Creamy Vegan Tofu Noodles

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated Dec. 21, 2020

Creamy Vegan Tofu Noodles
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(3,117)
Comments
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There is no need to reserve this recipe exclusively for vegans: This noodle dish will win over any crowd, regardless of dietary dispositions. Here, tofu is blended with garlic, five-spice powder and water for a creamy yet weightless sauce that wraps around each noodle. The same technique can be used to create a lush dairy-free pasta sauce (just add nutritional yeast and fresh herbs) or a ranch-like dip (blitz silken tofu with garlic, onion powder and herbs). For this recipe, be sure to use firm tofu, as it has more body and makes for a heartier sauce. The creamy noodles provide the perfect backdrop for the spicy, punchy black vinegar sauce.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Noodles

    • ¾teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
    • 12ounces thick Chinese wheat noodles
    • 1(14-ounce) package firm tofu, broken into pieces
    • 2garlic cloves, sliced
    • ½teaspoon granulated sugar
    • ½teaspoon five-spice powder
    • ½cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus a few sprigs for serving
    • 2teaspoons sesame oil
    • Toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish

    For the Topping

    • 2tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar (black vinegar), or a combination of 4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
    • 1tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1tablespoon chile oil or chile crisp, such as Chiu Chow chile oil
    • 1scallion, finely chopped
    • 1(½-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

533 calories; 18 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 66 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 30 grams protein; 495 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

    Prepare the noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions until the noodles are just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well again.

  2. Step 2

    As noodles cook, prepare the topping: Add vinegar, soy sauce, chile oil, scallion, ginger and 1 tablespoon water to a small bowl and stir to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Place the tofu, garlic, sugar, five-spice and ¾ teaspoon salt into a blender or food processor and blend, adding about 6 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy. (You may need up to 12 tablespoons of water, depending on your tofu.)

  4. Step 4

    Place the noodles in a large bowl and pour the tofu sauce on top. Add the cilantro and sesame oil, and toss until coated.

  5. Step 5

    To serve, divide the noodles among bowls. Top with the spicy soy-vinegar sauce, sesame seeds and cilantro sprigs.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
3,117 user ratings
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Comments

Hannah K

We used silken tofu instead and it worked very well - didn’t need the extra water (think we even added less)

Scott

I loved this recipe and the only adjustment I’ll make next time is to add the starchy water from cooking the pasta to create the tofu sauce rather than plain tap. It was fine as is but I imagine using this water will make the sauce even creamier and bind to the pasta even better. Food for thought!

louise

Love this recipe. Used silken tofu (all I had on hand) and mistakenly blended cilantro and sesame oil with the other ingredients in step 3. Super yummy. One question: step 2 mentions ginger. Don’t see ginger in the ingredient list.

Canuxican

Unfortunately this recipe was not a hit for us. I thought that silken tofu would be better and I was right. We didn’t have any on hand, and our texture was off. Even with extra water. But even with that, the flavor just wasn’t a hit. The black vinegar sauce was good though. Also note, this is not a warm meal, if made per recipe.

thenitcherkitchen

I am doing the Plant-Based Whole 30, which differs from the Original in that it allows legumes, which gives tofu the green light. The sauce beautifully coated the zucchini noodles that I use and was plenty flavorful without the sugar. I sauteed some mushrooms and chopped garlic to put on top, as they contain vitamins that can be difficult to obtain from a plant-based diet (don’t quiz me on which ones lol). Will add to the rotation even after this experiment is over!

Margo

The tofu cream sauce was just a bit too weird for us. Loved the topping though and will make it for other dishes.

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