Cold soba noodles with tofu and sesame sauce

I am from Hong Kong, it is a sweltering city in southern China. In the summer, we still love our noodle dishes, but it is torture to have hot ramen in over 35C. Therefore we do have a ton of different types of cold noodle recipes. Today I am going to share this lovely, cold soba noodles with tofu and sesame sauce recipe to you.

This cold noodle dish is very rich in taste, from the aromatic sesame paste, creaminess of the peanut butter, crunchiness of the cucumber and refreshment of the spring onion along with crispy toasted peanuts. It is definitely the best MUST-TRY recipe for those who like noodles in complex dimensions.

First, for 2 servings, you need 1/3 of a medium or 1/2 a small cucumber and 1 spring onion.

Shred the spring onion into really thin strips that are about 2-3mm wide and 4-5cm long.

Cut the cucumber into 4 long strips and trim out the seeds.

Slice them up at a 45º angle like the picture shows. Then slice that into strips that are about 2-3mm wide and 4-5cm long just like we did with the spring onion.

Dice the tofu into 2cm cubes.

Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan, add the tofu and fry for 5-7 minutes, turning frequently, until it turns golden in colour. Add a pinch of salt to the tofu and toss gently(trying not to break the tofu) for 1 minute, then set aside.

Mix sesame paste, peanut butter, soy sauce and warm water in a small bowl until it is smooth. Some sesame paste can be quite hard, press it in with a spoon to make sure that the sauce is smooth.

If you like spicy, you may also add some chilli oil to make a spicy sesame sauce! I cooked these noodles for both King and myself and he doesn’t eat spicy at all :(, that’s why I only put my chilli oil on side.

Also, crush the roasted peanuts into small pieces.

Finally, we need to cook the soba noodles. Boil them in water – for timing please follow the instructions on the noodles’ packaging.

Rinse the noodles with ice-cold water and shake through a sieve to remove any excess water.

Ok, now it’s assembly time; split the noodles equally and place into 2 serving bowls, then drizzle the sesame sauce on top.

Top with tofu, shredded spring onions, shredded cucumber, and garnish with crushed peanuts and sesame seeds.

This dish is creamy, nutty and refreshing – ideal for a light lunch on a hot and sweaty day.

This recipe was created for Veahero, a cool new (free!) meal planning platform for vegans and vegetarians.

If you have followed and made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and take a picture, tagging it with #k33_kitchen and share it on Instagram! I’d be very excited to see what you come up with. Cheers, hope you enjoy my recipes!