This is one of those recipes that the cookbook falls open to, that I’ve made so many times I’ve stopped measuring everything and just go by feel, and that I probably don’t go a week with out making.
The flavor is spicy, salty, sweet, and sour all at the same time thanks to the cayenne pepper, soy sauce, honey, and vinegar in the dressing. I added julienned carrots to the original recipe because I love the color and crunch they add.
(adapted from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson)
Dressing:
grated zest of 1 lemon
1-inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoons cayenne
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp sesame oil
Noodles:
12 oz dried soba noodles
12 oz extra firm nigari tofu
1/4 cup choped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 English cucumber, seeded and diced
1 medium carrot, julienned
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
To make dressing:
Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.
To make the noodles:
Cook the soba in rapidly boiling salted water according to package directions.
Drain and rinse with cold water
While pasta is cooking, cut the tofu into 1/2″ by 1″ rectangles that are about 1/2″ thick.
Cook in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown on all sides, tossing gently once or twice.
In a large bowl, combine the noodles, cilantro, green onions, cucumber, carrot, and about 2/3 cup dressing and toss until well combined.
Add the tofu and toss again gently.
Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.
This looks awesome… and reminds me of what I had for dinner last week at a restaurant. Thanks for posting this… I’ll have to give this a try!
That looks so good! So fresh and delicious!!
This is my favorite…its even better after it has sat in the fridge over night.
I love soba noodles! I’m usually really lazy when it comes to cookiing so I just eat it cold with some soya sauce for noodles and small drizzle of sesame oil. It looks a lot more delicious with all your vegetables!
That’s like me and ma po tofu – I make it so often I don’t even need the recipe anymore.
I just made this sans noodles and it was great. I think I’ll make it again tonight for dinner, but add in the pasta for a full-fledged side dish.