Hoisin and sesame green tofu stir fry noodles

Image shows a wok filled with noodles, tofu, green vegetables and sesame seeds

Contrary to what gets posted on this website, I do sometimes cook and eat food other than pasta! This is one of those dishes -a green, fresh noodle dish which comes together relatively quickly and feels like you’re eating something that’s good for you. This is an adaptation of a recipe which I came across on social media by From My Bowl for sesame tofu with a sticky hoisin and sesame sauce. In the process of making it several times I’ve anglicised the measurements, chucked in some extra veg and added noodles as an integral part of the dish.

To start, get your tofu pressed so that it’s nice and firm. I usually buy extra firm tofu from the supermarket, but even so there’s normally still a fair bit of liquid to extract. My top tip for pressing tofu - place it in a shallow bowl (like a pasta dish) on top of its packaging flipped upside down, then place a chopping board on top and weigh that down with anything heavy that you can find in your cupboard (but not anything that’ll do damage if it falls off!). You can then cut the tofu into cubes, or tear it up if you prefer, and get it coated in the dressing before baking in the oven until golden and crispy.

Image shows crispy tofu cubes on a black baking tray

Meanwhile, the rest of the stir fry comes together and once it’s all ready you can get that crispy tofu added back in with plenty of sesame seeds for good measure. If you’re not a fan of noodles, you could leave them out and instead serve with 200g basmati rice (for four people). While it’s best fresh, you can save any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for the next day, but the tofu won’t be as crispy. This is a great midweek dinner which requires a little more time and work than a supermarket stir fry deal, but it’s well worth the effort!

Hoisin and sesame green tofu stir fry noodles

Serves: 4 | Time taken: 40 mins | Source: From My Bowl / vicki cooks veggie

Ingredients

For the tofu:

  • 300g firm tofu, pressed to remove as much liquid as possible

  • 1.5 tbsp rapeseed or other vegetable oil

  • 1.5 tbsp soy sauce

  • 4 tbsp cornflour

For the sauce:

  • 75ml hoisin sauce

  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

  • 2 tsp cornflour

  • 125ml cold water

For the stir fry:

  • 1 bunch spring onions

  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped

  • 1 tbsp rapeseed or other vegetable oil

  • 1 courgette

  • 1 green pepper

  • 450g quick cook udon noodles

  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds

  • 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 215°C. Cut the pressed tofu into bitesize cubes, then coat in 1.5 tbsp rapeseed oil and 1.5 tbsp soy sauce. Add the ¼ cup cornflour and mix well until coated. Add to a non-stick baking tray (or use some greaseproof paper if using a “sticky” tray!) and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.

  • In the meantime, chop the green pepper into chunks and slice the courgette into angled slices about 1cm thick. Separate the whites from the green parts of the spring onions - cut each part into 1 inch sections but keep the whites and greens separate.

  • Mix the 75ml hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 125ml cold water and 2 tsp cornflour in a bowl until well combined. Set aside for later.

  • When the tofu has 5 minutes left on its cooking time, heat a large wok on a medium high heat and add the 1 tbsp rapeseed oil. Add the garlic, white parts of the spring onions, courgette and pepper and stir fry for 2 mins until the vegetables begin to soften.

  • Add the sauce and 450g udon noodles and cook for another minute or two until the noodles are soft and the sauce has thickened, adding the tofu once it’s out of the oven. Cook for a further minute, then add 2 tbsp sesame seeds, the green parts of the spring onions and 1 tsp sesame oil if using. Serve immediately while it’s piping hot.

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