Soba Noodle Salad with Sesame Glazed Tofu & Orange Sauce

Description

Chef's Note: Soba is a great meal base. You can top it with all kinds of crunchy vegetables from your refrigerator. The baked seasoned tofu and light, refreshing sauce are wonderful by themselves too!

40 min
4 servings

Ingredients

1 Tbsp
+ 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil (divided)
2 Tbsp
low-sodium shoyu or Bragg's Liquid Aminos (divided)
1 tsp
sambal chili paste
1 clove
garlic (mashed)
10 oz
firm tofu (drained & dried well)
2 Tbsp
sesame seeds
1/4 cup
orange juice (freshly squeezed)
1 Tbsp
honey or agave
1 Tbsp
fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp
salt
1 1/2 tsp
arrowroot powder
8 oz
soba noodles
1/2 cup
red bell pepper (sliced thin)
1/2 cup
carrot (finely julienned)
1 cup
cucumber (sliced)
1 cup
mung bean sprouts
1 cup
romaine lettuce or napa cabbage (julienned)
1/4 cup
green onions or cilantro (thinly sliced)
Prep Time:
20 min
Cooking Time:
20 min
Total Time:
40 min

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For the marinade, combine the 1 tbsp. sesame oil, 1 tbsp. shoyu or Bragg's, chili paste and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside. Cut the tofu into 1" cubes or slice ¼" thickness and cut into triangles for a variation on shape. Place tofu pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet. Baste tops with the marinade, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Then turn over to brown the other side; another 10 minutes.

While the tofu is baking, prepare the sauce by combining the orange juice, honey or agave, lemon juice, 1 tbsp. shoyu, 1 tsp. sesame oil, salt, and arrowroot powder in a small pot and heat to thicken. Stir occasionally. Set aside to cool. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water until noodles are cool. 

Toss noodles in a large bowl with a bit of sesame oil or other light oil and shoyu and chill in the refrigerator. Once fully chilled, add bell pepper, carrot, cucumbers, sprouts, lettuce and green onions into the noodles. Place on a platter topped with tofu and sauce on the side.