Spicy Rice Noodles With Crispy Tofu and Spinach
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 12 to 14ounces firm tofu
- ½ to 1teaspoon kosher salt
- 1tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
- 2teaspoons sesame oil
- 1tablespoon cornstarch
- 1tablespoon panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
- 1tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
- 8ounces wide rice noodles
- 3tablespoons sesame oil
- 3tablespoons peanut oil
- 1garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 1(1-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1½teaspoons to 1 tablespoon red-pepper flakes, to taste
- 1tablespoon sesame seeds, plus more for garnish (optional)
- 1teaspoon kosher salt
- 1cup roughly chopped basil, packed
- 3large or 4 small scallions, roughly chopped
- 3cups baby spinach, packed
- ½lime
- Toasted sesame oil, for drizzling (optional)
For the Tofu
For the Rest
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
656 calories; 40 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 16 grams polyunsaturated fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 21 grams protein; 529 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. As the oven heats, press the tofu (you can do this by sandwiching the block in paper towels and placing a cutting board, plus a heavy pot, can or book on top).
- Step 2
Cut the tofu into ½-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl. Add the salt and oils, and toss to combine.
- Step 3
Sprinkle the cornstarch, panko and sesame seeds, if using, and toss gently so the tofu cubes are coated.
- Step 4
Spread on the prepared sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping once, until golden-brown and crisp.
- Step 5
While the tofu bakes, start the noodles: Put the dry rice noodles in a big, wide bowl. Fill a kettle, bring the water to a boil, and pour the boiling water over the noodles to cover. Set aside for 6 to 10 minutes, until the noodles are fully rehydrated and soft. (Time may vary by brand.) Then drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Transfer noodles to a large bowl.
- Step 6
As the noodles soak, prepare the spicy sesame oil: In a small pot, combine sesame oil, peanut oil, garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes and sesame seeds. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook on the lowest heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the garlic slices turn golden.
- Step 7
Meanwhile, on your cutting board, make a small mound with the teaspoon of salt. Place the basil and the scallions on top, and use your knife to furiously chop and smash until you have a rough paste.
- Step 8
Mix the basil paste into the bowl of rice noodles. Pile the baby spinach on top. Pour at least half of the hot oil immediately over the spinach, tossing so that the heat wilts the leaves slightly. Then add the juice of the ½ lime and toss to combine. Taste for salt and lime juice, and add more oil as you see fit.
- Step 9
Arrange the tofu on top of the noodles, or mix them in so that the cubes hide like little treasures. For extra flair, garnish with additional sesame seeds and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
Private Notes
Comments
We enjoyed this, but like others I felt it needed a little more sauce, and I probably would pesto-ize the basil and scallions in a different way next time. Recipe calls for wide rice noodles but I think linguine sized (like in picture) would have been better. I did 3 cloves of garlic instead of 1 and could have definitely done more. Would be nice to use some garlic crisps as garnish. I did blanched bok choy instead of spinach, which worked out well. Would be nice to add more greens altogether
This is fantastic! I used regular vegetable oil in place of the peanut oil, but tossed in a small handful of peanuts instead. The flavors work beautifully together and it has a fresh, light taste with great depth and a hint of heat. This is a wonderful vegan dish, one I’ll be making often. Love it!
I want my hour back. I followed the recipe, am a good cook with professional experience but yikes, for all the effort, so little payoff. Tofu flavorless and dry and none of the coatings stuck. I had semi-naked, shriveled 1/2 inch cubes and a pile of too-toasted lonely Panko crumbs wanting to bond to a big hunk of tofu but no go. We've all been there I guess. The "furious" chopping made a paste but with no complexity at all. The spicy oil is bland 1/2 lime isn't enough acid!
Used the crispy tofu technique and it’s going into the rotation. The cornstarch and panko combo really does it. (Can’t comment on rest of the dish but it’s a winner for the tofu alone.)
So flavorful!! This will go into the “family favorites” file. Easily adaptable, we had soba instead of rice noodles the first time we made this. Rice noodles were good the second time. Could sub in other leafy greens if no spinach on hand. Only change we made was to crisp the tofu in the air fryer rather than the oven. Oh, and black sesame seeds instead of regular (because that was what my husband found in the spice cupboard), which gave the tofu a fun polkadot look.
My 12 year old says this is a keeper, my 15 year old said I should be a prof chef after making this--yep, it's good. I added sugar snaps in the last minute of boiling the noodles. I subbed arugula for spinach (it was what was in the fridge)--better when slightly wilted rather than relying on the oil.