The trick to this recipe is using the pan sauce as a base for the sesame noodles. The noodles will get silky and glazy and become a perfect complement to the crispy tofu and pickled cucumbers. This recipe is part of the 2019 Feel Good Food Plan, our ten-day plan for starting the year off right.
Recipe information
Yield
2 servings
Ingredients
2
1
5
1
¼
3
1
¼
4
2
3
Preparation
Step 1
Toss cucumbers and a few pinches of salt in a colander. Let sit until salt begins to draw out water from cucumbers, about 5 minutes. Massage cucumbers, gently at first to keep them from breaking, then more vigorously as they start to expel water. Drain and squeeze out excess liquid again. Transfer cucumbers to a small bowl. Add ginger and 1 Tbsp. vinegar and toss to combine. Chill until ready to use.
Step 2
Whisk chile, soy sauce, honey, and 3 Tbsp. vinegar in a medium bowl.
Step 3
Cut tofu into 9 square-ish pieces by cutting the block into thirds, then cutting each third crosswise into 3 pieces. Pat dry.
Step 4
Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Cook tofu, undisturbed, until very crisp and dark brown underneath, 4–5 minutes. Transfer tofu to a plate; wipe out skillet. Heat skillet over medium-high. Return tofu to skillet and add soy sauce mixture (reserve medium bowl; you’ll use it again). Cook, turning tofu occasionally and reducing heat to medium if needed, until glaze is almost thick enough to coat a spoon, about 4 minutes.
Step 5
Meanwhile, cook soba noodles according to package directions; drain. Do not rinse noodles, even if the instructions tell you to—you want them to stay warm.
Step 6
Transfer tofu to a plate, leaving sauce in pan. Pour sauce into reserved medium bowl. Whisk in tahini and remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar. Add noodles and toss until coated with sauce.
Step 7
Divide noodles among bowls. Top with tofu, pickled cucumbers, and scallions.
Leave a Review
Reviews (102)
Back to TopBased on comments from others, I doubled the sauce and I browned the tofu on both sides. I couldn’t find Persian cucumbers in the market and used a hot house variety sliced thin, added the ginger and a pinch of Kosher salt skipping the whole process of trying to draw the water out of the cucumbers. I also sautéed onions and bell peppers after step 4 and added the veggies to the dish at the end along with the tofu. Finally, I used 8 ounces of whole wheat thin spaghetti, removed the skillet from heat and whisked in the tahini without removing the sauce to a separate bowl. Served with sriracha and roasted unsalted peanuts along with the cucumbers and scallions. Really good
VA FUDI
Williamsburg, VA
3/7/2023
This was very good, but goodness, the directions to not rinse the soba noodles are disastrous. A sticky clump! Next time I'll rinse the noodles and add the tahini and vinegar to the sauce still in the saucepan, then toss the noodles there over low heat to warm. Probably cook them one minute less than the package directions so they don't turn to mush. Also, I always double the sauce for tofu recipes, and that worked fine here using a bit more noodles to round it all out. I consider it a success.
nilssons
Boston, MA
10/20/2022
This is delicious. After reading a few comments we decided to sear both sides of the tofu, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. We served it with millet/brown rice ramen noodles and it was delicious. Thank you, Andy!
Stephani J.
Minneapolis
2/8/2022
Easy and super delicious dish!
Anonymous
New York, NY
1/26/2022
This is a family favorite.
Anonymous
Washington
11/20/2021
Such a great veggie recipe, it's now a staple in our kitchen. I make it at least 2x a month. That sauce is addictive, and the crispy tofu is perfect.
Fiona K
Dublin, Ireland
9/15/2021
I love this recipe!! Followed the recipe to a T. Definitely would make again.
Anonymous
2/8/2021