Soba Noodle Salad with Soy and Lime Dressing
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Recipe Intro From bravotopchef
Last week on Bravo Top Chef All Stars, @chefmelissaking's dishes, including her Chilled Tofu Salad with Yuzu & Chili, took airline food to new heights in the Quickfire. This Tofu and Soba Noodle Salad draws inspiration from her dish and is perfect for warm summer days! Chilled soba noodles are the perfect blank slate for summer veggies and crispy tofu. Here’s a tip: use a vegetable peeler to peel carrots and cucumbers into wide ribbons. Opt for 100% buckwheat soba to keep this gluten-free, or swap in your favorite gluten-free noodle.
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For the Dressing:
ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
For the Soba Noodles and Tofu:
ingredients
- 1 (6 ounce) package soba noodles (gluten free if desired)
- 1 (16 ounce) block extra firm tofu, drained
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, as needed
- 1 medium cucumber, cut into ribbons
- 1 medium carrot, sliced into thin coins
- 1 cup edamame, cooked
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
For the Dressing:
Method
Step 1
Add all ingredients of the salad dressing to a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
For the Tofu:
Step 1
To make the tofu, place the drained tofu on a sheet pan lined with paper towels or an absorbent tea towel. Add more paper towels or another tea towel on top, followed by another sheet pan. Place something heavy on top of the sheet pan (cans, cast iron skillet, etc.) and let sit for about 30 minutes.
Step 2
Once the tofu has been pressed, cut it into 1-inch cubes and transfer to a large bowl. Add the salt and pepper and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the cornstarch to the seasoned tofu and toss to coat evenly.
Step 3
When ready to cook, add canola oil to a large heavy-bottomed skillet and heat over medium high heat. When oil is shimmering, add half of the tofu and fry on each side until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining tofu. Set cooked tofu aside on a cooling rack while you cook the soba noodles and prepare vegetables and salad dressing.
For the Soba Noodles and Assembly:
Step 1
Cook soba noodles in rapid boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse them with cold water and drain again. If noodles dry out or stick together before assembling, rinse and drain once more before assembling the salad.
Step 2
In a large salad bowl, add cooked soba noodles, fried tofu, cucumber ribbons, carrot coins, edamame, cilantro leaves, and prepared salad dressing. Toss to combine and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.