Tofu Noodles
Quick tofu noodles stir-fry with crisp vegetables, chewy ramen, and golden tofu in a sesame-soy sauce. A simple vegan Japanese dish ready in 20 minutes.
Servings: 2
Calories: 646kcal
Equipment
- 1 Large frying pan or wok
- 1 Large saucepan
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Strainer or colander
- 1 Wooden spatula
Ingredients
Main ingredients:
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 5 cm piece ginger, julienned
- ¼ medium cabbage (about 150 g), shredded
- ½ red pepper (about 85 g), diced
- 1 medium carrot (about 60 g), julienned
- 280 g block super firm tofu (280 g), cubed ~ 1 block
- 3 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 400 g fresh or frozen ramen noodles or dried - just use half the amount and cook according to packet instructions
- 1 teaspoon kombu dashi powder (optional)
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon mirin
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For garnish:
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- 5 cm piece of takuan pickled daikon (thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
- Slice the vegetables, garlic, and ginger. Cube the tofu. Slice the spring onion and takuan for garnish.
- Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add tofu, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and a splash of mirin. Stir-fry 2–3 minutes until browned and lightly caramelised.
- Add cabbage, red pepper, and carrot. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir-fry 1–2 minutes until the vegetables start to sear but still keep crunch.
- Cook noodles in boiling water for half the packet time. Drain well.
- In the same wok, heat the remaining sesame oil. Add noodles, dashi powder (if using), remaining sugar, soy sauce, and mirin. Toss quickly to coat.
- Return tofu and vegetables to the wok. Stir-fry 1 minute, tossing until combined and slightly charred.
- Serve immediately in bowls, topped with spring onion and takuan.
Video
Notes
Serve with:
- Pickled ginger or daikon
- Miso soup
- Vegan tempura
- A cold Japanese beer (see our Japanese beer guide for ideas)
- Edamame with sea salt
- Hot or iced mugicha (barley tea) or genmaicha for non-alcoholic
- Frozen noodles work best for their texture. I use Yutaka (my personal choice, not sponsored)
- Use a super firm tofu such as Tofoo brand (my personal choice, not sponsored) as it holds its shape while getting nice and crispy
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serve | Calories: 646kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 2551mg | Potassium: 825mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 6198IU | Vitamin C: 86mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 5mg
