These Japanese Miso Peanut Noodles are a delicious easy weeknight dinner you can make in just 15 minutes with a creamy miso peanut sauce drizzled over tender Japanese udon noodles.
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These noodles are SO flavorful and may be one of my favorite Asian dishes I've ever made. It has fairly simple ingredients; the miso is the unique flavor addition to this sauce that really deepens the sauce.
If you love the savory umami flavor of miso, you will go crazy for my Miso Dumpling Soup!
Ingredients:
- Udon noodles: These are a type of thick, chewy wheat noodles that originated in Japan. You can find them at most grocery stores in the pasta or Asian aisle.
- Red Bell Pepper: Dice into small pieces for a pop of color in your noodle dish!
Sauce Ingredients:
- Peanut butter: I recommend a natural peanut butter that is smooth and creamy.
- White miso paste: Miso paste adds a umami flavor to this dish. It can be found in the refrigerator section at some groceries sometimes (sometimes you have to go to a health food store to find it).
- Soy sauce: Adds some saltiness to this dish. You can use low sodium soy sauce if you want to decrease your salt intake. For a gluten-free version use tamari or coconut aminos.
- Rice vinegar: Adds a balance of sourness to the sweet and salty.
- Sesame oil: Just a splash adds a ton of flavor to this sauce!
- Maple syrup: Adds a slight sweet flavor and balances the umami and saltiness
- Garlic: You just need 1 clove of garlic for his recipe, minced.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger gives the most potent flavor in this sauce but if you don't have it you can use it pre-minced (from a tube).
Optional Toppings:
- Crushed peanuts
- Lime juice
- Sesame Seeds
- Green onions
What is the difference between various types of miso paste?
There are multiple varieties of miso. All are made from fermented soybeans but they have different flavors.
White miso is made from soybeans fermented with a higher proportion of rice or barley. It has a light yellow or beige color and a mild, slightly sweet flavor. White miso has a shorter fermentation period, resulting in a milder and less salty taste compared to darker varieties. This is the best in this peanut miso peanut noodles dish!
Yellow miso paste
Yellow miso is fermented with a balanced ratio of soybeans and grains. It has a golden color and a medium level of saltiness. Yellow miso offers a well-rounded flavor with a mild sweetness and some nuttiness.
Red Miso Paste
Red miso is made from soybeans fermented with a higher proportion of soybeans and a longer fermentation process. It has a rich, deep reddish-brown color and a robust, salty flavor.
hot water, grocery stores, sesame seeds , lime juice, fresh ginger, red bell pepper, udon noodles, sweet flavor
Substitutions
Don't have an ingredient? Don't worry!
- If you don't have udon noodles (or can't find them at your local grocery store), try out one of these: rice noodles, soba noodles, brown rice vermicelli noodles
- Instead of maple syrup you can use brown sugar
- If you don't have rice vinegar use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- Switch it up and use almond butter or sunflower butter instead of peanut butter for a different taste
Other variations of this recipe:
- To keep this recipe simple, I just used red pepper but you can add in other veggies: shiitake mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, raw crunchy veggies like diced cabbage or matchstick carrots,
- Add protein: You can easily add more protein to this dish. Make my Crispy Asian Tofu. Make some tempeh or top with edamame.
- Like spice? Add in some red pepper flakes or chili oil
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Medium pot
- Small bowl or blender (to make sauce)
Instructions
Step 1: Start by cooking your noodles to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook your diced red pepper for 5-6 minutes over medium heat. (Optional: cook with 1 tablespoon of oil to help them crisp up).
Step 2: Mix miso peanut sauce ingredients in a blender or whisk until smooth. It the sauce is too thick, add 1-2 more tablespoon of water until desired consistency.
Step 3: Toss your noodles, red pepper, and sauce together in a large bowl.
Step 4: Serve with toppings like crushed peanuts, diced green onion, sesame seeds, lime, or red pepper flakes!
Storage
Store miso peanut noodles in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Separate Sauce and Noodles (Optional): You can choose to store them separately which helps maintain the texture of the noodles and prevents them from becoming overly saturated. Store the sauce/dressing in a separate container and combine when ready to eat.
