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Grilled Tofu with Cold Soba Noodles
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Cold Soba Noodles with Grilled Tofu

Grilled Tofu with Cold Soba Noodles
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: noodles, soba, tofu

Ingredients

  • 1 each package soba noodles (10 ounces or 4 bundles)
  • 1 each package extra firm tofu 15 ounces, sliced into 8 pieces

Tofu Marinade

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon chili garlic paste Sambal sauce

Garnish

  • 3 each green onions sliced thin on the diagonal
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted (black, white or both)
  • 3.5 ounces Maitake mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Dipping Sauce

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 ounce mirin
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 3/4 cup dashi* broth
  • 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • *Dashi is Kombu dried seaweed plus bonito tuna flakes. It has a smoky flavor. The dashi I have is imported from Japan and comes packaged like tea bags, but there are all different kinds.
  • This is not the brand I use but it is something like this (Amazon affiliate link); Dashi tea bags

Instructions

Marinate the Tofu:

  • In a small bowl, whisk together all the tofu marinade ingredients.
  • Slice the tofu into across into 8 even pieces. Pour half of the marinade into a 9'x13' baking dish. Lay the tofu pieces in a single layer across the bottom of the dish and pour the rest of the marinade over the tofu. Let marinate for about 1/2 hour.

Prepare the Dipping Sauce:

  • In a medium sized pot, combine all dipping sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer and allow to cool to room temperature.
  • Cook the soba noodles in a large pot of boiling water until tender but still firm. About 6-7 minutes. Rinse vigorously under cool running water to stop them from cooking and remove excess starch.

Prepare the garnishes;

  • Slice the green onions. Toast the sesame seeds in a small sauté pan for about 30 seconds. Heat a large sauté pan and add canola oil. Add the minced ginger and minced garlic to the oil and then add the mushrooms and sauté quickly, about 4-5 minutes until they are soft. Put each garnish ingredient in its own bowl.

Grilling the tofu:

  • Heat a ridged grill pan. If you don't have a grill pan you can sear the slices of tofu in a hot sauté pan or griddle. Spray the pan with a little oil and then lay down the pieces of tofu on an angle. Cook for about two minutes then, with a spatula, rotate each piece about 45 degrees. After another minute or so, flip them over and repeat. After they are grilled on both sides transfer the cooked pieces to a platter.

To assemble the dish:

  • Serve the dipping sauce in small cups. Put a couple of ounces of soba noodles in a bowl and top with green onions, sautéed mushrooms, sesame seeds and a piece or two of grilled tofu. The noodles can be dipped into the broth or small amounts can be poured from the cup over the noodles and mixed in to taste.

Notes

You'll most likely have leftover noodles and dipping sauce. This is ok. Undressed they hold up well for lunch the next day.
Toss any leftover noodles with a teaspoon of neutral oil if you want to save and refrigerate them. This will keep them from sticking together.