Peanut Lime Tofu Noodles
Golden pan-seared tofu tossed with noodles in a creamy peanut lime sauce, finished with spring onions. A savory, high-protein bowl that comes together in under twenty minutes.
- Total
- 15 min
- Prep 6 · Cook 9
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Emulsifying
- Savory
- Quick
- Asian
- Mild
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the 100 g noodles and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes, then drain.
~4 min
Cooking noodles to just tender (al dente) keeps them firm so they don't turn mushy when tossed in the sauce.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the noodles boil, press the 150 g tofu dry and cut it into 2 cm cubes. Slice the 2 spring onions thinly and set the green tops aside.
~3 min
Pressing tofu removes excess water so it sears and browns instead of steaming.
-
While step 1 cooks
In a small bowl, whisk the 2 tbsp peanut butter, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 0.5 tsp garlic powder, 60 ml water and the juice of the lime until smooth and pourable.
~2 min
Whisking the peanut butter with water and lime juice emulsifies the sauce into a smooth, pourable consistency.
Emulsifying Whisk the peanut butter with water and lime juice until smooth and pourable; if it looks grainy, keep whisking to bring it together.
-
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in a single layer and sear until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes, turning gently.
~5 min
Searing tofu in a single layer over medium-high heat creates a golden crust through Maillard browning.
Pat the tofu very dry before searing so it browns instead of steaming, and leave it undisturbed for the first minute to build a golden crust.
Searing Pat tofu very dry and leave it undisturbed for the first minute to build a golden crust; moving it too early prevents browning.
-
Lower the heat, pour the peanut lime sauce into the pan with the tofu and stir until it thickens and coats the cubes, about 1 minute.
~1 min
Simmering the sauce briefly thickens it so it clings to the tofu instead of staying watery.
If the peanut sauce seizes when it hits the pan, stir in a splash of hot noodle water to bring it back to a smooth, coating consistency.
-
Add the drained noodles and most of the sliced spring onions to the pan. Toss for 1 minute until everything is hot and well coated, then serve topped with the remaining spring onions.
~1 min