I’ve found that my blog is very lacking in vegetarian recipes, so here’s one to add to the books! These are my favorite sesame soba noodles that I love making on weeknights, or meal prepping for lunch! I’ve made this recipe numerous times, sometimes even using zoodles, and it always leaves me feeling satisfied and practically licking the bowl.
The sauce is the key to this dish and it is creamy, tangy, spicy and goes perfectly with the toasty tofu. I used to be hesitant about adding peanut butter to savory dishes, but after trying it out, I’ve found that it adds a wonderful creamy, nuttiness to many dishes, including this one! These sesame soba noodles are spicy, but the peanut butter in the sauce helps to mellow out the spice! If you don’t have sambal olek you can also substitute with sriracha!
The most difficult part of this dish is definitely having the patience to thoroughly brown the tofu. After cubing your tofu, make sure to pat it dry and then don’t touch it until it is browned on the bottom. If you really want good crunch, you can toast all 6 sides of the tofu, but I only toast two before I get too hungry. Feel free to add some protein other than tofu! This dish would also go very well with some grilled chicken, or shrimp!
If you’re looking for more simple recipes featuring tofu, check out my recipe for Dooboo Kimchi!
Spicy Sesame Soba Noodles with Fried Tofu
Ingredients
- 3 bundles Soba noodles
- 1/2 block Firm tofu
Sesame Sauce
- 1/2 cup Peanut butter
- 1/8 cup Sanbal Olek
- 1/4 cup Rice vinegar
- 1/8 cup Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1/4 cup Sesame oil
- 3 cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 inch Knob ginger Grated
Instructions
- Add all sauce ingredients to a bowl and mix. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook soba noodles according to package instructions. Rinse noodles with cold water and set aside.
- Cut tofu into bite-sized cubes and pat dry with a towel. Heat up 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium high heat and add tofu. Cook on one side for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Add in 1/4 cup of sesame sauce and toss to coat. Turn off heat.
- Add remaining sauce to a large bowl with soba noodles and toss to coat. Serve topped with tofu, green onion, and sesame seeds.
