Summer Soba (buckwheat noodle) Salad

This Japanese soba noodle dish is a great dish for a summer holiday.
It also has fewer calories than other pasta dishes and is high in vitamins and minerals.
I originally got this recipe from a U.S. based food blogger Marc Matsumoto. (http://www.pbs.org/food/chefs/marc-matsumoto/). If you are interested in his other recipes, check it out! It's very simple to make and you are always asked to make it again.

Ingredients

1 pack extra firm tofu (300-350g)

(Marinating tofu)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

(Salad dressing)

1/4 cup tahini

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

300g dry soba noodles (1packet)

1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half (170 g)

1 ripe avocado, cubed

1/2 lemon (squeezed)

1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped

2 tbs black sesame seeds

Method

1. Get tofu out from packet and drain lightly. Slice the tofu into 5-6mm thick squares. Place them in a Ziplock bag and cover with soy sauce and brown sugar. Get the air out as much as possible and seal the bag. Marinate the tofu for at least 30 minutes.

2. To make the salad dressing, Whisk together the tahini, water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt and white pepper in a small bowl.

3. Heat a frying pan until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, and then fry the tofu until browned on one side. Flip the tofu and brown the second side. 

4. Boil the soba according to the package directions (it is VERY IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS! Japanese noodles are cooked differently from most other noodles, such as pasta).

If the directions give a range of times, use the low end of the range, if there’s only one number, boil the noodles for 1 minute less than what the directions say. Drain the noodles and plunge them into a bowl of ice water to chill.

5. Prepare the cherry tomatoes by washing and cutting them in half. Halve, pit, peel, then cube the avocados and sprinkle them with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Pluck the coriander leaves from the stems, and discard the stems (chopped if you prefer).

6. Add the noodles, tofu, cherry tomatoes, avocado, coriander, and black sesame to a bowl and drizzle the dressing on top. (add dressing just before you eat and toss well). Toss all ingredients together and serve.

*It will keep for up to one day in the fridge, but it is best eaten immediately as the noodles will absorb the dressing and get soft.