Even in the wintertime, a fresh and tasty noodle bowl can really hit the spot. I sure love my soups when the weather gets chilly, but these bowls with lightly sauteed tofu, fresh greens and steamed veggies, also fit the bill quite nicely. They're also pretty simple to throw together, so you won't be slaving away in the kitchen. Also, feel free to make anything ahead of time so that all you have to do is boil the noodles.
Author: Epicurean Vegan
Serves: 6
Ingredients
16-oz pkg. thick cut rice noodles
1 head of broccoli florets
1-1/2 C red cabbage, chopped
1 small zucchini, sliced thin
1-1/2 C mushrooms, sliced
14-oz pkg. extra firm tofu
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 C chopped kale and spinach
2 carrots, grated
1 C green onion, sliced
Sesame seeds
.
Peanut Sauce
.
1 garlic clove
½ C smooth peanut butter
⅓ C water
1 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbs almond milk
1 tsp sesame oil
Pinch of salt
1 to 2 tsp chia seeds
Directions
Cook the noodles according to package instructions. The kind I used, however, recommended soaking them in hot water for 30 minutes. I had used these particular noodles before and found that they work better to boil. They'll cook fast, only 5 minutes or so. Drain and rinse with cold water. You can do this step last if you'd like.
Slice the tofu into ½" slices and season with salt and pepper. In a dry skillet, lightly brown the tofu over low-medium heat for about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the heat, let cool, then cut into cubes.
Meanwhile, steam the broccoli, cabbage, and zucchini until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the mushrooms last and steam for a few minutes more.
To make the peanut sauce, combine all of the ingredients, except the chia seeds, in a food processor. It may not be very thick, so add the chia seeds, about 1 teaspoon to begin with and wait 5-7 minutes for the sauce to thicken up. Add more chia seeds if necessary.
To assemble the bowls, start with some noodles, add some chopped greens, steamed veggies, tofu, grated carrot, green onion, and peanut sauce. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!
Recipe by Epicurean Vegan at http://epicureanvegan.com/2015/01/03/tofu-veggie-noodle-bowls-peanut-sauce/