Spicy Soba Noodles with Corn, Leeks, Cucumber, & Tofu
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Does anyone else hate the cold, especially when it is rainy too? I feel like it rained all summer and now that the weather has gotten cooler it’s still raining! I hate being wet and cold all day. It makes me want to sit inside under a mound of blankets and watch cooking shows all day.
Unfortunately I’m not able to do that because I have J who keeps me hopping all day long. I do get to sit on the couch and watch an hour or so of my cooking shows on the weekends while he is sleeping but then we are up and running around again. But that’s ok, I would much rather hang out with him any day of the week.
One thing that J and I like to do together is cook. I know that sounds funny because he is only one but he loves being picked up so he can see what I’m making. He also likes to sample every single thing I cook. It’s been good for him though because he likes almost everything.
So when I found a recipe for Spicy Soba Noodles with Corn and Leeks I decided to give it a try. J loves corn and noodles so I thought it would be a good fit. He also really likes tofu and I thought if I added tofu to the noodles then it could be a main dish instead of a side dish. All done it because Spicy Soba Noodles with Corn, Leeks, Cucumber, & Tofu.
One thing that I liked about this dish is that it’s easy to make and it doesn’t take long. Anything that I can make in under 30 minutes is a plus during the work week. I ended up making the entire dish is one skillet because I wanted it to be a hot dish because of how cold it is outside instead of a cold one. Feel free to make the noodles in a separate pan, drain, and run under cold water for a cold dish.
Basically I cooked the tofu in the skillet first and then added in all of the vegetables. Once they were cooked I added in the noodles and the sauce and stir fried until everything was cooked through. I really liked the spicy flavor from the gochujang and all of the vegetables. I don’t normally have corn or cucumber in Asian dishes so this was something a little new for me.
The resulting noodle dish was delicious. It was spicy but the cucumber and corn helped to cool it off. The noodles gave it some heartiness and the tofu added protein. It ended up as a delicious 1 pot meal that all three of us really enjoyed.
Spicy Soba Noodles with Corn, Leeks, Cucumber, & Tofu
A delicious combination of soba noodles, tofu, and vegetables mixed in a spicy Asian sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 3 ears of corn, shucked
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 2 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1/4 c. gochujang (or chili paste if you can't find gochujang)
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1/3 c. soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 c. rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 12 oz. cooked soba noodles
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 3 Tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray.
- Add the tofu and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until tofu is crisp on the outside. Remove from pan.
- Add the butter to the large skillet over medium heat.
- Add in the corn and leeks and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
- Add the gochujang, garlic, and ginger and cook for 1 minute.
- In a medium bowl combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Mix well and add to the skillet along with the cooked tofu. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the cooked soba noodles and heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Divide the tofu noodle mixture between 4 bowls. Top with cucumber and sesame seeds.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine
