Name: Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu [vegan]
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 400 g extra-firm tofu; 3 Tbsp tamari sauce; 3 tsp dark brown sugar; 1 tsp garlic powder; 2 Tbsp cornflour; 3-4 Tbsp vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon salt; 150 g sugar snap peas; 125 g asparagus tips; 180 g soba noodles (2 bundles/6.4oz in total); 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 2 medium carrots, peeled; 6 to 7 radishes; 1 medium red pepper; 150 g can corn, rinsed and drained; handful watercress; 4 to 5 Tbsp lime juice; 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 3 to 4 tsp toasted sesame oil; 3 tsp tamari; 3 tsp brown sugar; 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger root; 1 garlic, grated; 1 to 2 tsp cider vinegar; 3 spring onions, sliced; handful fresh coriander, chopped; Chopped salted peanuts, optional

5 from 1 vote

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Looking for a healthy and delicious vegan meal? Try this Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu recipe. It’s easy to make and packed with flavour!

Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu [vegan] by The Flexitarian

If you’re looking for a fresh and flavourful vegan meal, try this Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu recipe. Tossed in a zingy lime dressing, this dish is delicious, easy to make, and packed with healthy seasonal ingredients like asparagus and watercress. The crispy tofu adds a satisfying crunch to every bite.

For a summer alternative try my Asian vermicelli noodle salad (with smoked tofu) or grilled halloumi salad with nectarines.

How to make this Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu

Before you start making this delicious vegan Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu, make sure you have all the necessary ingredients. You’ll need soba noodles, tofu, asparagus, sugar snap peas, carrots, radishes, red pepper, corn, watercress, scallions, coriander, and a few other ingredients to make the dressing. Once you have everything ready, you can start cooking!

Watch my video below to see how to make it.

Press the tofu first

The first step is to press the tofu for at least 20 minutes. This will help remove excess water and allow the tofu to absorb more flavours and have a crispier texture. You can use a tofu press or wrap the tofu slab in a clean towel and press it between 2 plates by securely placing something heavy on top.

Prepare the vegetables

While the tofu is being pressed, prepare some of the raw vegetables by cutting the carrots into thin strips using a sharp knife or a Julienne peeler. Slice the radishes and dice the red pepper.

Cook the noodles and vegetables

To make sure not to overcook the soba noodles, and the sugar snap peas and asparagus I prefer cooking them in two different pans. They should take about 4 minutes each. The vegetables should still be crunchy and the soba noodles should still have a bite. Once done, I drain each pan separately and rinse the peas, asparagus and soba noodles under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Make the dressing for this soba noodle salad

The zingy lime dressing is made by whisking together lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, toasted sesame oil, tamari, brown sugar, fresh ginger, garlic, and cider vinegar. Once the dressing is ready, toss it with the soba noodles and the vegetables. Leave the flavours to develop while you cook the tofu.

Cook the tofu until crispy

To achieve the perfect texture for this vegan Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu recipe, it’s important to toss the tofu into cornflour first and cook it until it’s crispy. This takes about 5 minutes, depending on the size of your tofu cubes and the heat of your pan. Be sure to flip the tofu occasionally to ensure it browns evenly on all sides. Once the tofu is crispy and golden brown, remove it from the pan and transfer it to a plate lined with some kitchen towel to absorb any extra oil. Add the tofu pieces to the salad. Top with spring onions, coriander and peanuts.

Here are more Asian-inspired recipes you may like to try:

I hope you enjoy this Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu recipe as much as we do. If you do make it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu [vegan]

Looking for a healthy and delicious vegan meal? Try this Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu recipe. It's easy to make and packed with flavor!

5 from 1 vote

DieTARY CHOICEDairy-Free Recipes, Egg-Free Recipes, Soya-Free Recipes, Vegan Recipes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Pressing tofu time 20

Total Time 40

Course Salads

Cuisine Asian

Servings people

Calories 385 kcal

Equipment

1 tofu press

2 saucepans

Julienne peeler

1 large salad bowl

Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.

Ingredients

FOR THE CRISPY TOFU:

400 g extra-firm tofu
3 Tbsp tamari sauce
3 tsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp cornflour
3-4 Tbsp vegetable oil

FOR THE SALAD:

1 teaspoon salt
150 g sugar snap peas
125 g asparagus tips
180 g soba noodles (2 bundles/6.4oz in total)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 medium carrots, peeled
6 to 7 radishes
1 medium red pepper
150 g can corn, rinsed and drained
handful watercress

FOR THE DRESSING:

4 to 5 Tbsp lime juice
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 to 4 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 tsp tamari
3 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger root
1 garlic, grated
1 to 2 tsp cider vinegar

TOPPINGS:

3 spring onions, sliced
handful fresh coriander, chopped
Chopped salted peanuts, optional

Instructions

Press the tofu for at least 20 minutes to extract as much water as possible. You can use a tofu press or wrap the tofu slab in a clean towel and press it between 2 plates by securely placing something heavy on top.
Prepare the vegetables: cut the carrot into thin strips using a sharp knife or a Julienne peeler. Cut the radishes into thin slices. Stem and deseed the red pepper and cut it into thin dice.
Cook the noodles and vegetables: Heat some water in 2 large saucepans under high heat. When boiling, add ½ teaspoon of salt to each saucepan.
Add the sugar snap peas and asparagus to the first saucepan, and the soba noodles to the second. Cook both pans for around 4 minutes. Keep a close eye to make sure to overcook these ingredients. The sugar snap peas and asparagus should still be crunchy and the soba noodles should still have a bite.
Once done, drain each pan separately and rinse the peas, asparagus and soba noodles under cold water. Drain well. Place the noodles in a large mixing bowl and toss in 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Set aside.
Make the dressing: whisk all the ingredients for the dressing in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
Combine all the salad ingredients with the soba noodles and toss everything in the salad dressing.
Cook the tofu: Cut the drained tofu into 1.5-cm / 1/2-inch dice and place in a medium mixing bowl. Toss the tofu dice in tamari sauce, brown sugar, and garlic powder. Coat all over with corn flour.
Heat some 3 to 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large frying pan under high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the tofu dice. Cook until golden and crispy all over, about 5 minutes. To make sure the tofu does not burn, stir the pieces using a slotted spatula. Transfer to a plate lined with some kitchen towel.
Add the tofu pieces to the salad. Top with spring onions, coriander and peanuts.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 300gCalories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 12gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 1441mgPotassium: 460mgFiber: 3gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 4512IUVitamin C: 48mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 3mg

Find this recipe online:

Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu [vegan]

https://theflexitarian.co.uk/recipe-items/spring-soba-noodle-salad-with-crispy-tofu-vegan/

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Spring Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Tofu [vegan]