❓Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can substitute the white miso paste with a different miso like red or yellow. The flavor profile will differ slightly, so adjust the amount according to taste.
Yes, you can make them ahead of time. However, it's worth noting that the texture and consistency of the noodles may change slightly when refrigerated. To preserve freshness, I recommend storing the noodles and sauce separately and combine them just before serving.
Most miso paste is not inherently gluten-free because traditional miso paste is typically made from soybeans and grains like rice or barley, which may contain gluten. However, there are gluten-free miso paste options available on the market that are specifically made without gluten-containing grains such as this one here.
To make gluten-free: Choose rice noodles, substitute tamari for soy sauce, choose a gluten-free miso paste like this one here.
To make this dish oil-free: don't use any olive oil when cooking the red pepper. Omit the sesame oil from miso peanut sauce.
▶︎Looking for more quick, delicious? Check out this list of 43+ lazy vegan lunches and dinners!
Pro Tips
- Use a natural peanut butter that is runny and smooth. If you're peanut butter is dry (like the stuff at the bottom of the bar) this will not make for good sauce
- This dish is easily customizable! Add in any other veggies you like such as snap peas, onion, broccoli, kale, spinach, other peppers, and more!
- Add some protein with tofu (such as my Crispy Asian Tofu) or tempeh.
Try out these other great noodle dishes:
Love pasta ? Try out spaghetti and Vegan meatballs for another delicious dinner! Or this heavenly Vegan sundried tomato pasta, Korean Tofu Noodle Bowl, or 40 Clove Garlic Pasta that is one of my personal faves.
Japanese Miso Peanut Noodles (15 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 14 oz udon noodles
- 1 medium red pepper diced
Peanut Miso Sauce
- ½ cup natural peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly minced ginger
- 3-4 tablespoon hot water
Optional Toppings
- fresh lime juice
- crushed peanuts
- sesame seeds
- red pepper flakes
- diced green onion
Instructions
- Start by cooking your noodles to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook your diced red pepper for 5-6 minutes over medium heat. (Optional: cook with ~1 tablespoon of oil to help them crisp up).
- Mix miso peanut sauce ingredients in a blender or whisk until smooth. It the sauce is too thick, add 1-2 more tablespoon of hot water until desired consistency.
- Toss your cooked noodles, red pepper, and sauce together in a large bowl.
- Serve with toppings like crushed peanuts, diced green onion, sesame seeds, lime, or red pepper flakes!
- Store miso peanut noodles in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
- Use a natural peanut butter that is runny and smooth. If you're peanut butter is dry (like the stuff at the bottom of the bar) this will not make for good sauce
- This dish is easily customizable! Add in any other veggies you like such as snap peas, onion, broccoli, kale, spinach, other peppers, and more!
- Add some protein with tofu (such as my Crispy Asian Tofu) or tempeh.
Store miso peanut noodles in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Separate Sauce and Noodles (Optional): You can choose to store them separately which helps maintain the texture of the noodles and prevents them from becoming overly saturated. Store the sauce/dressing in a separate container and combine when ready to eat. FAQ: Can I use a different type of miso in this recipe?
Yes, you can substitute the white miso paste with a different miso like red or yellow. The flavor profile will differ slightly, so adjust the amount according to taste. Can I make miso peanut noodles ahead of time?
Yes, you can make miso peanut noodles ahead of time. However, it's worth noting that the texture and consistency of the noodles may change slightly when refrigerated. To preserve freshness, I recommend storing the noodles and sauce separately and combine them just before serving. Is miso gluten-free?
Most miso paste is not inherently gluten-free because traditional miso paste is typically made from soybeans and grains like rice or barley, which may contain gluten. However, there are gluten-free miso paste options available on the market that are specifically made without gluten-containing grains such as this one here. How do I make this dish gluten-free and/or oil-free? To make gluten-free: Choose rice noodles, substitute tamari for soy sauce, choose a gluten-free miso paste like this one here. To make this dish oil-free: don't use any olive oil when cooking the red pepper. Omit the sesame oil from miso peanut sauce.
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