Sweet and Spicy Tofu With Soba Noodles

By Sarah Copeland

Sweet and Spicy Tofu With Soba Noodles
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(5,581)
Comments
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If you don’t cook tofu often (or even if you do), this unfussy tofu dish is for you: There’s no flour-dredging or shallow-frying, and no marinating at all. As long as you pat the tofu dry (a bit fussy, but not by much), the vegetable oil’s high smoke point will yield crisp edges, while the sesame oil imparts flavor, putting you well on your way to making tofu taste great. What’s more, a ginger-and-garlic-laced soy sauce coats noodles and tofu alike, giving you chopstick after chopstick of toothsome pleasure. Serve these warm or cold, and be generous with the cool, crispy vegetables on top, especially for summer picnics where you can stretch this to serve 6 or even 8 as a side.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1½(14-ounce) packages firm tofu, drained
  • 2tablespoons canola oil
  • 2tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1(8-ounce) package all-buckwheat soba noodles
  • 4garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1(1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1small bunch green onions, white and green parts separated, cut into 2-inch matchsticks
  • ⅓cup soy sauce or tamari
  • 3tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1teaspoon black pepper
  • Pinch of red-pepper flakes
  • 4mini or 1 large, thin-skinned cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 4radishes, thinly sliced
  • Handful of cilantro leaves, for serving
  • 1lime, cut in wedges, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

610 calories; 28 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 12 grams polyunsaturated fat; 65 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 37 grams protein; 1649 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

  1. Step 1

    Drain the tofu in a colander, or dry on paper-towel lined plate while you prep the remaining ingredients, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil for the soba noodles.

  2. Step 2

    Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. When the oil shimmers, add the tofu in a single layer, in batches if needed and cook until golden on all sides, turning as needed when the tofu releases easily from the pan, about 8 to 10 minutes total. Lift the tofu out of the pan with a spatula and transfer to a new paper-towel-lined plate.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, cook the soba in boiling water for 5 to 8 minutes (or according to package directions), until just al dente, stirring frequently. Drain and rinse in cold water until the noodles no longer feel sticky.

  4. Step 4

    Add garlic, ginger and whites of the onions to the skillet, along with the remaining tablespoon sesame oil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the oil is fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

  5. Step 5

    Add cooked and drained soba noodles to the pan, along with soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, red pepper and reserved green onions; toss together until the noodles are coated. Gently toss in the tofu until all the pieces are covered in the sauce.

  6. Step 6

    Remove from the heat, and sprinkle cucumber, radish and cilantro on top. Serve warm or at room temperature, with lime.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
5,581 user ratings
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Comments

Jenny

Made for the 4th or 5th time last night - my whole family loves this dish. Baked the tofu w cornstarch and panko per another crispy tofu recipe in this site. Cooked the sauce including green onion for about a minute before adding the noodles. Scooped out the “sauced” noodles into bowls then added the tofu to the pan and tossed in leftover sauce. Much easier than trying to toss with the noodles, I’ve found. Adding lime juice to the finished bowls (plus cuke etc) is key to the delicious sauce!

Patty

Use the hack of tossing the tofu w cornstarch and the oils and baking on parchment paper covered cookie sheets at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. It makes the dish even simpler to cook.

Caitlin

If you don't have time to dry/press the tofu, cut into slabs and microwave for 2 minutes. The heat causes the proteins in the tofu to constrict and expel water. Then you can drain and pat dry. I do this whenever I stir fry tofu and it takes much less time.

Lishvz

Enjoyed this recipe very much. I used less of the noodles 6 ounces and added rice vinegar over the fresh veggies on top. Delicious!

Stevie

I thought this recipe was delicious, but I don't think it serves 6-8 people. My husband and I split this for dinner, and there was none left.

Laurieb

Fantastic - here are my tweaks: Use TJs sprouted tofu, sliced in ¼ - ½ thick slices, prepare dish with potato starch and a little garlic, red pepper, salt, and black sesame seeds Modified Steps 4 - 6 - After you LIGHTLY saute vegies, add the sauce, stir to coat; remove add the noodles; mix to coat; plate the noodles, add the cooked veggies and tofu, top with cucumbers, radishes, green onions, cilantro and lime o You can make a little extra sauce if you want – but we did not need it

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