little more time to press.
- While the tofu is pressing, cut up your onion, green onion, and garlic (if not using pre-minced).
- Meanwhile: Boil a pot of water and cook the rice noodles al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Once you have pressed the tofu, unwrap the block, pat it dry, and cut it into bite-sized cubes.
- Place the cubed tofu in a large bowl. Drizzle tofu cubes with soy sauce and stir very gently, trying to keep the pieces intact. Add in the corn starch and seasonings, and stir again gently to coat.
- Heat the canola and sesame oils in a large skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. Add the seasoned tofu and brown for about five minutes, then flip and brown the other side for about five minutes. Wipe out the bowl you used to season the tofu, then remove the browned tofu into that bowl while you cook the veggies.
- Add more canola and sesame oil to the pan, add the onion and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then deglaze the pan with pasta water.
- Stir in the garlic, then stir in the spinach until just wilted.
- Stir in the cooked noodles, ginger, basil, crushed red pepper, soy sauce, and lime juice.
- Once the noodles, seasonings, and veggies are nicely combined, gently stir in the pan-fried tofu. Top with chopped green onion and serve garnished with additional lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
Recipes in the real world
Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!
Jennifer Grim
Saturday 13th of August 2022
We used chicken instead of tofu- delicious!