Slivered Vegetable and Soba Salad with Mapled Tofu

You won’t find very many recipes that contain tofu here. I’m not a huge fan of tofu but some are really delicious. This is one that fits the bill because the tofu takes on the maple so nicely.

Slivered Vegetable and Soba Salad with Mapled Tofu

Ingredients:

• 14 ounces extra-firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Freshly ground pepper
• 6 ounces soba noodles
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
• 3 carrots, peeled and julienned into long strips
• 1 small zucchini, julienned into long strips 
• 1 bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 large avocado 

Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon yellow miso paste (if you have a darker color, just use less)
• 1 (3-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 teaspoon honey
• zest and juice of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (plus more for serving)

Drain the tofu and press out excess liquid in a clean dishcloth. In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and add them to the hot pan. Saute gently until the edges begin to brown. (in order for the tofu to crisp up like I wanted, I had to do this in two batches). Add the soy sauce, maple syrup, and a healthy dose of black pepper. Stir and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are crisp and the tofu is nicely browned. Set aside to cool.

Cook the soba noodles according to package directions, and rinse well in cold water, and drain. Put the noodles, bell pepper, carrot, and zucchini in a large bowl and toss together.

For the dressing, put all of the ingredients into a small container with a lid and give it a good shake.*

*when I made this, I completely forgot to add the sesame oil – it was great without it, but the dressing seemed a little thick. Later, when I realized my error, I just added the oil to the noodles/veggies and tossed them sum more. 

When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the veggies and noodles, add the chopped cilantro and toss well to coat. Top the bowl with the green onions, sesame seeds, and tofu. Serve each portion with a half of an avocado.

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