(Adapted from Gourmet via Smitten Kitchen.)
This recipe makes four large servings.
For peanut dressing:
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup warm water
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
For the noodles:
3/4 lb dried soba noodles
4 or 5 scallions, thinly sliced
Half or more of a seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
2 carrots, chopped or grated
1 cup firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed
1 or 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
Heat the peanut oil over a medium high heat. Fry the tofu, stirring occasional, until golden brown. Set aside.
Process the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. (We can fit everything in our Cuisinart mini prep, but it’s tight.)
Cook noodles in boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water.
Add noodles, scallions, veggies, and tofu to dressing, tossing to combine. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.
We make these noodles a lot, and would make them even more often if they weren’t so heavy. Good to serve when having vegetarians over for dinner.
The veggies in this recipe can be swapped out, as can the tofu. It’s very forgiving. The original called for bell peppers instead of the carrots. Use whatever you have on hand.