Soba Noodles with Tofu and Cucumber in a Soy-Vinegar Dressing

I love soba noodles. If you’re not familiar, soba noodles are the size of spaghetti and they are made from buckwheat. I eat them at least twice a week. They’re so easy and quick to cook up. I usually just boil them, add something green like broccoli or kale, add some tofu, and flavor with some sesame oil, braggs amino, and sesame seeds. Maybe I’ll top with some cilantro and avacado – just depends what I have around the house. They’re pretty tasty.

One of my favorite Soba dishes is called Otsu from the Super Natural Cooking Cookbook by Heidi Swanson. Here is how I make it!

The Dressing:
Fresh ginger, cut into a 1-inch cube, chopped
1 tablespoon agave
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup unseasoned brown-rice vinegar
1/3 cup shoyu sauce or braggs liquid amino
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

For the Protein:
1 block extra-firm tofu
Red Pepper Flakes
Sesame Oil
Sea Salt

The Rest:
8-10 ounces dried soba noodles
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced
1 small handful of cilantro sprigs, for garnish
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

 

Make the dressing by combining the ginger, agave, cayenne, and salt in a food processor (or use a hand blender) and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice, rice vinegar, and shoyu, and pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the oils.

Cook the soba in plenty of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender, then drain and rinse under cold running water.

While the pasta is cooking, drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut it into triangles. Make a rub with the sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and sea salt and coat both sides. Cook the tofu in a dry nonstick (or well-seasoned) skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side. Flip gently once or twice, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and a bit crispy on both sides.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, the ¼ cup cilantro, the green onions, cucumber, and about ⅔ cup of the dressing. Toss until well combined. Add the tofu and toss again gently. Serve on a platter, garnished with the cilantro sprigs and the toasted sesame seeds.

This is seriously one of my favorite dishes. Some other variations I like to make are adding some or all of the following: sautéed brussel sprouts, lightly cooked broccoli, sautéed kale or spinach, edamame, and shiitake mushrooms. I also like to top with avocado whenever I have that available. You really can’t go wrong with Soba Noodles. Anything Goes!