It's been the craziest week already and it's only Tuesday. Anyone else with me? This weekend was a good one though because SURPRISE SURPRISE we went to San Antonio again (for my third weekend in a row) to visit our families and celebrate Father's Day! Goodness, maybe we should just move there already...!? But really it was great because we spent the majority of Sunday swimming in my parent's pool with my sister and all three dogs. Although Sibbie got in a ton of stickers that took us (okay just Kyle) hours to pull out, she had a fun time with her cousins and wasn't panting for once because she was cool from her swim in the pool! We also were able to meet up with Kyle's parents for Tex Mex and you guys know how I love ending a day of swimming with a frozen margarita.
There's no way you would actually know this, unless you know me IRL, but who doesn't love a margarita at the end of the day?
These bowls have quickly become a weeknight staple at our house. What's really great about them is that they can be eaten hot or cold, which is perfect for summertime. I feel hashtag blessed to be married to a man who enjoys eating tofu, because I feel like most meat loving men I know would turn their nose up at it. The secret to good tofu is getting it perfectly crisp and browned on the outside. I list my secrets for you below in the recipe, but I can tell you a bit here and it basically is just searing it in a hot cast iron and not touching it at all for a few minutes. It delivers perfect tofu every time!
Another secret that makes this bowl so good is this peanut sauce. Please trust me and MAKE THIS PEANUT SAUCE TODAY. If you don't like tofu or if you don't eat soba noodles often you can still use it for stir frys, chicken, etc. You will love it because it contains a nutty flavor from the peanut butter (ummm we could just stop there), a saltiness from the soy sauce, and a tangy refreshing kick from the fresh lime juice and red pepper flakes. Basically it's the bomb dot com and if it was acceptable I might just drink the stuff straight from the bottle.
But that might be kind of gross so I will abstain. Happy Tuesday friends!
Soba Noodle Bowls with Tofu and Peanut Sauce
serves 2-3
Ingredients
for the sauce
- 1/4 cup peanut butter (or more, depending on your taste!)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tbl. rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbl. honey
- juice of 1/2 small lime
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
for the bowls
- 1 package firm tofu, drained of liquid and sliced
- 8 oz. soba noodles
- sliced cucumber
- sliced bell pepper
- chopped cilantro
- sesame seeds
- salt and pepper
Directions
In a small mason jar or in a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, lime, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add soba noodles and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and immediately toss with a bit of oil so noodles don't stick together. If you are eating your noodles cold, rinse with cold water first to cool them down.
Once the soba noodles are cooled a bit, toss with the peanut sauce, reserving a little bit for drizzling atop bowls if desired.
Heat a large cast iron over medium high heat and drizzle with sesame oil or canola oil. Add tofu to the hot pan, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Let cook in the pan without disturbing for 5-7 minutes. Flip to the other side and cook an addition 4-5 minutes, without touching. This keeps the skin crispy and brown.
assemble your bowls
Divide noodles evenly between 2-3 bowls. Top with seared tofu, vegetables, cilantro, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Drizzle more peanut sauce atop if desired.
