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Spicy Sesame Noodles with Tempeh

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These Spicy Sesame Noodles are perfect when you have a craving for Chinese sesame noodles but also want a little kick. They’re so easy to make and much healthier than takeout! 

Spicy Sesame Noodles

Pasta is a staple in my house. Truth time: I probably have about 10 different kinds of pasta in my kitchen right now. It is so comforting to me because it’s what I ate all the time as a kid.

Even now I have to make a pasta at least once a week. Some of my favorites are my Vegan Mac & Cheese and Thai Basil Noodles. My easy One Pot Lemon Pasta is perfect when I’m in a hurry.

Knowing how pasta obsessed I am, you probably won’t be surprised when I tell you I love the cold sesame noodles you can order at Chinese restaurants.

I just can’t get enough of them. There’s just something about the creaminess of the sauce that gets me every time.

Spicy Sesame Noodles

Better Than Takeout Noodles

To save some money (I used to order the sesame noodles often), I thought I’d start making my own version.  Since I’m also obsessed with spice and hot sauce, I decided to put my own caliente spin on the noodles.

My version, which I call Spicy Sesame Noodles, adds a little heat in both temperature and spiciness.

A few reasons why I love these noodles:

  • they’re spicy (obviously)
  • they’re filling (extra protein from the tahini and tempeh)
  • they’re inexpensive to make
  • they impress dinner guests
  • they can be made gluten-free if you use gf noodles

Spicy Sesame Noodles

Spicy Sesame Noodles with Tempeh

To add some protein, I decided to include tempeh. The method I describe in the recipe below is my favorite simple way to cook tempeh. All you need is some tempeh, olive oil and 5 minutes.

The tempeh comes out browned and tasty! If you’re new to tempeh, check out my Teriyaki Tempeh recipe where I share more info on this interesting food.

If you make these Spicy Sesame Noodles, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below.

Share your pictures of any of my recipes on Instagram and use #vnutrition or tag @v.nutrition so I won’t miss it!

5 from 1 vote
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Spicy Sesame Noodles

These Spicy Sesame Noodles are perfect when you have a craving for Chinese sesame noodles but also want a little kick. They're so easy to make and much healthier than take out! 

Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Chinese
Keyword sesame noodles, Spicy Sesame Noodles with Tempeh
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 174 kcal
Author Mary Ellen

Ingredients

  • 12 oz spaghetti or linguine (gluten-free if needed)
  • 1 package of tempeh
  • 1 TB oil or coconut oil
  • 1 TB tamari
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional but tasty!)
  • 2 TB sesame seeds (I used black but white it fine too)
  • 3 scallions chopped

Spicy Sauce

  • 1/4 C tahini
  • 1/4 C almond butter (can sub peanut butter)
  • 1/4 C tamari (or soy sauce if not gf)
  • 1/4 C vegetable broth (and more if needed)
  • 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 TB maple syrup
  • 2 TB sriracha (or other hot sauce)
  • 2 TB rice wine vinegar (can substitute apple cider vinegar)

Instructions

  1. Cook noodles to package directions.
  2. While noodles are cooking, put tempeh block in a bowl and kind of mash it with a fork until crumbly.
  3. Add oil to large pan. Once heated, add tempeh crumbles and tamari and cook for about 5 minutes until heated and browned.
  4. Add all sauce ingredients to a bowl and stir until smooth.
  5. When noodles are cooked, add them to a large bowl with the sauce. Add in tempeh and mix.
  6. Top with sesame seeds and scallions.

Recipe Notes

* Nutritional info does not include pasta.

Nutrition Facts
Spicy Sesame Noodles
Amount Per Serving
Calories 174 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Carbohydrates 8.1g3%
Fiber 2.3g10%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 775IU16%
Calcium 72.5mg7%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

You may also enjoy... 

Mongolian soy curls

Teriyaki Tempeh Tacos

Asian Baked Tofu with Shaved Brussels Sprouts

Like my Spicy Sesame Noodles recipe? It would be so wonderful if you could give it some love by sharing it!

Mary Ellen

Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist who helps clients regain their energy, confidence and health by adapting and enjoying a plant-based diet. By uniting her functional nutrition education with her passion for plants and mindfulness, Mary Ellen offers a completely holistic and science-based approach to designing a healthy, plant-based life. When she’s not reading up on the latest nutrition research, you can find Mary Ellen doting on her two rescue shih tzus, creating the perfect vegan mac & cheese, or exploring the world with her husband.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says

    July 11, 2016 at 8:49 am

    We are on a similar yummy page today! Thanks for linking up for meatless Monday

    Reply
    • Mary Ellen says

      July 11, 2016 at 9:11 am

      Thanks so much Deborah! Loving the noodle posts!

      Reply
  2. Julie Wunder says

    July 11, 2016 at 9:15 am

    These nooodlessss look so good!!!!! Can’t wait to try them.

    Reply
    • Mary Ellen says

      July 11, 2016 at 10:15 am

      Thank so much Julie! Let me know what you think when you try them!

