Tofu Soba Noodles
This quick and easy vegetarian noodle dish comes together in just 20 minutes – perfect for those busy weeknights!
I wish I was one of those people who scheduled blog posts before traveling. But being who I am and procrastinating until the very last minute, I’m actually writing this post on my iPhone on a bus in Iowa on my way to a corn farm.
I really have my priorities in order, right?
No, but really, I’m having a huge blast in Iowa right now and I absolutely cannot wait to share all of my photos with you once I’m back. From wine glasses over a cozy fire to beer tastings, there’s a part of me that wants to stay in Iowa forever! Although I think I’m in need of some boots first because apparently I’m the only LA girl in flip flops here.
But before I run around the corn fields taking pictures like a mad man, I really need to share one of my favorite weeknight meals. It’s a super easy and simple soba noodle dish that comes together in just 20 minutes! And with a tangy, refreshing dressing, crisp tofu cubes and crushed peanuts for that added crunch, you won’t be missing the meat in this protein-packed dish at all!
Tofu Soba Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 pound soba
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 14-ounce package firm tofu, cubed
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- Crushed peanuts, for serving
- Sriracha, for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions. Rinse under cold water and drain; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar and sesame seeds; set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add tofu and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes; set aside. Add cabbage, garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 1-2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine noodles, rice wine vinegar mixture, tofu, cabbage and green onions.
- Serve immediately, garnished with peanuts and Sriracha, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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This is the second time I’ve made this in two weeks!
🙂 I was initially worried about the amount of sesame oil, because (too often) I’ve added an extra drop to two to dishes by accident and it overloaded with the flavor, but there were no problems here at all! This dish is delicious, especially when cold, and my 16 month old loves it too. Thank you for the recipe, I will continue to enjoy it!
This is my first time on your site, as I was searching for a recipe to use tofu and soba noodles, which I have on hand in my kitchen in Dongguan, China. I was super busy with parent/teacher conferences (I’m both a teacher and a parent) and didn’t finish my menu for the week, so I grabbed some inexpensive tofu and figured I could use it with the soba noodles sitting in my cabinet and unused veggies. My VERY PICKY 17-year-old actually likes tofu, as long as it’s moderately firm and crisp when cooked, so this looks perfect for tonight. (She’ll pick out whatever vegetables I put in unless I add some julienned carrots.) I signed up for recipes, but I do hope I won’t get inundated. I love to cook and only wish my kids were more appreciative and had broader tastes. I’m always looking for new recipes and would especially love Asian variants, since those ingredients are abundant here and cheaper than imported western ingredients. Thanks! Nancy
I love tofu and noodles. This recipe is perfectly delicious! I just started my own blog and would love any input. ayellowpeach.com
Thank you for being so wonderful and posting all deliciousness!
Wow – this was damn dee-lish !! Adding a little sriracha totally elevated the senses. I have tried several of your recipes and I loved all of them. Thank you for sharing them, Chung-Ah. I am looking forward to making more. Stay well.
Ahhh thank you for this recipe. My family cleaned out my fridge of any possible left over lunch meals so I had to make something before work. I luckily had all the ingredients for this and so happy I made it. It really is damn delicious!
I was really looking forward to making this and had high hopes for it. I followed the instructions exactly, which I always do the first time I try a new recipe, but I the end it was just ok. All I could taste was vinegar. It really needed some more flavor.
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well. But I understand that we all have different taste preferences. Please remember that these recipes are a base and can be adjusted to your personal preferences.
I have made this four times since I first Pinned it. It’s wonderful…flavorful healthy, filling…also fantastic leftover and cold. I always hoard the leftovers, since this makes four generous servings! Mine is never quite as pretty as the photo (and my soba noodles are much browner) but no one is complaining! Thank you for this recipe, which was my intro to your blog.
Hello! Can’t wait to make this. I have a question – Does one package of soba noodles equal one pound? Or two packages? Thanks!
Laura, it really depends on the size of your package. Please refer to the weight on the package.
I just made this tonight. Very easy and my family really enjoyed it, but am wondering about the cabbage. I used Napa and am thinking regular green cabbage may have worked better. Or even bok choy. What kind of cabbage did you use? Thanks!
I’m so glad you gave this a try! I actually used regular green cabbage in this recipe. It’s light and mild, and goes perfectly for a simple noodle dish like this!
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Tofu is definitely a great addition to soba recipes. I use soba to add up to my noodle soup, by the way. Filling and delicious as well.
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I love tofu and equally love soba noodles! its been almost a year when I had soba noodles! I want these so bad now!
Looks good! But how do you get the tofu to maintain their cube shape? Whenever I attempt to cook tofu, it always falls to pieces ;-(
I recommend using firm tofu as well as draining/pressing to avoid this.
Just made this now. I Love It! Definitely putting this recipe in my recipe box.
I have everything for this recipe except the cabbage. Can I just leave it out? I have some spinach–would that work?
Spinach would be a wonderful substitute!
Dishes like this always catches my eye!! I love simple noodle dishes.
I just made this for my husband (a chef) and I and it was delicious and SUPER easy!!! He loved it, I loved it, and I even have some leftover for lunch tomorrow! Thanks!!!
Love all the singular elements in this dish, and would love having this as a cold salad lunch since we’re warming up here in Australia. Just perfect!
We love soba noodles! They are also perfect for serving cold!
I absolutely LOVE cold soba noodles, especially in the summertime!