Vegan Udon Noodles in Cilantro Lime Peanut Sauce

By Jolinda Hackett

Updated 09/23/17

Ratings (8)
  • Total: 15 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 10 mins
  • Yield: about 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
645 Calories
36g Fat
68g Carbs
16g Protein
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Don't be fooled by the name - the sauce on these vegetarian and vegan noodles is less of a peanut sauce and more of an herbal cilantro dressing with plenty of tangy lime. If you like Asian flavors and love cilantro or just want to try a lighter peanut noodle sauce, these simple udon noodles dressed in a cilantro peanut sauce are a good place to start.

It may seem like you're adding a whole lot of cilantro, but remember, this is a cilantro peanut sauce with plenty of fresh cilantro flavor. If you're looking for a more conventional Thai peanut sauce, scroll down for a few recipes to try.

This recipe is vegetarian, though since it contains honey, it's not technically vegan. The sauce is gluten-free if you use a gluten-free soy sauce, but udon noodles are made from wheat, so choose a gluten-free noodle to make this dish celiac-safe.

I paired these cilantro udon noodles with some Korean bbq baked tofu.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup peanut, safflower or olive oil
  • 3 tbsp cup honey (or 2 tbsp brown sugar if you're cooking for vegans)
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger (about a 1-inch piece)
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • chili sauce, to taste
  • 1 full bunch cilantro
  • 1 tbsp water, or as needed to get desired consistency
  • 4 servings udon noodles, prepared

Steps to Make It

  1. Warm the peanut butter, oil and honey in a small sauce pan over medium low heat, stirring to combine, just until peanut butter has softened and ingredients are well combined.

  2. Place the peanut butter mixture, rice vinegar, lime juice, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili sauce in a blender or a food processor and process until well mixed. Add cilantro and pulse until cilantro is finely minced and ingredients are well combined, adding a bit of water if needed, to get the desired consistency. Taste, and adjust seasonings to taste.

  3. Combine sauce and udon noodles in a sauce pan over medium heat, stirring, just until well heated through, about five minutes.

  4. Garnish with an extra squeeze of lime juice or a dash of sea salt, if you'd like. Enjoy your cilantro peanut sauce with udon noodles!

Here's a few similar peanut noodle recipes to try: