This is a dream salad for those who love to eat a big bowl of delicious noodles. With the Citrus Ginger Tofu Soba Noodle Salad you can do this…guilt-free! The soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour so it’s high in fiber, high in protein and packed with many essential vitamins and minerals. Best of all it has about half the calories and carbohydrates as traditional spaghetti noodles. This means you can simply eat a normal portion and consume less calories. Or do what i always do…eat double the amount!
Soba noodles are widely eaten in Japan for their amazing nutrition and health benefits. It’s no wonder Japan is ranked #2 as the Healthiest Country in the World (falling behind #1 Monaco), according to research conducted by Health Fitness Revolution in 2017. Simply put, the Japanese eat very well, with soba noodles being one of their most popular dishes in Japanese food culture.
So get out the biggest bowl you have and fill it up with some Citrus Ginger Tofu Soba Noodle Salad. The more you eat the healthier you’ll be.
This recipe is adapted from Food52 (by Poppies and Papayas). I’ve revised the proportions to feed my family of 5+. The vegetables that you use can be flexible so use your favorites or use up what you have in your refrigerator. This meal is vegan, and if you use soba noodles that are made with 100% buckwheat then it is gluten-free too.
Citrus Ginger Tofu Soba Noodle Salad
When you have soba noodles, crunchy vegetables, marinated tofu and an amazing citrus marinade you're going to want it in the biggest bowl you can find.
Ingredients
- TOFU MARINADE:
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup tamari
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 package (500g) extra firm tofu
- SALAD MARINADE:
- Zest of 2 limes
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- leftover marinade from the tofu marinade
- NOODLES AND VEGETABLES:
- Approximately 540g soba buckwheat noodles
- 1 mango, approximately 1/2'' cubed
- 1 cucumber, sliced in matchsticks
- 1 cup kale, cut into ribbons
- 1/2 cup carrots, julienned
- *NOTE: Vegetables are flexible. Above are suggestions. Use your favorites or use up what you have in your refrigerator.
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- Few basil leaves, chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius).
- Step 2 MAKE THE TOFU MARINADE. In a medium bowl combine all the tofu marinade ingredients (except the tofu itself). Blend well and set aside.
- Step 3 Cut the tofu into approximately 1/2″cubes. In a baking pan pour enough tofu marinade to cover the bottom. Then add in your tofu cubes making sure there is no overlap. Pour the remaining tofu marinade over the top of the tofu.
- Step 4 Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Stir and flip and bake for another 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon scoop out the tofu and place onto a plate and allow to cool. Reserve the remaining tofu marinade (you will need this for the salad marinade in step 5).
- Step 5 MAKE THE SALAD MARINADE: In a medium bowl add all the salad marinade ingredients. Mix well and set aside.
- Step 6 Cook the soba noodles as described on the package. It usually only takes about 3-4 minutes in boiling water. Rinse with cold water. Drain well.
- Step 7 PREPARE THE SALAD: Put the soba noodles in a big bowl. Add in your vegetables and salad marinade. Combine. Add tofu cubes. Sprinkle chopped cilantro (and basil if using) and toasted sesame seeds on top before serving. For an extra kick, drizzle some sriracha over the top.
- Step 8 Can be served cold (my personal preference) or room temperature. Keeps very well in the fridge for 2 days. Actually tastes better the next day because the flavors have time to blend.