5 from 10 votes

Veggie Satay Noodles

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These veggie satay noodles are yummy and vegetarian-friendly! They’re healthy, flavourful, easy, and ready in only 30 minutes; great for weeknight meals.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
£1.19
Makes: 5
mains
Asian
Freezable

These yummy veggie satay noodles are packed with flavour due to their creamy, spicy, umami peanut sauce.

CLose up with noodles in a sauce with broccoli florets, mushrooms, fresh mint and lime wedges in a pan.

Why you’ll love this recipe

These peanut stir fry noodles are also packed with veg to help create a more satisfying, filling dish. This recipe requires fewer than ten ingredients plus a few pantry staples, making it a great option for weeknight dinners.

It’s also a quick dish, requiring only 30 minutes from start to finish (including prep time). This healthy vegetarian satay is also beginner-friendly, as it only has five steps and requires minimal kitchen tools.

Bonus – These Chinese noodles with peanut sauce are vegetarian-friendly, perfect for those trying to eat less meat during the week.

What is in a Chinese Satay sauce?

Chinese satay sauces are typically quite simple. They usually consist of soy sauce, garlic, chilli, onion, lemon, and peanuts (or peanut butter). Some recipes also contain dark soy sauce, coconut milk, and fish sauce. This Chinese satay sauce is nutty, salty, slightly sweet, spicy, and umami-rich (like the sauce for these satay noodles).

Is satay sauce the same as peanut sauce?
Yes, some people use satay sauce and peanut sauce interchangeably. This sauce is common in Indonesian, Thai, and other similar cuisine styles. It is thought that the satay dish originated in Japanese cuisine.

If you’re craving more Chinese noodle recipes (like these satay noodles), try the following recipes: Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce, Wagamama’s Chicken Ramen, or Quick Yaki Udon.

Ingredients

Ingredients to make vegetable saty noodles laid out on a pale blue background and labelled.

Chestnut Mushrooms
I love using chestnut mushrooms for this satay noodles dish since they add a nutty flavour. However, any type of mushroom will work in this recipe. You can also use other veg in this recipe, like bean sprouts, if you prefer.

Egg Noodles
Egg noodles help increase the protein in this recipe without meat. Rice noodles are also great and are typically gluten-free.

See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.

Variations/ Adaptations

Turn this recipe into vegan satay noodles with a quick swap – use rice noodles or other vegan-cooked noodles instead of egg noodles. Adding more red pepper flakes can also crank up the heat on these satay noodles.

If you typically eat meat, you can boost the protein in this lo mein with peanut sauce by adding pork, chicken, or beef. Create a spicy peanut noodles dish that fits your preferences using your favourite mushrooms instead of chestnut mushrooms.

Those with a nut allergy can skip the chopped peanuts and creamy peanut butter for the stir-fry sauce. Instead, use Wowbutter, a nut-free alternative that still provides a creamy consistency to this dish.

Other swaps you may consider when creating this recipe include using brown sugar instead of maple syrup and lime juice as a replacement for vinegar. These two swaps work well if you’ve run out of the original ingredients for the peanut butter sauce.

How to make veggie satay noodles

Preheat oven to 180°C

  1. Start by placing the chopped vegetables onto 2 separate baking trays, as this will prevent overcrowding and charring. Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil and a drizzle of soy sauce (around a tbsp) over the veggies on each tray and toss to evenly coat. Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown (Image 1).
  2. Using a large non-stick frying pan, add the sliced spring onion (reserve the greener end for garnish) and a pinch of red pepper flakes and salt with a tbsp of olive oil. Gently fry for around 4 minutes (Image 2).
2 step by step photos, the first with 2 baking trays with chopped vegetables and the second with a pan with sliced spring onions frying next to a bowl of chilli flakes and soy sauce.

3. Then add the peanut butter, soy sauce and vegetable stock, stirring constantly whilst slowly pouring the stock into the pan and bring up to a low simmer. Then add the rice wine vinegar to the peanut sauce and stir in the corn starch mixed with water, (Image 3).

4. Meanwhile start cooking the egg noodles in a separate saucepan for around 2 minutes. Drain and transfer the half cooked egg noodles into the frying pan to continue to cook within the sauce and the sauce will start thickening (Image 4).

2 step by step photos, the first with stock being poured into a pan with peanut sauce and the second withcooked noodles being pulled from saucepan into sauce with tongs.

