This one's a keeper. It's going in my recipe rolodex for sure. Just kidding, I don't have one of those. But seriously, this is a dish I wouldn't mind having daily weekly. I love soba noodles. Oftentimes soba and peanut butter get married together, so it's nice to have a soba noodle recipe in your back pocket that doesn't involve peanut butter. Especially if you've got nut allergies, like my BFF.
Soba noodles mingle with a sweet ginger-sesame sauce and tangle with crispy tofu, sauteed asparagus, and fresh cilantro. This is great dish for introducing meat eaters to the wonderful word of vegan food, and how great it really is.
Seriously, who isn't going to love this? On a separate note...it's World Spay Day. Just a friendly reminder to get your furry children fixed!
Sweet Ginger Soba Noodles + Crispy Tofu & Asparagus
Serves 6
Notes: The trick to browned, crispy tofu is saute dry tofu. I like to buy the super firm sprouted tofu that comes vacuumed sealed, as opposed to the type that comes in the plastic bin. There's less water and I don't need to press the tofu. Also, be sure to towel it off before sauteing to remove any residual wetness.
- Sauce:
- 3/4 cup green onions, sliced thinly
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. agave nectar
- 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. fresh chili paste
- Sustenance:
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 10 oz. extra firm tofu, cubed small
- 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and sliced thinly
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
- splash of soy sauce
- 9 oz. soba noodles, dry
- Garnish:
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- red pepper flakes
- sesame seeds
In a medium bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Set aside for later.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the noodles.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan heat 1 tsp. of sesame oil over low heat. Towel off any residual wetness from the tofu and the asparagus and add them to the pan, along with the brown sugar and ginger. Turn the heat to medium-high and saute until the tofu is browned, about 10 minutes. When done, add a splash of soy sauce and stir.
When there's about 5 minutes left for the tofu, add the soba noodles to the boiling water. Cook according to package, this is often 4 minutes in the water, drain and set aside.
Return the noodles back to the pot, add the sauce and the tofu and asparagus. Stir well to combine.
Serve hot and topped with more fresh cilantro, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds.
You should definitely jam out to The Cars – Just What I Needed with me.
Good deed of the day: Sign this petition by Emergency Wildlife Services to have General Mills change the design of the Yoplait yogurt cups. I don't consume dairy and I suspect a good deal of you don't either, but it's well known that something needs to change with regards to the design of the Yoplait yogurt cups. Wildlife often get stuck in them and die. In fact, when I did eat yogurt (when I was ignorant to the atrocities of the dairy industry...) I didn't buy Yoplait for this exact reason. Nothing will change if we don't!
German word of the day: Asparagus --> Spargel (pronounced: shpar-gull)
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