Vietnamese Peanut Noodles

Vietnamese Peanut Noodles is the third recipe in my summer no-cook noodle series, and perhaps the most indulgent of the three. This one is both rich and bold: cold noodles tossed in a deeply savoury peanut sauce with a distinctly Vietnamese character, finished with fresh herbs, crunchy peanuts, and a drizzle of chilli oil.

No stove required for the sauce. No broth to simmer. Just a blender, a bowl, and fifteen minutes.

Jump to:

• 🤔Bread...No, It's Noodles and Peanut Butter
• 💛Why You'll Love This Vietnamese Peanut Noodles
• 📝How To Make Vietnames Peanut Noodles
• 🥜Final Thoughts
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

🤔Bread...No, It's Noodles and Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is all too familiar. We spread it on bread for breakfast, use it as a dressing on pancakes or desserts, many café use peanut butter as base for smoothie/ smoothie bowl— that jar of peanut butter on your cupboard is certainly the secret ingredient that brings a rich, nutty, creamy personality to the table, and certainly an inexpensive one.

With that in mind, I turn it into a sauce to pair with Vietnamese rice noodles. The peanut sauce here is not the thick, heavy kind you might find elsewhere. It's loosened with lime juice and a little warm water, lifted with garlic and ginger, and balanced with a touch of vegan soy sauce that gives it that unmistakable Vietnamese depth. It coats the noodles beautifully without weighing them down.

💛Why You'll Love This Vietnamese Peanut Noodles

• Quick and Easy—The sauce comes together in five minutes and uses only pantry staples you likely already have: peanut butter, soy sauce, lime, garlic, and sesame oil.
• Versatile— It works with almost any noodle you have, and the toppings are half the dish but are not strict, you can swap in and out anything you like.
• Perfect for scorching summer days— minimal cooking and maximum flavor because it's too hot to cook but you still deserve a proper and satisfying meal.

More no-cook summer noodles recipes:

• Soy Milk Noodles (Kongguksu)
• Tomato Cold Noodles

📝How To Make Vietnames Peanut Noodles

Ingredients

Noodles

• Rice vermicelli

Protein

• Crispy tofu (air fryer or pan-fried)

Veggies

• Cucumber
• Pickled carrot & daikon
• Bean sprouts
• Mint
• Thai basil
• Cilantro
• Green onion

Peanut Dressing

• ¼ cup natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili flakes
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2–4 tablespoon water

Toppings

• Crushed peanuts
• Crispy shallots
• Chili crisp (optional)

Instructions

First step: Prepare the toppings

• Julienne the cucumber and carrot into thin strips. Rinse the bean sprouts under cold water and drain. Roughly tear or chop the fresh herbs. Slice the spring onions finely.

Second step: Cook the noodles

• Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. For rice vermicelli, this usually means soaking in boiling water for 5-7 minutes.
• Drain immediately and rinse thoroughly under cold running water, tossing as you rinse, until the noodles are completely cold and the water runs clear. Drain well and shake off any excess water.

Third step: Make the peanut sauce

• Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and chili flakes in a bowl or small blender. Add the finely minced ginger and garlic.
• Add warm water one tablespoon at a time, whisking or blending until the sauce is smooth and pourable. It should coat the back of a spoon but still drip off easily. Taste and adjust: more lime for brightness, more soy sauce for saltiness, more sugar if it needs balance, add chilli oil for heat.

Final step: Assemble the bowl

• Divide the cold noodles between bowls. Pour the peanut sauce generously over the noodles— about 3–4 tablespoons per serving, and toss well to coat every strand.
• Arrange the cucumber, carrot, bean sprouts and fresh herbs on top. Scatter with crushed peanuts, spring onions and fried shallots. Finish with an extra drizzle of chilli oil and serve with lime wedges on the side.

🎯Tips for success

• Toss the noodles in the sauce just before serving rather than in advance because the noodles continue to absorb sauce as they sit, which can make the dish dry if left too long.
• Make ahead: the sauce keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. The noodles and toppings are best prepared fresh on the day. Just thin with a little warm water before tossing with the noodles.

🥜Final Thoughts

Vietnamese Peanut Noodles is the recipe I reach for when it's so hot that even standing at the stove feels like too much to ask. The sauce needs no heat. The noodles take five minutes. Everything else is just assembly.

What I love about this dish in particular is how much it delivers for so little effort. The peanut sauce is rich enough to feel indulgent, the ginger keeps it bright and unmistakably Vietnamese, and the pile of fresh herbs and crunchy peanuts on top makes every bowl feel considered rather than thrown together. It doesn't taste like a shortcut. It just tastes good.

With kongguksu and cold tomato somen, this completes a trio of summer noodle recipes that I hope will become a regular rotation in your kitchen when the heat rolls in. Please let me know what you think in a review below or tag me on Instagram @VeggieAnh. Happy no-cooking!

Print

📖 Recipe