These vegan noodles in a creamy, soy-milk-based sauce come together in under 30 minutes for a comforting throw-together meal. The sauce, which has nutty tahini, savory miso, and soy milk, is just thick enough to cling to each noodle, but it's light enough to be full-on slurpable. Add ribbons of protein-packed yuba (tofu skin) on top and you've got a nourishing, feel-good bowl.
Yuba, or tofu skin, is actually a by-product of the tofu-making process—when large vats of soy milk are heated for making tofu, the soy proteins coagulate to form a delicate skin that rises to the milk's surface and gets skimmed off. The resulting yuba has a mildly nutty flavor and bouncy elastic texture. Tofu skin is sold fresh or dried, but fresh yuba is typically sold in pliable, folded-up sheets that you can slice into “noodles," as in this recipe, or tear up and add to soups, salads, or stir-fries. Look for fresh yuba in the refrigerated section near the tofu at Asian markets or well-stocked grocery stores.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 11" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
- ¾ cup dry sake or rice wine
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 2 Tbsp. white or yellow miso
- 3 cups unsweetened
- Kosher salt
- 5 oz. fresh yuba sheets (tofu skin), thinly sliced
- 18.8-oz. package dry udon noodles or similar size and shape wheat noodle
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. toasted black and/or white sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
Preparation
Step 1
Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Cook garlic and ginger, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add sake and cook, whisking constantly and scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pan, 30 seconds. Whisk in tahini and miso, then add half of soy milk and cook, whisking often, until incorporated and thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Whisk in remaining soy milk and season with salt. Reduce heat to low and keep sauce warm until ready to use.
Step 2
Cook yuba in a large pot of boiling water until loosened up and warmed through, about 2 minutes. Using a spider or tongs, transfer to a medium bowl.
Step 3
Add noodles to same pot of boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
Step 4
Ladle about 1 cup sauce over noodles and toss to coat. Divide noodles among bowls and spoon more sauce over. Top with yuba, scallions, and sesame seeds. Drizzle sesame oil over, dividing evenly.
By Jessie Yuchen.
This originally appeared on Bon Appetit US.
