Stir-Fried Soba Noodles with Tofu and Green Vegetables

Stir-fried soba noodles with tofu, broccoli, green peas, mushrooms, and snow peas (or snap peas) come together in an easy vegan recipe. A quick, light dinner, it’s easy to make and pleasing to eat.

Complete the meal: All you need to complete this meal is a platter of raw vegetables or a simple slaw. For a fun addition, serve vegetable spring rolls from your supermarket or natural foods store freezer.

Feel free to vary the vegetables. Green beans, cabbage, leafy greens, corn, or whatever you’ve got on hand will work just as well as the vegetables listed here.

A bit about soba noodles

Soba are also known as buckwheat noodles. These tasty Japanese noodles are spaghetti-shaped (though a bit shorter), and usually combine hearty-tasting buckwheat flour with wheat or whole wheat flour. See more about these robust noodles in this site’s Guide to Soba Noodles.

Soba noodles have a lot to offer nutritionally. See how soba stacks up against whole wheat spaghetti. They might not be quite as nutrient-dense, but they’re more palatable!

Are soba gluten free? As far as whether they’re gluten-free, that depends. If they’re 100% buckwheat, then most likely. But it’s not easy to find 100% buckwheat soba in western markets.

Read the label carefully, but the answer is more likely to be that they’re mixed with wheat flour and are therefore NOT gluten-free.

Explore more …

• Delicious Tofu Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
• Warm Asian-Inspired Noodle Dishes
• Vegan Peanut Satay Skewers
• Vegetable Chow Mein
• Vegan Broccoli Recipes
• Peanut Satay Soba Noodles with Cucumber
• Roasted Butternut Squash Miso Soup with Soba Noodles

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Yield: 4

Stir-Fried Soba Noodles with Tofu and Green Vegetables

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Stir-fried soba noodles, combined with tofu, broccoli, green peas, mushrooms, and snow peas (or snap peas) make a quick and light dinner.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces soba noodles (see variations in Notes)
• 14-ounce tub extra-firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons safflower or other high-heat vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups small broccoli florets

• 1 cup or so snow peas or snap peas, trimmed
• 1 cup or so brown or white mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and sliced
• 1 cup frozen (thawed) green peas
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh or squeeze-bottle ginger
• 3 to 4 tablespoons teriyaki marinade, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Optional

• 2 to 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Cook the noodles according to package directions until al dente, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, cut the tofu into 6 slabs crosswise, then blot very well on paper towels or clean tea towels. Then, cut each slab into 1/2-inch dice.
3. Heat half of the oil and soy sauce together in a stir-fry pan. Add the tofu and stir-fry over medium-high heat until golden on most sides, stirring often, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a plate.
4. Let the pan cool a bit before heating the remaining oil. In the same pan, sauté the garlic for a minute or so.
5. Add the broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms, and peas. Turn the heat back up and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the broccoli and snow peas are bright green and tender-crisp. If the pan dries out, add a small amount of water.
6. Stir in the ginger, then return the tofu to the pan along with the cooked noodles. 
7. Add teriyaki marinade and pepper to taste and stir-fry just until everything is melded together. Stir in sesame seeds and/or scallions, if using, and serve at once.

Notes

While this recipe is meant to highlight soba noodles, feel free to substitute udon or even regular spaghetti.

Variations: Feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand. This is good with green beans, corn, cabbage, leafy greens, and more.

See lots more easy stir-fries and tofu and tempeh recipes

Photos 1, 2, & 3 by Anna Pustynnikova/Bigstock