Sesame Soba Noodle Bowl with Crispy Tofu

Ingredients

• Ginger

  Spices, ground

  100g

• Garlic

  Raw

  2 clove or 6g

• Rice wine vinegar

  ⅓ cup or 79g

• Soy sauce

  Regular sodium, Shoyu

  ⅓ cup or 85g

• Tahini

  Dips and Spreads - Wegmans

  4 tblsp or 60g

• Sesame oil

  Salad or cooking

  2 tbsp or 27g

• Crushed red pepper flakes

  ½ tsp or 0.2g

• Tofu

  Raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate

  100g

• Carrots

  Raw

  3 medium or 183g

• Scallions

  Spring onions or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw

  2 medium or 30g

• Cornstarch

  3 tbsp or 23g

• Vegetable oil

  Natreon canola, high stability, non trans, high oleic (70%)

  2 tbsp or 28g

• Noodles

  Egg, cooked, unenriched, with added salt

  255g

• Sesame seeds

  Seeds, whole, dried

  100g

Directions

1. Drain 1 block extra-firm tofu. Wrap the block in a few layers of paper towels, then set on a dinner plate. Weigh it down with a heavy object such as a skillet, pot, or large can, and let sit for at least 15 minutes to drain.
2. Peel and finely grate 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger (about 3 tablespoons) and 2 garlic cloves, and place both in a large bowl. Add 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce, 1/4 cup tahini, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine and set aside.
3. Peel 3 medium carrots, then shave them into long ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Thinly slice 2 medium scallions (white and green parts); set both aside.
4. Remove the weight, pat the tofu dry with a dry paper towel, and slice it into 12 cubes. Place the cubes in a large zip-top bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce, seal the bag, and toss to coat. Set aside for 10 minutes to marinate. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
5. Once the tofu is done marinating, open the bag, sprinkle 3 tablespoons cornstarch over the tofu, seal the bag, and toss again to coat.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a cast iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the tofu cubes in a single layer and cook undisturbed until the bottoms are deep golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the tofu and continue to pan-fry until all sides are well-browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the browned tofu to a wire rack while you cook the soba noodles.
7. Add 1 (8 to 10-ounce) package dried soba noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain the noodles, add them immediately to the bowl of sauce (do not rinse), and toss well to coat. Add the shaved carrots and toss again.
8. Divide the noodles between 4 bowls. Top with the crispy tofu, sliced scallions, along with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes, if desired.
9. Recipe by: Sheela Prakash (source: https://www.thekitchn.com/sesame-soba-noodle-bowl-with-crispy-tofu-22988259)

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