Loaded with a rainbow of fresh veggies and flavorful sweet chili tofu, this vermicelli noodle salad is massively flavorful and goes well with a variety of dishes.
We sure do love a good chilled noodle salad around here! It’s salads like this that are designed to keep your kitchen cool in the summer AND give you all the meal prep options.
This spring roll salad is easily one of the most-loved recipes on my website so I thought it was high time to make a riff off it and invite tofu to the party!
The end result is the most colorful + loaded noodle salad ever with a wicked-good vinaigrette and sweet chili marinated tofu that’s so good you will want to add it to all your meals.
We are especially loving this salad right now because of all the meal prep options it’s got going for it. I go through all the options later on in the blog post but suffice to say, this salad is a meal preppers dream.
Your lunch game is about to be absolutely stunning, just saying.
This Vermicelli Salad features…
- Tender vermicelli noodles and a rainbow of fresh veggies
- Sweet chili marinated tofu
- A flavorful ginger garlic vinaigrette
Making the Salad
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Extra-firm tofu
- Sweet chili sauce
- Vegetable oil
- Soy sauce
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Rice wine vinegar
- Honey
- Ginger
- Vermicelli rice noodles
- Carrot
- Cucumber
- Bean sprouts
- Green onions
- Basil
- Sesame seeds
How To Cook Noodles
There are several ways to cook rice noodles, but I recommend using the soaking method for the best noodle texture.
To soak rice noodles, remove them from package and place in a large bowl. Run warm tap water over noodles until completely covered and allow to soak 10-15 minutes until noodles are tender. Drain, rinse, and proceed with recipe.
Tips for Perfect Vermicelli Salad
- Press tofu – cut the tofu in half width-wise and place between 2 kitchen towels. Place something flat and heavy on the tofu and allow to press 30-60 minutes to remove excess liquid.
- Marinate tofu – if you have time, I recommend marinating tofu at least 2 hours to build flavor.
- Blend dressing – use a blender or food processor to puree the dressing to break down the garlic and ginger.
- Cut vegetables in uniform sizes – I recommend matchstick size for the carrot and cucumber.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this salad.
- Add more veggies – try adding sweet peppers, shredded cabbage, avocado,
- Try different herbs – try adding a handful of mint, cilantro, or dill in place of the basil.
- Make it meaty – replace the tofu with cooked chicken, turkey, or shrimp.
- Adjust heat level – use less sweet chili sauce and red pepper flakes for a more mild salad.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow these instructions for make ahead tips.
- Soak noodles – soak, drain, and rinse noodles and store in refrigerator up to 6 days.
- Prep vegetables – cut up the carrot, cucumber, and green onion and store in refrigerator up to 4 days. For best results, wait to cut basil until assembling salad so it doesn’t turn brown.
- Marinate tofu – the tofu may be marinated in refrigerator up to 12 hours.
- Make dressing – the dressing stores well in refrigerator up to 6 days.
- Assemble salad – once the salad is assembled, it stores well in refrigerator up to 4 days.
I mean, can you even with all that colorful goodness?? Somehow, someway it tastes even better than it looks which is saying something. The salad is so incredibly flavorful on it’s own, but then you introduce the sweet and spicy baked tofu to the party and ALL the flavors get kicked up to 10!
Trust me, this is how you want to lunch.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch this salad made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More keeper salads to try next!
Vermicelli Noodle Salad with Sweet Chili Tofu
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Sweet Chili Tofu
- 1 (12 oz) block extra-firm tofu, pressed 30-60 minutes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- Salt and pepper to taste
Vermicelli Noodle Salad
- 8 oz vermicelli rice noodles
- 2 medium carrots, julienned
- 1 medium cucumber, julienned
- 1-1/2 cups bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
- Sesame seeds and red pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
Sweet Chili Tofu
- Place pressed tofu cubes in a shallow container or bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk sweet chili sauce, vegetable oil, soy sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over tofu and gently toss tofu to evenly coat in marinade.
- Cover tofu with either a lid or plastic wrap and allow to marinate in fridge at least 2 hours (or overnight) shaking tofu occasionally to evenly submerge in sauce.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a medium sheet pan and pour tofu and marinade in an even layer on sheet pan. Bake tofu at 400F 20-25 minutes until tofu is bubbly and edges are crispy. Set aside.
Vinaigrette
- Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside for moment.
Vermicelli Noodle Salad
- Cook vermicelli noodles according to package instructions, then rinse well with cold water until noodles are completely cooled.
- In a large serving bowl, combine noodles, carrot, cucumber, bean sprouts, green onions, basil, sweet chili tofu, and vinaigrette. Toss until salad is evenly combined and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish salad with sesame seeds and additional red pepper flakes if desired and serve. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply