Veggie Noodle Bowls with 5-Ingredient Peanut Sauce
Slurpable noodles and heaps of tender veggies combine with an ultra-simple sauce in Veggie Noodle Bowls with 5-Ingredient Peanut Sauce. No complicated ingredient list here, these bowls are easy to make and taste amazing.

If it were up to me I would eat veggie noodles with peanut sauce every week. Or maybe every night. There’s just something about diving into a giant bowl of tender veggies and slurpable noodles doused in a creamy peanut sauce that just does it for me.
It’s pretty much my love language. If a giant bowl of noodles counts as a love language. Which I think it does.
One thing I don’t love about noodle bowls with peanut sauce is the corresponding long list of ingredients. I know from experience that recipes with long ingredient lists and lots of chopping usually just don’t make the weeknight rotation, for obvious reasons.
So, I worked shortening the list.
You can, of course, use any and all veggie you like here, but if you’re trying to streamline stick to three or four. And, if you use bagged broccoli florets, pre-grated carrots, and shredded cabbage this one is pretty much effortless. Literally the only thing you’ll need to chop is the scallion.
And then there’s the peanut sauce. Creamy peanut butter, salty tamari, sweet maple syrup, tangy lime juice, and spicy garlic. That’s it. All the flavors, without anything extra. Stir everything together with some warm water and you’re good to go. Of course, feel free to throw in whatever extras you like. Fresh grated ginger, hot sauce, whatever you like.
I love this recipe because it’s simple, real food. It’s also perfect for a night when you want to go meatless. If you want to bump up the protein frozen, defrosted edamame make a great addition. Or add roasted shredded chicken, salmon, or cooked shrimp. Anything goes. Now, let’s make some veggie noodle bowls!

RECIPE & KID-FRIENDLY ADAPTATIONS
1 | Use almond butter or tahini in place of the peanut butter if you prefer.
2 | Serve the cooked noodles and veggies all separately on a plate with the peanut sauce on the side for dipping.
3 | Add roasted chicken, salmon, or cooked shrimp for additional protein.
THIS RECIPE IS . . .
Naturally Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Vegetarian


Veggie Noodle Bowls with 5-Ingredient Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 12- oz gluten-free brown rice or whole wheat pasta
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cup thinly sliced cabbage
- 4 cups grated carrot
- 2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup salted peanuts, chopped (optional)
- Hot sauce, optional
5-Ingredient Peanut Sauce
- ⅓ cup natural peanut butter, at room temperature or melted
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium, gluten-free tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or lime juice
- ½ cup warm water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, make the peanut sauce by whisking together the peanut butter, garlic clove, maple syrup, tamari, vinegar or lime juice, and warm water in a medium bowl. If the sauce is too thick or seizes up, add additional warm water. Taste and add additional tamari if you prefer a saltier sauce, maple syrup if you like it sweeter, or vinegar/lime juice is you prefer it tangier.
- When the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Remove the pasta from the water, leaving the water in the pot.
- To the same boiling water, add the broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes, until just tender and bright green, being careful not to overcook. Drain the broccoli and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, and scallions. Drizzle with the peanut sauce and toss again, until the pasta and veggies are coated with the sauce. Serve with peanuts and hot sauce if you like.
Made this dish tonight. SO yummy!!! Will definitely add it to my recipe book! 👍
Heather, yay, so glad it was a hit! Love that you’ll be adding it to your recipe book. 🙂
I made this tonight with what I had on hand in my kitchen which meant that I had to substitute in a few veggies (red peppers and cucumber instead of broccoli and cabbage). It was SO delicious and perfect for a January post-holiday detox meal. My kids and husband all loved it and we will be making it again. Thank you Robyn!
Amy, yay, so glad you (and the fam) enjoyed this recipe, and especially love that you were able to use veggies you had on hand. Happy New Year to you!
Do you use spaghetti? Would this recipe work with zoodles
Carol, yes, spaghetti is a great option. Zoodles will also work. Hope you enjoy!
I have made this recipe for years and LOVE it, esp the peanut sauce. Do you think you think the sauce would be good frozen and reheated?
Laura, yay, so glad you are enjoying this one. I do think you can freeze the sauce–it might separate a bit upon defrosting, but if you give it a good stir it should come back together!
So delicious! I had everything on hand for the sauce but used a bag of broccoli slaw mix along with the other veggies and used angel hair pasta. It felt like self love whipping this up for my lunches for the next few days! Yum!
Ohhhhh, love the idea of using a bag of broccoli slaw mix as a short cut for this recipe, Maureen. So smart. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
I’ve never been a big peanut sauce fan, but I am trying to lead by example in tryin new foods. I really liked it! We added chicken and had it over noodles and it was so good. I also loved how easy it was to put together. I have 5 kids, and any meal that comes together fast is a winner for me!
Hannah, yay, so happy it was a hit for you and all the kids. Definitely a win! Thanks so much for leaving a review, too.