      Reply
  3. kateringforveggies says

    July 11, 2016 at 9:25 am

    Well deserved Mary Ellen! These noodles look delicious. It might even convince me to try tempeh again… My past experiences with it have been very disappointing!

    Reply
    • Mary Ellen says

      July 11, 2016 at 10:18 am

      Honestly, I don’t like blocks of tempeh much. I’ve had some versions that were okay at restaurants but when I try to make it before using this technique, I didn’t much like it either. If you do try it, let me know what you think. I’d love to hear.

      Reply
  4. leecros says

    July 12, 2016 at 8:44 am

    Oh man, these noodles look great, Mary Ellen! I’m avoiding soy a bit these days, but I think tempeh is a little easier on my system. Do you have any thoughts on what I could substitute (if anything)?

    Reply
    • Mary Ellen says

      July 12, 2016 at 10:41 am

      The tempeh is broken up and kind of reminds me of crumbled sausage. A non-soy vegan sausage would work I think. I found this page: http://www.peta.org/living/food/guide-soy-gluten-free-meatless-meat/ and the non-soy and non-gluten option of Neat might work if you crumble that up.
      Beans like lentils might work as well if you kind of crisp them up a bit. Let me know if you try something else and how it goes. I can put it as an addition to the recipe.

      Reply
  5. Christine @ Run Plant Based says

    July 13, 2016 at 9:17 am

    This noodle dish looks and sounds amazing, anything with spicy peanut flavors. Yum and thanks!

    Reply
    • Mary Ellen says

      July 13, 2016 at 9:34 am

      Thanks so much Christine! I’m all about spicy peanut flavors too!

      Reply
  6. ModVegan says

    July 13, 2016 at 4:57 pm

    I thought it might have peanuts in it from the picture, but I was happy to go to the actual recipe and find out it doesn’t (we have allergies in my family). I can’t wait to try the recipe – believe it or not, I haven’t actually used tempeh yet, so this seems like a good place to start!

    Reply
    • Mary Ellen says

      July 13, 2016 at 5:28 pm

      Oh good! I almost put peanuts in it and I’m glad i didn’t! I hope you like it! Tempeh can be tough sometimes to get it just right but i find this cooking technique is so simple and tasty.

      Reply
  7. meaganleanne says

    July 14, 2016 at 12:04 pm

    I love Thai-style dishes especially with the little crunchy peanut pieces. I can’t wait to give this a try!

    Reply
    • Mary Ellen says

      July 14, 2016 at 12:25 pm

      Thanks so much Meagan! Those little bits are actually tempeh but peanuts would be really tasty as well! You can sub peanuts if you have any problems with soy.

      Reply
  8. shaheen says

    July 15, 2016 at 8:42 am

    Nom nom I wonder if I could do this with plainole spaghetti as I am not a huge fan of noodles.

    Reply
    • Mary Ellen says

      July 26, 2016 at 11:48 am

      Shaheen, I’m sure you could use any type of pasta you’d like! I actually used spaghetti in the recipe!

      Reply
  9. kimmythevegan says

    July 19, 2016 at 4:49 pm

    Totally thought I commented on this… but I guess not. I must have commented on your guest post maybe. Anyway – this looks super delicious and I can’t wait to try making it… maybe not spicy though, which may defeat the purpose haha ;p

    Reply
    • Mary Ellen says

      July 19, 2016 at 5:00 pm

      I think you did comment on the guest post! I remember you saying something about the spice. It should be fine with a little less spice (though I love anything spicy). ?

      Reply
  10. Shari says

    May 31, 2018 at 5:57 pm

    This was super simple & super yummy for a busy weeknight dinner! Will definitely be making again

    Reply
    • Mary Ellen says

      May 31, 2018 at 8:04 pm

      I’m so glad that you enjoyed it Shari! Thanks so much for coming back and letting me know.

      Reply
  11. Brittany says

    September 15, 2018 at 1:50 pm

    Wow you were not exaggerating… I hate tempeh and this recipe changed my mind! My husband bought a package of it for me and I’ve been putting off using it. I just made this recipe and am eating it as I type this and it is delicious. I didn’t have almond butter so I used chunky peanut butter and it still turned out great, and the fact that it only took about 15 minutes is amazing. Thanks for the recipe, and I can’t wait to try your other ones 🙂

    Reply
    • Mary Ellen says

      September 16, 2018 at 6:39 am

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the tempeh and the noodles, Brittany! I usually can only eat tempeh if it’s cooked correctly and this is one way I love to do it. 🙂
      Peanut butter is a great substitution for the almond butter. I’ve actually done that myself as well when I ran out of almond butter.
      I appreciate the view and you letting me know that you liked the recipe!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 12 Awesome Tempeh Recipes - Vibrant Wellness Journal says:
    January 22, 2018 at 6:53 am

    […] 4. Spicy Sesame Noodles with Tempeh (easy) from V Nutrition & Wellness […]

    Reply

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I'm Mary Ellen, a plant-based nutritionist with a passion for guiding people to feel their best. At VNutrition, I show you that vegan meals can be simple, easy, AND tasty!

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