Savory Sweet Potato Noodles

Looking for some Thai-inspired flavors for your taste buds with plant-based ingredients for your stomach? Try this sweet potato noodle dish. It’s a way to do gluten-free noodles while also getting in more plants. Plus, my sweet potato noodles recipe is easy to make and enjoy!

Asian fusion is a popular “family night out” dinner in our house. Panda Express is usually Ryan’s vote and Pei Wei is mine. When we splurge, PF Changs can make it out on top.

Yet I usually don’t feel too great after eating at any of those places. My knuckles swell from the sodium levels and my tummy gurgles from all the highly refined oils and sweeteners. I down cup after cup of water to no avail.

To combat this feeling, yet still enjoy the flavors I love, I created my own plant-based take on Pad Thai using delicious sweet potatoes. It’s a gluten-free dinner my whole family can enjoy and I can feel great afterwards.

Table of Contents

1. Ingredients for Sweet Potato Noodles Recipe
2. Easy Ingredient Swaps
3. Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Noodle Options
4. Sweet Potato Noodles Recipe
5. More Sauce Pairings
6. Sweet Potato Noodles Recipe

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Noodles Recipe

This delicious recipe has two components: the noodles themselves and a gorgeous almond sauce.

For the Almond Butter Sauce:

• Yellow onion: I love the mild, buttery flavor of yellow onions in savory dishes.
• Ginger root: While you can use ground ginger in a pinch, fresh ginger will make your flavors pop in the best way.
• Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic pairs well with the onion and fresh ginger to add some punchy flavor.
• Almond butter: I use homemade almond butter so I know exactly what’s in it and bring out the creamiest result.
• Tamari: This is a gluten-free version of soy sauce with all the same flavor.
• Lemon juice: Fresh-juiced lemon brings a lovely brightness to this dish.
• Honey: Brings a nutty sweetness to the dish without going overboard.
• Spices: Smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, sea salt and ground black pepper are how I seasoned the sauce to bring out the Thai-inspired flavor I was looking for.
• Water: Since almond butter is pretty thick, I use a little water to thin out the sauce to make it more pourable.

For the Noodles:

• Sweet potatoes: I scrub them well then use a spiralizer to create absolutely delicious noodle shapes!
• Coconut oil: This is my most-used oil in cooking because it is a healthy fat that does not burn under high heat.
• Sea salt + ground black pepper: These spices help bring out the flavor in the sweet potatoes.

For serving I like to use chopped green onions, fresh parsley and my Simple Vegan Coleslaw.

Easy Ingredient Swaps

As I said above, ground ginger can be used in place of fresh ginger root, though it won’t be as flavorful. If you can’t use nuts then swap the almond butter with sunflower butter.

For a less oniony taste, use shallots in place of the yellow onion. To be completely soy-free, swap tamari with coconut aminos. For a vegan dish, swap honey with maple syrup.

Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Noodle Options

Did you know how easy it is to spiralize veggies? I love all the creative gluten-free noodle options besides sweet potato noodles. I use zoodles (spiralized zucchini) when making my to-go ramen recipe. Zoodles are also delicious topped with almond butter sauce.

Spaghetti squash comes already ‘pre-noodled.’ All you have to do is slice in half, bake and scoop to bring some delicious gluten-free squash noodles to the table. Top them with a traditional pasta sauce, or make my Mediterranean-style recipes.

Butternut squash is another great option that you would spiralize the same way as sweet potatoes. Try a few and maybe find a new favorite to bring to the next pasta dinner.

Sweet Potato Noodles Recipe

There are three key components that go into this flavorful noodle recipe:

Sweet potato noodles

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to avoid the noodles sticking to the sheet.
2. Use a hand-held spiralizer, or invest in an appliance to spiralize the sweet potatoes. Once you’ve got a bowl of noodles, coat them in olive oil, sea salt and ground black pepper.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until tender and golden. I start checking for doneness around the 10-minute point, to ensure I don’t burn the noodles. Check again periodically until they are thoroughly cooked.

Almond Butter Sauce

1. In a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, finely chop the onion, ginger and garlic. Add the almond butter, tamari, lemon juice, honey and spices and process until combined. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed.
2. While the motor is running, pour the water into the processor (if yours has the capability). Keep processing until a thick, creamy sauce forms.

Cashew slaw

This vegan coleslaw is so creamy, you won’t miss the dairy! The cashews pack a protein punch while the cabbage and carrots provide great color, as well as crunch. While traditional coleslaws are full of processed ingredients, dyes and chemicals, this delicious contains plant-based, whole-food ingredients, that complement the sweet potato noodles perfectly.

For this recipe, I toss the sweet potato noodles in the oven, though they can also be sautéd on the stovetop. A cast iron skillet does a great job of crisping them.

More Sauce Pairings

Sweet potato noodles are actually quite versatile. They pair well with both sweet and savory sauces, as well as other veggies. Here are some of my favorite sauce recipes to pair with these gluten-free noodles:

• Vegan pesto (five ways!): Pesto sauce is packed with nutrients. It’s delicious on a variety of veggies.
• Hemp heart sauce: The original recipe for this sauce has cubed sweet potatoes, yet these can be spiralized instead for a fun new take.
• Almond butter sauce: This sauce recipe is a favorite among many. Creamy, perfectly spiced and warming.
• Coconut Sriracha: All time favorite sauce for a creamy, punch of spice.

Have you tried sweet potato noodles yet? Leave a comment and let me know how you like them and don’t forget to rate this recipe!