These spicy tofu noodle meal prep bowls are made with a sweet, savory and spicy sauce, whole-wheat spaghetti, zucchini noodles, and tofu! Make it ahead and enjoy for lunch through the week.
Pre-cooked meals are a go-to meal prep strategy in our home for easy lunches. These spicy tofu noodle meal prep bowls are a great plant-based option, and were inspired by these cold sesame noodle bowls.
These noodle bowls are all about the sauce! Tested till perfect - it is tangy, spicy, sweet, and savory. The sauce can be stored separately, then drizzled on before reheating and serving, making it perfect for meal prep.
Sneaking zucchini noodles into recipes is one of our favorite ways to pack in a ton of veggies, without really noticing that they are there. And, the zucchini noodles don't even require cooking - they will become tender and soak up a ton of flavor once reheated before serving. Best of all - you will have 4 delicious meals prepped in under 45 minutes!
Reasons you'll Love this recipe
- the sauce is sweet, spicy, tangy and savory with lots of flavor
- the zucchini noodles blend right in with the whole wheat pasta - you won't even notice these sneaky veggies
- everything holds up well for meal prep, including the tofu which tastest great even on day 4!
Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these noodle bowls. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- Tofu - make sure to use extra-firm tofu. It will need to be pressed for 30 minutes to remove exess liquid (see directions in recipe card)
- Whole wheat spagetti - while we love whole wheat pasta, regular white spagetti noodles would also work. You could also change it up for gluten-free spagetti if needed, but we haven't tested. Soba noodles may also work in this recipe!
- Zucchini noodles - spiralize your own or use store-bought. We do not recommend frozen zucchini noodles for this recipe. See how to spiralize zucchini noodles and more on why we love them here. You could also use spiralized carrot.
- Sauce - reduce or omit the sriracha for less spice, and be sure look for gluten-free hoisin sauce and soy sauce if following a gluten free diet.
Step by step directions
Press 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.
Read more- see all the wonderful ways you can enjoy tofu in how to cook tofu
Cube and Cook Tofu
When the time is up, discard the paper towels and cut the tofu into ½ inch cubes. Toss in olive oil and salt and pepper, and sautee for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tofu is lightly golden.
Cook pasta
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, cool slightly, then divide between meal prep containers.
Spiralize zucchini
Use a spiralizer to create zucchini noodles. Do not cook.
Sauce
Shake together sauce and portion out into small condiment containers (roughly 1.5 tablespoons per portion).
Tip - we love these condiment containers for portioning out
sauces and salad dressings for meal prep!
Portion
Divide the tofu, spaghetti, zucchini noodles between four 2-cup capacity meal prep containers, garnishing with sesame seeds, green onions and red pepper flakes if desired.
Store & reheat
Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Serve cold, with sauce, or add the sauce and reheat in the microwave until steaming hot.
FAQ
Absolutely, you can swap it out for some chickpeas, or if you're not vegetarian, 4 oz of cooked chicken.
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.
You might be able to freeze this meal prep without the zucchini, but we don't recommend freezing the zucchini noodles as they will be mushy once thawed.
You don't need to! They will soften up nicely once you reheat these meal prep bowls in the microwave. If you'd prefer a softer texture, you could sauté for 3-5 minutes with a little bit of olive oil.
Storage + reheating
- Fridge - Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store sauce seperately to ensure that the tofu doesn't go soggy.
- Freezer - this recipe is not freezer friendly.
- Reheat - Dress with the sauce, then heat meal prep bowls in the microwave until steaming hot. Enjoy!
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Spicy Tofu Noodles Meal Prep
Ingredients
Tofu
- 12 oz extra firm tofu note 1
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 zucchini spiralized (medium-sized); note 2
- 4 oz whole wheat pasta uncooked; note 3
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar note 4
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon sriracha more for spice
Instructions
Prepare the Tofu:
- Press 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.
- Cook tofu - When the time is up, discard the paper towels and cut the tofu into ½ inch cubes. Toss in olive oil and salt and pepper, and sautee for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tofu is lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
- Pasta- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, cool slightly, then divide between meal prep containers.
- Spiralize zucchini - Use a spiralizer to create zucchini noodles. Do not cook.
- Sauce - Shake together sauce and portion out into small containers (roughly 1.5 tablespoons per portion).
- Portion- Divide the tofu, spaghetti, zucchini noodles between four 2-cup capacity meal prep containers, garnishing with sesame seeds, green onions and red pepper flakes if desired.
Tips:
- firm tofu may also work, but silken or soft should be avoided for this recipe
- spiralize the zucchini yourself or use store-bought; frozen zucchini noodles should be avoided
- you can swap for other types of pasta but spaghetti or longer noodles mix best in with the zucchini noodles
- we tend to use seasoned rice vinegar in our recipes; you may want to taste and adjust salt if you use unseasoned
Video
Nutrition Information
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