Soba Noodles and Zoodles with Tofu

Soba noodles, sesame baked tofu, and zoodles make up this colorful noodle bowl. Stir in a spicy peanut sauce to make the flavors come alive.

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Soba Noodles and Zoodles Recipe

This is a perfect meal for lunch or dinner. The combination of flavors and textures makes it interesting and fun to eat. Savory sesame-baked tofu nestles in a bowl of soft soba noodles, crunchy carrots, and spiralized zucchini (zoodles). Swirl in some spicy peanut sauce to bring it all together.

The green zucchini and orange carrots add vibrant color to this bowl. Combine these fresh veggies with the protein in the tofu and soba noodles and you have one complete meal in a bowl. Try it for those times when you want to add more plant-based meals to your diet. If you’re a vegetarian or you enjoy meatless Mondays, add this recipe to your repertoire.

Ingredients

I chose soba noodles in this noodle bowl for lots of reasons. One is that I really like them. Plus, adding them to a recipe adds flavor, interesting texture, Asian flare, and nutrients that you don’t get with other noodles. Made from buckwheat, soba noodles are gluten-free and egg-free. Read more about soba noodles in this online article. And did you know that you don’t need to rinse soba noodles after cooking or add any oil to them?

Here are all the ingredients required for this soba noodle bowl. If you make the sesame-baked tofu and spicy peanut sauce ahead of time, this meal comes together quickly. You can spiralize the zucchini ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Bring out the zoodles when you’re ready to assemble this yummy, savory, sweet noodle bowl.

After the soba noodles have been cooked and the zucchini has been spiralized, you’re ready to assemble the ingredients.

Making the Soba Noodles, Zoodles & Tofu

If you don’t have time to make your own baked tofu, some stores carry it already baked and ready to eat. Look for it in the produce section along with zoodles. But making your own baked tofu is really simple. Check out my sesame-baked tofu recipe and try it yourself. And if you don’t have a spiralizer, cut the zucchini into thin strips. It will taste just as good as zoodles do.

You can leave the zoodles raw or lightly steam them. Sometimes when we want this bowl warm, I put the zoodles in a colander and slowly pour about two cups of boiling water over them. The resulting zoodles are warm but still crunchy and fresh tasting.

To make the soba noodles with zoodles and tofu, cut the baked tofu into bite-sized pieces. Put the noodles and zoodles in the bowl, then stir in the spicy peanut sauce. Top it with the tofu and carrots. Sprinkle some chopped roasted peanuts on top for extra crunch.

Serving the Soba Noodles, Zoodles & Tofu

I’m adding a note of caution to this meal. Eat it with people you know well or want to get to know because there’s lots of slurping. But that makes it a great choice for a casual, fun dinner.

If you refrigerate the peanut sauce, you might need to thin it before using it. Transfer about two tablespoons of sauce per serving into a small bowl and add a splash of hot water, mixing constantly. Add more water to achieve the desired consistency. If you prefer, you can use coconut milk to thin it instead of water.

Alternatives to Tofu

I know that not everyone is a fan of tofu. We have used shrimp in place of tofu and this soba noodle recipe is really good that way too. And, while we don’t eat chicken, I imagine that it would work in place of tofu also. Whichever way you make it, don’t scrimp on the peanut sauce.

Products used in this recipe

• Spiralizer
• Soba Noodles