Rice noodle salad with roasted tofu, lime and peanuts

Name: Rice noodle salad with roasted tofu, lime and peanuts
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: world favourites
Ingredients: 180 g Dried flat rice noodles (180 g dried, flat 3–5 mm ribbons with a short cooking time (4–6 minutes on the packet)); 300 g Plain firm tofu (1 × 300 g pack of plain firm tofu); 15 g Sunflower oil, for frying or as a neutral oil (1 generous tbsp, for roasting the tofu); 45 g Soya sauce (45 g in total, kosher pareve: 2 generous tbsp (35 g) for the dressing, 2 tsp (10 g) for the tofu); 200 g Lime (2½ limes: squeeze 2 for 50 g juice, cut the remaining half into 2 wedges to serve; discard the peel); 20 g White sugar (1½ level tbsp); 5 g Garlic (1 clove, grated); 10 g Fresh ginger (1 × 2 cm piece, peeled and grated); 10 g Fresh red chillies (1 small red chilli, thinly sliced; use half, deseeded, for gentle heat); 10 g Toasted sesame oil (2 tsp); 150 g Carrots (2 small carrots); 200 g Cucumbers (2 small cucumbers); 30 g Spring onions (2 spring onions, white and green parts); 20 g Fresh coriander (about half a bunch, leaves and fine stems); 15 g Fresh mint (a large handful of leaves); 50 g Unsalted roasted peanuts (ready-roasted, unsalted: a small handful per person); 2000 g Water (2 litres to cook the noodles, discarded afterwards)

pareve main dish · world favourites · 1/5 · very easy · 45 min, including 25 hands-on

Rice noodles with a little bite, oven-roasted tofu tossed while hot in a lime, soya, garlic and chilli dressing, raw vegetables, mint, coriander and crunchy peanuts.

Ingredients for two

180 g	Dried flat rice noodles 180 g dried, flat 3–5 mm ribbons with a short cooking time (4–6 minutes on the packet)
300 g	Plain firm tofu 1 × 300 g pack of plain firm tofu
15 g	Sunflower oil, for frying or as a neutral oil 1 generous tbsp, for roasting the tofu
45 g	Soya sauce 45 g in total, kosher pareve: 2 generous tbsp (35 g) for the dressing, 2 tsp (10 g) for the tofu
200 g	Lime 2½ limes: squeeze 2 for 50 g juice, cut the remaining half into 2 wedges to serve; discard the peel
20 g	White sugar 1½ level tbsp
5 g	Garlic 1 clove, grated
10 g	Fresh ginger 1 × 2 cm piece, peeled and grated
10 g	Fresh red chillies 1 small red chilli, thinly sliced; use half, deseeded, for gentle heat
10 g	Toasted sesame oil 2 tsp
150 g	Carrots 2 small carrots
200 g	Cucumbers 2 small cucumbers
30 g	Spring onions 2 spring onions, white and green parts
20 g	Fresh coriander about half a bunch, leaves and fine stems
15 g	Fresh mint a large handful of leaves
50 g	Unsalted roasted peanuts ready-roasted, unsalted: a small handful per person
2000 g	Water 2 litres to cook the noodles, discarded afterwards

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Drain the tofu and press it between two layers of kitchen paper to remove as much water as possible, then cut into 2 cm cubes. On the tray, use your hands to toss the cubes with the sunflower oil and 10 g soya sauce, then spread out in a single layer without touching. Once the oven is hot (after about 10 minutes), bake for 22–25 minutes, turning halfway through: the tofu is ready when golden at the edges and firm to the touch.
While the oven heats, make the dressing in the large mixing bowl: squeeze 50 g lime juice and stir in the sugar for 1 minute to dissolve. Add the remaining 35 g soya sauce, finely grated garlic and ginger, thinly sliced chilli and sesame oil. Taste: the dressing should taste distinctly salty, then sour, then sweet, with a little heat, and be much stronger than a vinaigrette, as the noodles and tofu will dilute it. If it lacks salt, add 1 tsp soya sauce; if too sharp, add a pinch of sugar.
Coarsely grate the carrots and cut the 2 cucumbers into 3 mm half-moons; set them aside separately. Finely slice the spring onions, pick the mint leaves, roughly chop the coriander and crush the peanuts with the flat of a knife. Cut the remaining half lime into 2 wedges. When you turn the tofu, bring the 2 litres water to the boil in the covered saucepan over a high heat (8–10 minutes).
Once the water is boiling vigorously, add the noodles, pushing them under and separating them with a fork for the first 30 seconds. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute less than the packet time, tasting a ribbon after 3 minutes: it should be supple, with no white core, but still have a little bite; it will soften further in the dressing. Drain, rinse under cold water, lifting the noodles with your fingers until cold, shake the colander vigorously 4 or 5 times, then immediately tip them into the mixing bowl with the carrots and cucumbers. Toss straight away so they do not stick.
Take the tofu out of the oven and add it hot to the bowl with the spring onions, so it absorbs the dressing. Lift and toss everything with two spoons to distribute evenly, then leave for 5 minutes, stirring once: the noodles will absorb the dressing.
Toss once more and divide between two large bowls, scraping out the mixing bowl to pour the remaining dressing over each portion. Scatter with the coriander, mint and peanuts at the last moment and serve with a lime wedge alongside.

Variants and their steps remain below the recipe.

Lighter version

How the taste changes:

More cucumber adds freshness and crunch, while the noodles take up less of each mouthful. Fewer peanuts and less sesame oil soften the toasted flavours, bringing out the dressing’s acidity.

Dried flat rice noodles : 130 g
Unsalted roasted peanuts : 25 g
Toasted sesame oil : 5 g
Sunflower oil, for frying or as a neutral oil : 10 g
Cucumbers : 300 g

In step 3, cut up 3 cucumbers instead of 2.

Fewer noodles and peanuts, less oil and more cucumber: the same dressing and the same crunch.

On your plate

Recipe

940 kcal · protein 37 g · carbs 101 g · fat 40 g

Quantities per person

90 g Dried flat rice noodles
150 g Plain firm tofu
7.5 g Sunflower oil, for frying or as a neutral oil
22.5 g Soya sauce
100 g Lime
10 g White sugar
2.5 g Garlic
5 g Fresh ginger
5 g Fresh red chillies
5 g Toasted sesame oil
75 g Carrots
100 g Cucumbers
15 g Spring onions
10 g Fresh coriander
7.5 g Fresh mint
25 g Unsalted roasted peanuts
1000 g Water

Cooking tips

Shop-bought firm tofu is already cooked: roasting gives it flavour and a golden crust that absorbs the dressing. Press it well with kitchen paper: the less water it holds, the better it browns. Without an oven, cut it into cubes and marinate in half the dressing for at least 15 minutes while the water heats: less crisp, but seasoned all the way through. Choose quick-cooking flat rice noodles that do not need soaking first. Never leave rinsed noodles waiting in the colander: they will stick together in a block. Add the peanuts and herbs only when serving, to keep them crisp.

Equipment : oven and baking tray, baking paper, spatula, 3 litre saucepan with a lid, colander, large mixing bowl and 2 spoons, fine and coarse graters, knife and chopping board, citrus juicer, kitchen paper

A Southeast Asian-inspired rice noodle salad with lime, garlic, chilli, mint, coriander and peanuts, made with roasted tofu and soya sauce, without fish sauce.

Rice noodle salad with roasted tofu, lime and peanuts

Method

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On your plate

Recipe

Cooking tips

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