Loading

Tofu Chili Cold Noodles.

This is possibly my favourite springtime meal. When the farmers start stocking my favourite mixed greens at the market, I start making this almost daily. It conjures up thoughts of the early days of spring, when it is just beginning to warm up and the sun makes an appearance. I like to fill a big bowl with these refreshing noodles and sit on my porch, thinking about what I have to do to prepare my garden for the season. As you'll see, this recipe is incredibly easy and has endless substitution possibilities.

This recipe calls for light soy sauce, which has a lighter caramel colour and sweeter taste. Low sodium soy sauce will not do; it will blacken the noodles in a sickly salty way. If you can't find light Asian soy sauce, try tamari.

150 grams firm tofu, sliced into 1/4" rectangles
1/4 cup carrots, julienned
1 cup baby mixed greens*
1 red chili, seeded and minced
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. chili sauce (Sriracha, if you have it)
half squeezed lime
2 1/2 cups cooked rice vermicelli or whatever noodles you like, rinsed well under cold water
2 tbsp. vegetable oil

In a wok, heat oil over medium high heat. Shallow fry the tofu until golden brown, turning gently. This should take about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, and toss over heat for about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and drain on a papertowel.

In a large bowl, place your noodles. Make sure they aren't wet or sticky; if they clump together, rinse them under cold water to loosen them up. Top with your mixed greens, followed by the tofu-carrot mixture and chili.

Now, this is the point at which I will give you some culinary leeway. I like to simply pour the sauce ingredients over top and toss it up with some chopsticks, but you may prefer to mix them first in a bowl. The benefit to mixing in a bowl is that you can judge ahead of time how spicy your dressing is. I like all the chili I can get, so I go right ahead. Squeeze the lime over top and enjoy immediately!

Serves 2.

*Variations
You can substitute any greens here, so long as they are edible raw. Suggestions include arugula, mint, purple basil, cilantro, or flat-leaf (Italian) parsley. I often make this with parsley because it imparts an entirely different flavour to the dish. Also, feel free to use different noodles. Wheat noodles or bean thread work very well.

If you plan to make this dish ahead of time, make sure to leave the dressing out until the last moment, or else the noodles will absorb all of it and you'll be left with dry, bland salad.

Recommended music: Tilly and the Wall
Follow RecipesDream