Sesame Noodle Salad with Tofu
TIME/SERVINGS
Makes: 2 servings
By Max La Rivière-Hedrick and Sarah Mastracco
This recipe from our Cubicle Cuisine feature makes two servings, so you’ve got enough to share with your cubemate or some extra for a late-night snack.
What to buy: Udon noodles are Japanese wheat noodles. They can be found in gourmet grocery stores, in Asian markets, or online. If you are having a hard time finding them, you can substitute soba noodles or whole-wheat linguine or spaghetti.
- 4 ounces dry buckwheat or udon noodles
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 medium garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
- Red chile flakes, to taste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 scallion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 medium hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook noodles according to the package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water until noodles are cool, and drain again; set aside.
- Heat a medium frying pan over high heat. Add canola oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Place tofu in the pan and cook until golden brown; flip and repeat. Remove tofu and drain on a paper towel. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Add sesame oil, ginger, and garlic to the warm pan. Cook over low heat to infuse the oil with the flavors (do not let the garlic and ginger brown). Remove from heat and add chile flakes, soy sauce, and sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Scrape ginger mixture into a mixing bowl with a rubber spatula. Add scallion and lemon juice, and mix. Add noodles, cucumber, and bell pepper; toss to combine.
Beverage pairing: Clean Slate Riesling, Germany. This wine results from a partnership between German and American interests, hence the comprehensible, non-Teutonic name. But it’s simple: Pure citrus, ginger, and mineral notes make it a perfect match for the noodle salad, and its hint of sweetness means that you can ramp up the chile as much as you want.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
just a clarification...are you SURE you used 2 tablespoons of sesame oil??? are we talking ..toasted sesame oil???
Thanks
I'm with CF derek -- the proportions for the dressing seem to be way off. 2 T. dark sesame oil and only 1 T. soy sauce doesn't seem right.
I also use less sesame oil. But my suggestion is to toss the noodles with ice cubes (then remove them) before mixing and serving.
Haven't tried this recipe because the notion of cooking buckwheat noodles until "tender" is too odd to contemplate.
I really enjoyed this recipe quite a bit. It allows for a lot of variation (we added mushrooms instead of tofu) and I love the combination of spicy and cold noodles.
We went back in the test kitchen with this recipe and have edited it to reflect the changes. Thanks for all your feedback!
imade this and it was excellent, although i thought it called for too much tofu.
I love cold sesame noodles. I also add about 2 tbsp of peanut butter to (1 tsp of) sesame oil, garlic, chilies and ginger. Also jullienned cucumbers, green onions and sometimes mangoes. This is one of my favourite summer dishes!
made this last night. loved it except for the tofu part. i agree too much tofu. cold fried tofu doesnt quite do it for me. will consider maybe some shiitakes instead. decreased the sesame oil to 1 tblspn after reading earlier comments. worked out fine.