Thai Noodle Salad with Crispy Tempeh
Noodle salads are one of my absolute favourite dinners to have on warm summer nights when you just feel like something light and refreshing, yet still nourishing and full of flavour. They're also really simple to throw together and you can easily adjust the ingredients according to your taste preferences and what you have in the fridge!
The marinated tempeh, baked so it's crispy and golden, makes the perfect addition to this salad to make it that extra bit delicious and also adds a great source of plant protein! The chewy, crunch of the tempeh goes perfectly with the fresh veggies and slightly sweet, slightly spicy Thai-style dressing. Yum.
I chose to use brown rice noodles, because I really love the taste, but you could use any noodles of your choice, such as normal rice noodles, soba or udon noodles (just double check to make sure they're vegan!).
Have fun creating your own version of this delightful summer salad and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Ingredients
- handful each of fresh coriander and mint
- fresh vegetables of your choice (I used carrot, cucumber, red cabbage and mixed greens)
- 1 small chunk of fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2 tsp miso paste
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 lime
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tbsp coconut vinegar
- 200g organic tempeh
- package of brown rice noodles (or other noodles of choice)
- sesame seeds, toasted
Method
- Mix together the miso paste, fresh garlic and ginger, 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tbsp coconut vinegar, stirring well. Pour over the sliced tempeh and toss so it's well coated, then leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius, and soak or cook your noodles according to the packet instructions.
- Place the tempeh on a baking paper lined tray and bake for about 10 minutes each side or until golden and slightly crispy.
- Meanwhile, finely slice all of your vegetables and roughly chop the fresh herbs and greens. Mix together the remaining maple syrup and coconut vinegar, garlic powder, ground ginger and lime juice to make the dressing.
- Toss the noodles, vegetables, herbs and greens together with the dressing and top with the tempeh slices and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!
