Soba Noodle Bowls with Marinated Tofu

Ingredients:

1 package soba noodles

1 package extra firm plain tofu

2 T corn starch

1 inch piece fresh ginger (peeled and minced)

2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup tamari

1/4 cup tahini

2 T sesame oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup carrot slices (or shaved carrots)

3-5 radishes (thinly sliced)

1 small bunch of fresh broccoli (cut into florets)

1 red bell pepper (sliced)

1 small punnet of portobello or shitake mushrooms (sliced)

1-2 roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash (peeled and cubed)

Fresh cilantro, sesame seeds and limes for garnish

Dressing:

Whisk together the ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, tamari, tahini, sesame oil and pepper flakes in a bowl until thoroughly incorporated. Set aside to use for the tofu marinade and to dress the noodles.

Meal Prep:

Prepare the tofu by draining thoroughly and use paper towels to dry as much as possible. You want your tofu to be super dry so it will be crispy when you pan saute. Once dry then slice into small cubes and place in a plastic gag with about 2-3 T of the dressing. Thoroughly coat and let sit to marinade while your prepare the noodles and veggies.

If using sweet potato or squash then roast these in a 400 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes first so they will be done with everything else. Prepare dried soba noodles according to the package directions. I like to cook mine only about 3-5 minutes (about half of what most cooking times say) otherwise the noodles get too mushy especially if making ahead of time. Once done, drain and rinse the noodles in cold water well to prevent them from cooking longer and to keep them a bit firm. Then quickly toss the drained/rinsed noodles in the remaining of the dressing. While the noodles are cooking you can cup up all your veggies you like-the ones listed are just some of my favorites. I like to lightly pan saute my peppers, broccoli and mushrooms for about 2-3 minutes just to soften them up a bit but you can use raw if you prefer.

Once the tofu has marinated for at least 10-15 minutes then toss 2 T of the corn starch in the bag and thoroughly mix. Pan saute the tofu on medium heat for about 4 minutes per side. Do NOT move the tofu around while cooking or they will fall apart easily. Once you reach the desired crispiness of the tofu then flip to the other side.

Meal Assembly:

The dressing and the meal prep can be done ahead of time to make for an easy dinner idea if you are having guests or just want to save time later. The only thing I would do last minute prior to assembly is saute the tofu so it is warm and crispy in the bowls. Once you have everything prepared, I like to assemble all ingredients in small bowls and then have family or guests make their own bowl with the ingredients they prefer. Have chopped cilantro, sesame seeds and fresh lime wednes to top the bowls with. This is a fun vegan meal idea for parties as well!