5. When the roasted vegetables are ready, stir in around a ⅓ of the veggies into the sauce (Image 5).

6. Serve the other ⅔ of the vegetables as a side/garnish. Garnish with the reserved spring onion, crushed roasted peanuts, fresh mint. Serve with a squeeze of lime (Image 6).

2 step by step photos, the first with roasted vegetables added to the pan with noodles in a sauce and the second with the noodles, roasted vegetables and sliced limes in the pan.

Try these other vegetarian recipes for you to try ; Viral Crispy Feta Eggs, Easy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta and Halloumi Kebabs with Chilli Sauce

Tips for the best results

Prep the ingredients before starting this recipe. Help this veggie satay go more smoothly by prepping the ingredients before beginning the cooking process. You can avoid burning elements by having everything chopped and measured out.

Only partially cook the noodles. Fully cooking the noodles can lead to a mushy texture. Only cook the egg noodles about halfway for the best results, as they’ll cook more in the frying pan.

Here are more tasty vegetarian recipes during the week: 10 Minute Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles, Easy Meatless Baked Ziti (Vegetarian) and Loaded Veggie Tacos.

FAQs

How can I make this recipe vegan?

Luckily, these satay noodles are nearly vegan already. Simply swap the egg noodles with a vegan noodle, and you’re good to go. 


What are ways to add more protein?

Add baked tofu, cooked lentils, or a non-vegetarian protein like chicken/beef to boost the protein in these rice noodles with peanut sauce. Cook these proteins separately to ensure your recipe does not contain undercooked/raw items.

Is satay spicy?

Satay typically has a bit of heat, but it’s on the mild side. Those with lower spice tolerances can typically enjoy satay. However, you can also leave out or use fewer chilli flakes from this crunchy peanut butter noodles dish for a less spicy taste.
 
Here are a few of my favourite dishes to pair with these yummy noodles:The BEST Halloumi Salad or  The BEST Lemon Drizzle Cake

If you tried this Veggie Thai Noodles recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x

Veggie Satay Noodles

Print
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
£1.19
mains
Asian
Freezable
Servings: 5
These veggie satay noodles are yummy and vegetarian-friendly! They’re healthy, flavourful, easy, and ready in only 30 minutes; great for weeknight meals.

Ingredients

  • 250 g chestnut mushrooms, cut into quarters (£0.80)
  • 2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets (£0.65x2)= (£1.30)
  • 1 aubergine, cut into cubes (£0.85)
  • 50 g spring onion, thinly sliced (£0.50)
  • 250 g egg noodles (£1.15)
  • 50 g roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped (£0.54)
  • ½ lime, cut into wedges (£0.25)
  • Fresh mint, leaves removed from tough stem (£0.55)

Cupboard Essentials

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice-wine vinegar
  • 700 ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Salt

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C

  • Start by placing the chopped veg onto a baking tray. I used two trays to ensure the veggies weren’t overcrowding each other, as this would prevent charring/ crispiness. Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil and a drizzle of soy sauce (around a tbsp) over the veggies. Toss to evenly coat and pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • To a large non-stick frying pan, add the sliced spring onion (reserve the greener end for garnish) and a pinch of red pepper flakes and salt with a tbsp of olive oil. Gently fry for around 4 minutes.
  • To that, add the peanut butter, soy sauce and vegetable stock, stirring constantly whilst slowly pouring the stock into the pan. Bring up to a low simmer whilst cooking the egg noodles for around 2 minutes.
  • Add the rice wine vinegar to the peanut sauce and stir in the cornflour mixed with a splash of water, before transferring the half cooked egg noodles into the frying pan to continue to cook within the sauce.
  • When the roasted veg is ready, stir in around a ⅓ of the veggies into the sauce, serving the other ⅔ as a side/garnish. Garnish with the reserved spring onion, crushed roasted peanuts, fresh mint. Serve with a squeeze of lime.

Notes

  • Help this veggie satay go more smoothly by prepping the ingredients before beginning the cooking process. You can avoid burning elements by having everything chopped and measured out.
  • Fully cooking the noodles can lead to a mushy texture. Only cook the egg noodles about halfway for the best results, as they’ll cook more in the frying pan.

Nutrition

Servings: 5 servings
Fat: 16g
Calories: 427kcal
Carbohydrates: 66g
Protein: 17g

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