Perfect for when you’re hungry but short on time to cook, these peanut noodles are gently spiced but full of rich flavour. An easy meal for any night of the week!

Are you a noodle lover?  It’s something I eat at least once a week so I’m always looking for ways to up my noodle game.  I also love peanut butter (as do my boys) and whilst I know I’m not reinventing the wheel here I couldn’t believe I’d never tried spicy peanut noodles before!

I say spicy but if you’ve been here a while you’ll probably know I’m a spice wimp.  So the spice in these peanut noodles comes from chilli oil which takes on a lovey mellow heat when combined with all the other ingredients.  If you’ve more of a tolerance for spice than me you can drizzle some extra chilli oil at the end or include fresh chillies when you saute the garlic.

I’ve also tried to keep these as simple as possible with basic ingredients and minimal prep.  Because sometimes it’s been a looong day, you’re hungry and tired but don’t necessarily want take-out.

I currently live pretty remote.  To the point of take-out either too far for delivery or some hefty delivery charges and honestly, I can’t always be bothered to go and fetch it.  So easy meals, even for someone who loves being in the kitchen as much as me, are important to have in your culinary repertoire.

How to make easy vegan noodles with a peanut butter sauce:

To make things even easier I’ve used straight to wok noodles and ready crushed garlic paste.  The garlic has been a bit of a game changer for me.  No more fiddly peeling and chopping (because I love and use a LOT of garlic).  And it means these noodles come together in around 20 minutes.

Start by toasting the peanuts and seeds.  Do this in the wok or frying pan you’ll be using to cook the peanut noodles in to save on washing up!  They only take a few minutes and while they’re toasting you can be slicing the spring onions!  Keep an eye on them while they’re toasting though and stir frequently!

Tip them into a small bowl once they’re done.

To the pan add the chilli oil and garlic and cook for a minute over a low heat.

Add the water, smoked paprika, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, miso paste and agave or maple syrup.  Stir until all mixed then melt in the peanut butter.  You want a thickish, glossy sauce that will coat the noodles.  If it’s too thick add a little more water.

Stir in almost all of the spring onions (reserve a few for scattering over at the end) and the noodles.  Turn them through the sauce until they’re well coated and thoroughly hot.

Spoon into serving bowls and scatter over the remaining spring onions as well as the toasted peanuts and sesame seeds.  I also added a few black sesame seeds but that was mostly for aesthetic!

Got leftovers?

If, like me, you’re cooking for one, these noodles make great leftovers too.  Either cold for lunch or reheated for an easy dinner another day.  You might need to add just a splash more water to loosen the sauce if reheating though.  I give mine a quick blast in the microwave, stirring half way through.

And I’ve got to admit, a bowl of sticky, gently spiced peanut noodles and a fork (or chopsticks if I’m feeling fancy) and huddling on the sofa come dinner time with Richard Osmon’s House of Games is making these current dark evenings a thing of joy.

Looking for even more vegan easy dinner ideas?  Try these:

Creamy Tomato One Pan Pasta

Golden Rice Pilaf

Spicy Indian Cauliflower Curry

Garlic Sesame Noodles

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