Vegetable fried noodles with crispy tofu

• 25 minutes
• Prep 15 minutes
• Cook 10 minutes
• Serves 4

Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.

• Vegan
• Vegetarian
• Gluten free
• Dairy free

Ingredients

• 200g flat rice noodles (about 5mm wide)
• 3 tablespoons tamari (a soy sauce made without wheat)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons light brown soft sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 200g firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 2cm cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 15g ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 150g white cabbage, finely shredded
• 150g beansprouts
• 4 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths
• To serve (optional): 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
• To serve: 1 lime, cut into wedges

Let's cook

1. Soften the noodles as the packet says, usually by covering them with just-boiled water for 5 to 8 minutes until soft but still with a little bite. Drain, rinse under the cold tap so they stop cooking and do not stick, and drain again well.
2. Mix the tamari, rice vinegar and sugar in a cup until the sugar dissolves. This is the sauce.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large frying pan on a high heat. Add the tofu and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, turning now and then, until golden on most sides. Lift it out onto a plate.
4. Add the rest of the oil to the pan, then the garlic and ginger. Stir for 30 seconds. Add the carrot, red pepper and cabbage and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until just softening but still crisp.
5. Add the noodles and pour over the sauce. Toss with tongs for about 2 minutes until the noodles are hot and coated all over.
6. Add the tofu, beansprouts and spring onions and toss for 1 minute more. Serve straight away with the chilli scattered over, if using, and a lime wedge.

Tips

• Dry the tofu well with kitchen paper before frying: wet tofu sticks and will not turn golden.
• Have everything chopped before you start, as the cooking is fast.
• Lift the noodles high with tongs as you toss them, so they coat evenly without breaking.

Swaps

• Egg noodles: use 250g dried egg noodles, cooked as the packet says; they then contain wheat (gluten) and egg.
• Other vegetables: sliced mushrooms, mangetout, pak choi or broccoli all work.
• Add an egg: push the vegetables aside and scramble 2 eggs in the pan before adding the noodles; it then contains eggs and is not vegan.

Tags

• noodles
• stir fry
• tofu
• vegetables

In Plant powered.

Contains: Soya .

Contains soya, from the tamari and the tofu. Tamari is a soy sauce usually made without wheat, but check the bottle says gluten free. Rice noodles are naturally gluten free, but check the packet.

Check every packet for allergens.