Almond Soba Noodle Salad with Gochujang and Crispy Tofu
This easy to make cold soba noodle salad is creamy, vibrant, and satisfying. It’s packed with protein and veggies, and is vegan and gluten-free.
It’s made with chewy soba noodles, made from 100% buckwheat. Therefore, making it free from refined grains, and scoring low to medium on the glycaemic index chart. Buckwheat is a complete protein, meaning it includes all 9 essential amino acids – those our body cannot produce on its own. It is also high in fibre, with 100g of buckwheat containing around 10g of fibre, and generally higher in minerals than other grains. Some of which minerals including manganese, copper, and magnesium.
The tofu and edamame add an extra dose of protein, along with healthy fats, and calcium. Calcium is particularly important to consider for those following a vegan diet. The recommended daily intake of calcium is around 1000mg per day for adults. 100g of tofu provides around 350g of calcium – so around a third of our daily intake.
The almond butter adds to the creaminess to the dish, along with a good balance of mono and poly-unsaturated fats. It also contains Vitamin E – a powerful antioxidant thought to protect the skin against UV rays from the sun, and stop plaque from building up in your arteries. It also contains around 60mg of calcium per tablespoon, which equals to around 5% of your daily intake.
Anyway, that’s enough about nutrients.. let’s dive into making the dish.
If you don’t have almond butter, peanut butter will work just fine. You can also change up any of the veggies, depending on what you have in the fridge.
If the sauce feels a little thick, add a little more water until you reach your desired consistency.
Check out the video below for how to make it.
I hope you enjoy as much as I do!
Almond Soba Noodle Salad with Gochujang and Crispy Tofu
Ingredients
- 200g extra firm tofu
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp potato starch (or corn starch)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup almond butter (smooth)
- 1 small garlic clove
- Finely grated ginger (around 1 tsp)
- ½ tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 heaped tsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ a lime juiced
- 50 ml of water
- 2 portions of 100% buckwheat soba noodles (around 165g dried and uncooked)
- ½ cup finely sliced cucumber
- ½ cup finely sliced carrot
- ½ finely sliced red bell pepper
- 1 cup finely sliced red cabbage
- ½ cup edamame
- Handful of fresh coriander
- Handful of chopped spring onions
- Sesame seeds
- Coriander
Instructions
- Firstly, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Prepare the tofu by pressing to remove any excess moisture. Then cut into small cubes (roughly 1 inch cubes) and combine in a bowl with the sesame oil and tamari. Once combined, add the starch to and mix well until all the tofu is evenly coated. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes (until crispy).
- In the meantime, make the sauce by finely grating to the ginger, and adding to a bowl with all other sauce ingredients. Mix well to combine.
- Prepare the noodles as per packet instructions. Once cooked, rinse well with cold water to avoid them from sticking. Set aside and leave to drain well.
- If using frozen edamame like me, you’ll need to defrost it. Steam for a few minutes and leave to cool.
- Finely chop all of the veg and spring onions for the salad, and pick the coriander.
- Add the noodles, veg, edamame, coriander, and spring onion to a large mixing bowl and stir in the sauce until fully combined.
- Serve with the baked tofu, and garnish with sesame seeds and more coriander if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
507Fat
25 gCarbs
43 gFiber
9.6 gProtein
23 g*Nutritional breakdown is an estimate
*Per serving
