Healthy Recipe: Soba Noodles With Tofu, Green Beans, and Peanuts

Japanese soba noodles are made with gluten-free buckwheat flour — either entirely or in part, with wheat flour — giving them a distinctive nutty flavor and firm, slippery texture that makes a hearty base for all kinds of dishes, from cool salads to steamy soups to stir-fries.

Here, they’re joined by crispy tofu “fingers,” colorful roasted veggies, chopped peanuts, and fresh mint in one big bowl, and tossed together in a citrusy, sesame-scented dressing for a dazzling all-in-one plant-based dinner. This recipe is based on one in Ali Slagle’s “I Dream of Dinner (So You Don’t Have To)” (Potter, 2022), which calls for asparagus and 2-inch lengths of scallions instead of the veggies here. Use what you have. If you can’t find soba, whole wheat spaghetti would make a fine substitute. Serves 4 – Susan Puckett

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 (14- to 15-ounce) block firm or extra firm tofu
• 12 ounces trimmed green beans
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 medium shallots, sliced ¼-inch thick
• 8 tablespoons olive oil
• Black pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 5 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (or more, to taste)
• Zest and juice of 3 limes (about 1/3 cup juice)
• 8 ounces dried soba noodles
• 1 cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts (salted or unsalted)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon of salt. Set out 2 large sheet pans. Have two racks positioned in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
2. Cut the tofu in half lengthwise, then into ½-inch-thick slabs crosswise. Cut each slice through the middle crosswise so you have pieces about 2- by ½ by ½ -inches. Pat very dry.
3. Transfer the beans, peppers, and shallots to a sheet pan and toss to coat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
4. Mix together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Add the tofu pieces and gently stir to coat, then spread them out on the second sheet pan.
5. Place both sheet pans in the oven and roast, without flipping, until browned and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, mix together the lime juice and zest, the remaining 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of the sesame oil in a large bowl.
7. Add the soba noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package directions, then drain in a colander and rinse well under cool water until the water runs clear. (This will prevent them from turning mushy.) Shake dry and add to the bowl.
8. Let the vegetables and tofu cool slightly, then add to the bowl along with the peanuts and mint. Toss to combine, then season to taste with more lime juice, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.