Soba Noodle Tofu Bowl

A few weeks ago I took my son, Xander on a fun little date night to celebrate my birthday. My oldest was working, my daughter was at tumbling and the hubby, well, he was out of town and I just didn’t feel like cooking, soooo, the little guy and I went out to celebrate,,,at WholeFoods.

If you’re thinking it’s a pretty lame place to go, it really wasn’t. We got to hang out, walk around, and pick exactly what we wanted to eat from a large selection of healthy foods. The options were so much better than most restaurants we could have gone to. X-man decided on the salad bar and loaded his plate high ($15 salad anyone?) and myself, I picked to eat from the Ramen Station and had their chef make me this amazing, spicy, bowl using tofu instead of chicken. The food was absolutely wonderful.

Since that night, I’ve been craving their ramen bowl, in fact, I could probably eat it every night. The veggies were so fresh, the broth nice & light and that spice was a fun little treat to my palate. Seeing that it’d be a little silly to go there for dinner everyday, I thought I’d give it a go and make it myself. I am so glad I did! 

Noodle bowls are great for a lot of reasons but besides the taste of them, I love their versatility. If you have a wheat or gluten allergy, soba or rice noodles would be the way to go. If you love yourself some good ‘ol wheat, then a traditional udon noodle or thin ramen noodle would be just perfect for you.

For my bowl, I stuck with soba noodles which is made from buckwheat. Fun fact, did you know that buckwheat is actually NOT a wheat? That’s right, it’s part of the rhubarb family and gluten-free.

Veggie broth was my base, both at WholeFoods and at home and really, when it just tastes so good, why use the chicken stuff. Let’s just keep this plant-based and full of veggie power….it worked for Popeye.

Now, think about what vegetables you like, but then challenge yourself a little. Instead of JUST throwing in a little spinach, grab some baby bok choy. For some extra texture, how about some mung bean sprouts? These not only taste great when added to a salad, but are a great addition to soups or as a side when lightly steamed and seasoned with a little tamari & sesame oil.

Sliced mushrooms? Sure! Chopped broccoli? Yes! Radishes? Absolutely! Jalapeño? Hands down, YES!!!! Don’t be afraid of the last two ingredients. The radish will give it a little peppery taste and then the jalapeño will cook down just enough that it won’t freak your kids out.

Don’t forget the tofu (remember, this is plant-based).

Now let’s put it all together.

Because it’s one of those recipes that I just eye-ball (or throw in whatever I like), I’m going to give you a rough estimate on the amount to add. Feel free to add a little extra of whatever you like the most.

Heat your stock, then throw in the noodles. Cook those according to package directions then use a ladle and pull those noodles out and place a quarter cut in individual bowls.

Using that broth, add your seasonings. Soy sauce, sesame oil and a pinch of ginger powder,,,you can even add in some crushed red pepper flakes.

Toss in your veggies. That’s right! All of them, right now! It’ll take about 1 minute to steep and then stat serving it up, over top of the noodles.

Have you ever seen “Yo Gabba Gabba”? It’s a fun but silly kid show full of catchy little songs. One of those songs  says, “there’s a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy” and that’s exactly what your tummy will be singing when it gets a taste of this Soba Noodle Tofu Bowl. Especially if you add a drizzle of Sriracha. Check out this catchy video here on YouTube.

Kimchi pairs incredibly well with this soup and instead of eating it on the side, throw it in there too! Why not?

Now, let’s make some soup!

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Soba Noodle Tofu Bowl

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Quick & easy, Homemade Noodle Bowl layered in flavor and full of veggies. Add your protein and change up the noodle to fit your diet.

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Ingredients

• 2 - 32 oz Organic vegetable broth
• 2 TB. Tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
• 1 T. Sesame oil
• 1 tsp. Ginger powder
• 1 tsp. Crushed red chili flakes
• 8 oz. package of dried Soba noodles
• 3 Baby bok choy, roughly chopped
• 2 C. Spinach
• 2 C. Mung bean sprouts
• 1 C. Broccoli, diced
• 1 Package firm tofu, drained & cut into cubes
• 4 Radishes, sliced thin
• 1-2 Jalapeno, sliced (seeds removed if you want less heat)

Add-ons:

• Sriracha
• Kim-chi

Instructions

1. In a large pot, bring vegetable broth to a boil
2. Add seasoning (tamari, sesame oil, ginger & crushed red pepper flakes). Season to taste.
3. Add noodles and cook according to package directions.
4. Using tongs, remove noodles from broth and quickly rinse in cold water. Set aside.
5. Throw everything else into the pot and remove pot from heat when greens are wilted (2-3 minutes).
6. Divide noodles evenly between serving bowls, top with broth & veggies.
7. Drizzle with Sriracha and add a side of kim-chi if desired.

Notes

Another option is make this as a "hot pot". Allow each guest to load their bowls with desired veggies & protein then top with cooked noodles & broth. All the veggies will wilt and cook right there in front of you.

If you give this recipe a try, please leave me a comment below with your feedback. I’d love to see your amazing pictures too – find me on Bloglovin, Instagram and/ or Twitter and be sure to tag @nicoledawson1 and #allergylicious so I don’t miss it. If you haven’t signed up to receive my weekly newsletter yet, be sure to do that too. You’ll get all the newest recipes right to your inbox.