Spicy tofu noodle meal prep bowls are the perfect healthy alternative when you are craving a big bowl of noodles! With whole wheat spaghetti, zucchini noodles, tofu and a sweet/savory/spicy sauce.
There’s just something about noodles that screams comfort food, isn’t there? I love a big bowl of noodles, but I also love sneaking some zucchini noodles in there too. These spicy tofu noodle meal prep bowls might just be my new favorite lunch recipe!
If these photos look familiar, you may have made my Cold Sesame Noodles Meal Prep! They were 100% the inspiration for this recipe, but I swapped chickpeas for tofu and gave the sauce a totally different flavor.
Guys, this recipe took me FOUR TRIES to get right. I needed a sauce that had some flay-vah, but also the right balance of tangy, spicy, sweet and savory, and I finally nailed it with this recipe.
And the great news is that it works perfectly for meal prep!
Don’t forget to pin this post to save it for later!
We love these spicy tofu noodle meal prep bowls because
- you can’t really tell the zucchini noodles are even in there; it’s just a big slurp-able bowl of noodles!
- the sauce is sweet, spicy, tangy and savory
- the tofu holds it’s texture well over the course of four days
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these spicy tofu noodle meal prep bowls. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.
How to make spicy tofu noodle meal prep bowls
There are a few different components to this recipe but you can multitask and have it all done in under 45 minutes!
- Tofu- press it, cut it into 1/2 inch cubes, and toss in olive oil, salt & pepper. Fry it up for about 15 minutes to give it a nice, chewy texture.
- Sauce- 5 ingredients and 5 minutes. Shake it up, then divide into condiment containers (I use these ones)
- Pasta- I used whole wheat pasta, you could probably change it up for gluten-free if you are GF…but I haven’t tried! Cook it up, then portion out with the zucchini noodles (don’t cook the zucchini noodles)
Can I swap out the tofu? Absolutely, you can swap it out for some chickpeas, or if you’re not vegetarian, some cooked chicken.
How long do these tofu meal prep bowls keep for? These guys keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. They are not freezer-friendly.
Do you eat these hot or cold? You could do either, but we heat ours up! Toss in the sauce first so it kind of absorbs into the pasta/zucchini noodles as it heats.
Tips & equipment for spicy tofu noodle meal prep bowls
- I love these meal prep containers and these re-usable condiment containers
- make sure to use extra-firm tofu
- looking for more vegan meal prep recipes? Try this Vegan Moroccan Chickpea Skillet, these Roasted Veggie Meal Prep Bowls with Turmeric Tahini Sauce, and this round up with more than 65 Vegan Meal Prep Recipes!
Spicy Tofu Noodles Meal Prep
Ingredients
Tofu
- 12 oz block of tofu
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium zucchini (spiralized)
- 4 oz uncooked whole wheat pasta
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sriracha (more for spice!)
Instructions
Prepare the Tofu:
- Remove tofu from package, draining extra liquid. Sandwich the tofu between two paper towels on a plate. Top with a second plate and place a heavy object, such as a 28 oz can, on top. Press for at least 30 minutes to remove extra liquid.
- When the time is up, discard the paper towels and cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss in olive oil and salt and pepper, and sautee for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tofu is lightly golden.
- Portion cooked tofu out into four 2-cup capacity storage containers.
Meal Prep Bowls:
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, cool slightly, then divide between meal prep containers.
- Divide zucchini noodles between four meal prep containers (do not cook).
- Shake together sauce and portion out into small condiment containers (roughly 1.5 tablespoons per portion).
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onions and red pepper flakes if desired.
To Store:
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Dress with the sauce, then heat meal prep bowls until steaming hot. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Ariel
I am slowly starting to move away from using animal protein…so much so using the term ‘vegetarian’ still scares the sh*t out of me, so when I was looking for easy, health, flavorful lunches that would be filling and be…(deep breath)…vegetarian, this page and this recipe – popped up. Yesterday was prep day and was able to also enjoy this recipe.
I made two changes – i used pad thai-style rice noodles – because gluten free seems to work better on my digestive track (noodles are noodles, but these suckers definitely stick together more- I have in the past, run them under water to loosen them up before reheating, but definitely spaghetti is an easier noodle to work with- I would imagine a buckwheat, soba noodle would also be a good one). The other change I made was, I baked the tofu squares (because I admittedly, didt read the directions very well, lol). I’ll be honest, they still came out nicely – i let them get to that pretty golden/brown color and boom – i felt healthier already.
real test came when it was time to eat this and it was great. The sauce is light and the texture of the different elements worked well. I also made three other recipes that I found and have fallen in love with (grilled bbq tofu with pineapple and mixed veg and the thai sweet potato soup – both are really really great and super simple – the real champion is the pan fried gnocchi with spinach and mushrooms.Im super impressed and will be pillaging through the rest of the site for other meals to make.
Dare I say, I think I might be able to do this whole…plant-based life with grace and ease if yI can continue gleaning great recipes from this page. 🙂
Maria
What do you use for the little sauce containers?
Denise
Hi Maria! They are these ones!