Cold Sesame Noodles with Tahini Sauce and crunchy vegetables is a simple recipe that’s ready in just 20 minutes. This sesame noodle recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or a healthy side dish that everyone will love.

Bowls of sesame noodles with crunchy bright colored vegetables, chopsticks in the noodles, crushed red pepper flakes and scallion slices.

This recipe has been updated from the original posted July 6, 2022.

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Why you’ll love these cold sesame noodles:
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Tahini Sauce for Sesame Noodles
How to make the best sesame noodles
Sesame Noodle Sauce
Vegetables for Sesame Noodles
Debra’s Pro Tips
MEAL PREP AND STORAGE
More vegan pasta recipes
📖 Recipe

If you don’t have a plan for dinner tonight, I’ve got a delicious answer for you! This easy sesame noodle recipe uses pantry ingredients and you can have it on the table in under 30 minutes. I made these tahini noodles again last night and couldn’t have been happier to eat the leftovers for lunch.

Gluten-free brown rice noodles and crunchy veggies, tossed in a spicy tahini sauce are perfect for potlucks, picnics, beach days or packed lunches. They’re loaded with fiber and healthy vegetables too!

Serve these delicious garlic sesame noodles warm or at room temperature. Or wait until the next day….cold sesame noodles with tahini taste even better! Serve as a simple side or throw on some plant based protein like shelled edamame and make it a meatless meal.

Other great ideas for a quick and easy healthy plant-based dinner: vegan ground beef, sheet pan veggie fajitas, no yeast flatbread, vegan taco soup, or simple teriyaki stir fry.

Why you’ll love these cold sesame noodles:

Sesame noodles twirled on a pair of chopsticks. Brightly colored chopped veggies can be seen like red peppers, shredded carrots, chopped cabbage and green onions.

Easy meal ready in under 30 minutes.
Delish. That tahini sauce is so tasty, with plenty of umami flavor. All the sesame peanut noodles flavor you’re looking for.
Light and also satisfying.
Loaded with fiber to help keep your gut happy.
Easy to make with pantry staples plus fresh veggies.
Meal prep friendly
Healthy Comfort Food
The perfect side dish.
Healthy lunch

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

Labeled ingredients: rice noodles, bell pepper, snow peas, cabbage, scallions, carrots.

Noodles: Use what you have and what works well for your dietary needs. I used brown rice pad thai noodles. Whole wheat spaghetti, brown rice noodles, udon noodles, or regular pasta shaped like fettuccini or linguini will also work well.
Cabbage: I used purple cabbage to add some color! Substitute with green cabbage or thinly sliced fennel.
Carrots: Use a box grater or a julienne vegetable peeler or buy already shredded carrots.
Bell Pepper: Red peppers brighten up these sesame noodles. Any color will work in this recipe.A good substitute would be persian cucumbers.
Green Onions: Substitute with diced purple onion, spring salad onions or chives.
Snow Peas: : Sub with sugar snap peas.
EXTRA VEGGIES: Up the nutrient density of this recipe by adding even more veggies. Good choices include julienned cucumber, thinly sliced radish, shelled edamame, bok choy and sugar snap peas. Cooked vegetables are also good additions: saute broccoli, cauliflower florets or mushrooms for a couple minutes in a large skillet with a splash of sesame oil.

Tahini Sauce for Sesame Noodles

Labeled ingredients: rice vinegar, tahini, tamari, maple syrup, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes.

Tahini: Tahini is where all the sesame flavor is! Look for a brand that contains just sesame seeds. If you substitute with a chinese sesame paste, you may need a bit more warm water for a pourable consistency to the sauce. You could also use peanut butter or almond butter if sesame is an issue. If you’re wondering what to do with the rest of the jar of tahini, check out these Vegan Recipes with Tahini.
Tamari: I use low sodium tamari which is wheat free. Substitute with low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos.
Rice Vinegar: Buy unseasoned. Substitute with mirin (rice cooking wine), white wine vinegar or lime juice.
Maple syrup: You could sub with honey or date syrup or even omit. I like the way the sweet balances the spice and savory flavors.
Garlic: Fresh garlic, zested adds so much flavor. Garlic powder (not garlic salt) or 1 teaspoon garlic oil can be subbed.
Ginger: Sub with ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: ¼ teaspoon adds just a bit of heat. For a spicier sauce, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chipotle chili powder.

