Maple Peanut Soba with Tofu and Apples

Description

Inspired by One Green Planet

This dish literally defines umami – sweet, salty, savory, and crunchy – bite after bite.

Ingredients

Main Dish

  • 1-1/2 cups extra firm tofu
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 8 oz buckwheat soba noodles
  • 5 scallions, finely chopped
  • 4 cucumbers, sliced
  • 5 enoki mushrooms
  • 1 Gala or Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
  • 1 Tbsp red onion, finely sliced

Dressing

  • 3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
  • 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp. ponzu sauce
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/3 cup water (adjust according to desired thickness)
  • 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

  1. Slice tofu into thick slices and place in a dish, cover with the soy sauce, and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
  2. Slice scallions thinly and set aside.
  3. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook soba noodles according to package directions. While noodles are boiling, mix dressing together. Once noodles are cooked through, drain through a fine mesh strainer, and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well and shake off extra water before transferring to a mixing bowl.
  4. Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
  5. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, brush pan with oil and grill each tofu slice one to two minutes per side to create nice grill marks. Next, chop tofu into cubes, add to the noodle bowl and toss to combine. Mix in cucumber slices, apple chunks, enoki mushrooms, and red onion. Then add dressing to suit taste, mix thoroughly and top with scallions. Serve at room temperature or cold.