Peanut Butter and Doufuru Noodles is a rich, savoury, and genuinely simple bowl of noodles that’s become one of my go-to lazy-day meals. Peanut and sesame-based noodles are a fixture of Taiwanese convenience store fridges every summer, and this version leans on doufuru (fermented tofu) alongside the peanut butter for extra depth and tang.

What Is Doufuru (Fermented Tofu)

Doufuru, or furu (豆腐乳/腐乳), also known as fermented tofu, is a traditional Taiwanese condiment made by fermenting cubes of tofu with salt, rice wine, and sometimes chilli or red yeast rice. It has a salty, pungent, umami-rich flavour, often compared to a soft, savoury cheese, and it’s what gives the sauce in this recipe its depth and tang. It’s usually sold in small jars, packed in a seasoned brine, in the condiment aisle of Asian supermarkets.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Ready in minutes: just whisk the sauce, boil the noodles, and toss.
Rich, savoury depth: doufuru and peanut butter combine into a creamy, umami-packed sauce.
Balanced, not one-note: vinegar and sugar keep the sauce from feeling too heavy or salty.
Easy to adjust: add chilli oil at the end if you want heat, or skip it for a milder bowl.

Tips for Making This Recipe

Loosen the Sauce Gradually: add the noodle cooking water a little at a time, stirring as you go, rather than all at once. This gives you better control over the sauce’s consistency and stops it from becoming too thin.
Choose the Right Doufuru: doufuru varies in saltiness between brands, and it’s best to avoid the spicy variety for this recipe, as it can easily overpower the other flavours. For heat, drizzle over your favourite chilli oil at the end instead.
Taste and Adjust the Vinegar: the amount of vinegar can be adjusted up or down depending on how much tang you prefer.

Final Thoughts

Peanut Butter and Doufuru Noodles is exactly the kind of dish worth keeping in your back pocket, a handful of pantry ingredients and a few minutes are all it takes for a properly satisfying bowl of noodles. It’s a good one for the days you want something comforting without much fuss.

Peanut Butter and Doufuru Noodles

Wanting

A rich, savoury and satisfying bowl of noodles that comes together in minutes, tossed in a creamy peanut and fermented tofu sauce. Perfect for a lazy cooking day when you want something comforting without much effort.

Print Recipe

Course Lunch, dinner

Cuisine Asian, Taiwanese

Ingredients

1 pack of Asian noodles
1 tbsp sesame seeds
½ tsp finely chopped garlic
1 cube doufuru (fermented tofu) about 10g
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
½ tbsp balsamic vinegar or black vinegar
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp noodle cooking water
A small handful of finely sliced spring onion, forgarnish
A few drops of crispy chilli oil, for drizzling optional

Instructions

Make the sauce: In a bowl, combine the sesame seeds, garlic, doufuru, peanut butter, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce until smooth. Adjust the amount of vinegar to suit your preferred level of tang.
Cook the noodles: Cook the noodles in boiling water according to the packet instructions.
Adjust the consistency: When the noodles are nearly done, spoon a little of the noodle cooking water into the sauce mixture to loosen it to your preferred consistency.

Add the noodle cooking water a little at a time, stirring as you go, rather than all at once. This gives you better control over the sauce's consistency and stops it from becoming too thin.

Toss and serve: Drain the noodles and toss with the sauce. Garnish with spring onion and a drizzle of chilli oil if using. Serve immediately.

Notes

Keyword 15 minutes, Noodles, Vegetarian