Rainbow Asian Skillet Peanut Noodles is an easy, 30-minute weeknight meal. This meatless recipe for noodles with peanut sauce is full of colorful, healthy vegetables and crunchy peanuts.
My family would be completely happy if I made them noodles or pasta every night. I love how many fun and tasty ways you can change them up and it makes the perfect dish for using up all those extra ingredients lingering in the fridge.
Rainbow Asian Skillet Peanut Noodles – the Perfect 30-Minute Meal
This Rainbow Asian Skillet Peanut Noodles recipe is so easy to make, and takes less than 30 minutes to come together. Perfect for a meatless weeknight meal but still flavorful and pretty enough to impress your weekend guests.
Best of all, you can completely customize the veggies to your liking and add in some protein of your choice. It’s also easy to make them with your favorite noodles you have on hand. I used gluten-free spaghetti but this dish would work equally well with regular pasta noodles, rice noodles or even zucchini noodles.
How to Make Noodles with Peanut Sauce
- We start out by making the sweet and savory peanut sauce.
- Then, while your pasta is cooking, sauté the vegetables.
- Finally, add the cooked noodles back into the pan and coat well with the creamy peanut sauce.
For the vegetables, I used:
- red cabbage
- bell peppers, and
- shredded carrots
Once all the ingredients are well coated, top with some roasted peanuts and some cilantro. We usually add some chili flakes and Sriracha sauce, but feel free to leave those out if you don’t want any extra heat.
So easy and delicious and a great way to sneak in all those colorful and healthy veggies. Just grab your chopsticks or a fork and dig in.
- 8 ounces your favorite dry pasta noodles I used gluten free spaghetti noodles
- olive oil for sauteeing
- 1 cup red cabbage or radicchio thinly sliced or shredded
- 1/2 red bell pepper seeded and thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup shredded carrots
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 5 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce can substitute with gluten free tamari or coconut aminos for paleo-friendly version
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons red chili flakes or Sriracha *optional
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2-1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated or minced
- 4 Tablespoons hot or boiling water
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped, divided
- roasted peanuts
- Sriracha sauce
- Set a medium pot of water to boil. Add pasta noodles and cook according to package directions.
- While the noodles are cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients adding the hot water last and mix until combined.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 10-20 seconds until fragrant being careful not to burn it. Add remaining vegetables and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cooked pasta and peanut sauce to the pan and toss to coat the ingredients together. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro and toss to combine. Season more with salt or black pepper to taste if desired.
- Sprinkle with green onions, remaining cilantro and sesame seeds if desired.
- Serve immediately.
For a thinner sauce, add another 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth to the sauce.
More Asian Noodles:
Peanut Noodles with Chicken – Foodie Crush
Simple Asian-Soy Peanut Noodles – The Comfort of Cooking
Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles – Cooking Classy
Stir Fried Shanghai Noodles with Ground Pork and Napa Cabbage
Natanja -
What a beautiful dish, the colors are so vibrant!
Plus, homemade peanut sauce always sounds like a good idea 🙂
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen -
What a beautiful plate of noodles, Kelly! I’d also be happy with noodles or pasta every night for dinner. Love the peanut sauce on these!
Monica -
Kelly, this is timely for me. I’ve been having a soba noodle salad for dinner the last two nights and I’m totally craving some kind of peanut sauce and a noodle or grain bowl. This looks sensational! You must be super swamped – take care and hope you have some time to enjoy the sunshine. : )
Robin -
Yum! Made the sauce to put over some lo mein and veggies, delish!!!
Chris @ Shared Appetite -
What a stunning weeknight dinner option! I love the flavors (hello spicy peanut sauce!) and the fact that it’s done in under 30 minutes?! #winning