Getting back into the daily routine after a long, leisurely vacation can be tougher than keeping New Year’s resolutions. After two weeks away—with no mail, minimal work, no carpools and a break from 6:00 a.m. lunch-making—I felt the shock of returning to our usual schedules. I even blanked on the word “colander” in class the other day. One thing I didn’t stop doing over the holidays was cooking dinner, so this week I eased back into the kitchen with simple, reliable meals.
My mother-in-law surprised me with a slow cooker for the holidays, and I’ve already used it twice—so expect slow cooker recipes coming soon. For quick weeknights, though, I turned to a tried-and-true noodle stir-fry that my family absolutely loves. It’s basically Asian-style pasta and works great when time is tight. I usually make this the night before a school day because it makes a dependable lunch for the next day. Since the stir-fry centers on the noodles with just a bit of protein and vegetables, I like to serve a second vegetable side—examples include Sesame Spinach Salad or Roasted Sesame Cauliflower with Nori.
The key to any successful stir-fry is prepping everything before you start. Stir-frying happens quickly with little time between steps, so chop and wash your vegetables ahead of time. For this version I use quick-cooking vegetables—shiitake mushrooms and cabbage—which are nutritious and ready in minutes. If you prefer other vegetables, choose ones that cook quickly like snow peas. Heartier vegetables such as broccoli or carrots benefit from a brief steam or blanch before adding them to the pan; you can steam them briefly in the wok so you won’t add another pot to the cleanup pile.
One evening my husband asked for a little grilled chicken to add to the noodles. I happened to have boneless, skinless chicken breasts on hand, so I sliced them into cutlets and marinated briefly with shoyu, olive oil and a splash of rice vinegar. They grilled in minutes, were chopped and stirred into the noodle dish, and quickly became a family favorite—so simple and fast that even picky eaters asked for more.
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Stir-fried Soba Noodles with Vegetables and Tofu
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Ingredients
- 12 ounces soba noodles, either a wheat/buckwheat blend, all buckwheat, or substitute with wheat or brown rice spaghetti
- Pinch kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 14 ounce package firm or extra-firm tofu, preferably non-GMO
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch
- 4 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 2 Tablespoons shoyu or tamari
- 1 Tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 quarter-size pieces of peeled fresh ginger
- 4 scallions, white and green parts sliced
- sea salt to taste
- 2 Tablespoons unrefined peanut or coconut oil
- 3 cups thinly sliced Napa or green cabbage
- 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, about 2 cups, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of kosher salt and the soba noodles. Stir and cook until just done, about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking. Drain well and return the noodles to the pot. Toss with toasted sesame oil to coat. You can prepare this ahead of time.
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Slice the tofu into three slabs. Press each slab with paper towels to remove excess moisture so the tofu will absorb more flavor. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
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In a small bowl, whisk together arrowroot (or cornstarch), Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry), shoyu (or tamari), and water. Set the sauce aside.
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Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet and swirl to coat. Add red pepper flakes, crushed garlic, ginger and scallions. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tofu and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 5–6 minutes; avoid moving it constantly so it has a chance to color.
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Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, then the cabbage and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and stir-fry for about 1 minute until the vegetables are just wilted but still crisp.
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Whisk the reserved sauce and add it to the wok along with the noodles. Stir-fry, tossing constantly, until everything is heated through and well combined. If you prefer, remove the ginger and larger pieces of garlic before serving.
Notes
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