How to make the best sesame noodles

First, put a large pot of water on to boil. Sprinkle in a bit of coarse salt. Boil noodles according to package directions with one caveat: begin checking for al dente doneness 2 minutes before the instructions call for. This is super important if you don’t want mushy or pasty noodles…especially if you’re using any type of gluten-free pasta.

Sesame Noodle Sauce

While the noodles are cooking, make the sauce. If you use a pyrex measuring cup to measure the tahini and then add the rest of the ingredients right in, there won’t be an issue getting all the tahini out Use a microplane grater to zest the garlic and ginger.

Whisk until everything is well incorporated. Sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream. If it’s too thick, add water 1 Tablespoon at a time and whisk well.

What’s the difference between tahini and sesame paste?

Although they are often used interchangeably, there is a subtle difference between the two. Sesame paste is made from roasted sesame seeds and tahini refers to a paste made from raw sesame seeds. Tahini is generally more runny since the seeds haven’t been roasted, the natural oil comes out as the seeds are ground.

Vegetables for Sesame Noodles

A bunch of scallions, one carrot, a pile of snow peas, one red bell pepper and ⅛ of a red cabbage.

Set the tahini dressing aside and prepare the veggies.

Cutting board with sharp knife showing how to cut purple cabbage.

You’ll need about ⅛ of a head of cabbage, to equal 1 cup chopped. If it’s a bit more or less, it won’t matter.

Bamboo cutting board, showing how to cut a red pepper into thin strips.

Make thin slices out of the red pepper and the scallions.

Cutting board and sharp knife, showing how to shred a carrot on the side of a box grater.

Use the side of a box grater to shred the carrots.

Cutting board and sharp chef's knife showing how to cut snow peas.

Cut the snow peas on the diagonal.

Wooden bowl with cooked rice noodles. Small bowls around with brightly colored sliced vegetables.

When the noodles are done cooking, transfer to a colander and rinse well in cold water. Then transfer to a large bowl, add a splash of sesame oil and mix well. The sesame oil will prevent the noodles from sticking to each other.

Wooden bowl with noodles, shredded carrots, sliced scallions, purple cabbage, red peppers and snow peas.

To the bowl with the sesame noodles, add the shredded carrots, green onions, purple cabbage, red peppers and snow peas.

Whisk the dressing again. Test for tahini sauce for consistency, as it may have thickened while sitting. Add another tablespoon or two of water if needed. Then pour about half the sesame noodle sauce over the veggies and noodles.

Tahini sauce pouring over the center of wooden bowl with sections of brightly colored veggies.

Large bowl of sectioned brightly colored veggies and noodles with tahini sauce in the center.

Mix the noodles, veggies and sauce together well. Pour additional dressing, as needed, and mix thoroughly.

Sesame sauce poured over noodles and veggies in a wooden bowl.

Sprinkle garnishes over sesame noodles. I like toasted sesame seeds, more crushed red pepper, chopped peanuts and thinly sliced scallions. You could also sprinkle some fresh cilantro over the top.

Wooden bowl filled with cold sesame noodles and brightly colored vegetables, with silver salad tossers.

Debra’s Pro Tips

Small white bowl filled with pad thai noodles and crunchy bright veggies, tossed in a spicy tahini sauce.

Store your unopened jars of tahini upside down in your pantry for easy thorough stirring. Mix before using for uniform consistency.
DO NOT OVERCOOK THE NOODLES. I can’t stress this enough. Set a timer for 2 minutes before the package directions to your pasta recommend.
Add some plant based protein and make it a meal. Good choices are shelled edamame, chickpeas, chopped almonds or green peas.
Serve with chopsticks for fun.
Store in the fridge and garnish when ready to serve.

MEAL PREP AND STORAGE

SERVE: Tastes great at room temperature or cold. Serve as a side dish or main meal. Travels well for box lunches, picnics or potlucks.
PREP AHEAD: Definitely! You can chop the veggies and make the sauce ahead and store in airtight containers until ready to make. Or make the entire recipe, this one’s perfect for meal prep since it gets better every day!
STORE: Store in airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
FREEZE: The tahini sauce can be frozen, but I don’t recommend freezing this fully made. I tried it and the veggies were watery and the noodles kinda mushy when it defrosted.

More vegan pasta recipes

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Cold Sesame Noodles with Tahini