Creamy Vegan Tofu Noodles

Name: Creamy Vegan Tofu Noodles
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed; 12 ounces thick Chinese wheat noodles; 1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, broken into pieces; 2 garlic cloves, sliced; 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder; 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus a few sprigs for serving; 2 teaspoons sesame oil; Toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish; 2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar (black vinegar), or a combination of 4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon chile oil or chile crisp, such as Chiu Chow chile oil; 1 scallion, finely chopped; 1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Total Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 4(2,851)
Notes: Read community notes

There is no need to reserve this recipe exclusively for vegans: This noodle dish will win over any crowd, regardless of dietary dispositions. Here, tofu is blended with garlic, five-spice powder and water for a creamy yet weightless sauce that wraps around each noodle. The same technique can be used to create a lush dairy-free pasta sauce (just add nutritional yeast and fresh herbs) or a ranch-like dip (blitz silken tofu with garlic, onion powder and herbs). For this recipe, be sure to use firm tofu, as it has more body and makes for a heartier sauce. The creamy noodles provide the perfect backdrop for the spicy, punchy black vinegar sauce.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

For the Noodles

¾teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
12ounces thick Chinese wheat noodles
1(14-ounce) package firm tofu, broken into pieces
2garlic cloves, sliced
½teaspoon granulated sugar
½teaspoon five-spice powder
½cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus a few sprigs for serving
2teaspoons sesame oil
Toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish

For the Topping

2tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar (black vinegar), or a combination of 4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
1tablespoon soy sauce
1tablespoon chile oil or chile crisp, such as Chiu Chow chile oil
1scallion, finely chopped
1(½-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Prepare the noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions until the noodles are just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well again.
Step 2
As noodles cook, prepare the topping: Add vinegar, soy sauce, chile oil, scallion, ginger and 1 tablespoon water to a small bowl and stir to combine.
Step 3
Place the tofu, garlic, sugar, five-spice and ¾ teaspoon salt into a blender or food processor and blend, adding about 6 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy. (You may need up to 12 tablespoons of water, depending on your tofu.)
Step 4
Place the noodles in a large bowl and pour the tofu sauce on top. Add the cilantro and sesame oil, and toss until coated.
Step 5
To serve, divide the noodles among bowls. Top with the spicy soy-vinegar sauce, sesame seeds and cilantro sprigs.

Ratings

4 out of 5

2,851 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Hannah K4 years ago

We used silken tofu instead and it worked very well - didn’t need the extra water (think we even added less)

louise4 years ago

Love this recipe. Used silken tofu (all I had on hand) and mistakenly blended cilantro and sesame oil with the other ingredients in step 3. Super yummy. One question: step 2 mentions ginger. Don’t see ginger in the ingredient list.

Scott3 years ago

I loved this recipe and the only adjustment I’ll make next time is to add the starchy water from cooking the pasta to create the tofu sauce rather than plain tap. It was fine as is but I imagine using this water will make the sauce even creamier and bind to the pasta even better. Food for thought!

Ana22 hours ago

I'm nor sure what I expected, but this was... blech. It was edible, but only barely. If you're a person who really likes tofu and frequently eats it in various formats, you might enjoy, but for this omnivore it was not yummy. I like vegetarian and vegan foods and eat them often,and like tofu, but this was just some thick mush on cold noodles. The only saving grace was the vinegar soy sauce.

Anthony2 days ago

I am disappointed in this recipe. I couldn't taste the topping at all in the food. I made it as described and added it as described.

Nicole3 days ago

I wanted to love this but we didn’t. However I think the main thing was our noodles, they didn’t hold up to the creamy sauce. I am wondering if soba noodles would be better?

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