I’ve been making this dish for years because I love the flavors and its hearty, satisfying bite. Usually I make it in the summer. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself now that spring flowers are starting to show up in the stores and we’ve had a week-long break in the frigid temps in the Midwest. Although I know Chicago is in for another cold snap, I made this anyway and realized this dish is excellent all year round, so I hope you’ll give it a try.
If you want a gluten-free version, try using soba (buckwheat) noodles, but Udon noodles work just as well. I also like to give this a good drenching of sauce because, if this isn’t gobbled up immediately, the noodles will absorb the sauce making it extra tasty the next day. Serve it hot or cold. It’s great either way.
Feel free to adjust the sauce to your taste. I use Bragg’s Amino Acids instead of soy sauce, but the taste is basically identical. The Bragg’s can be a bit salty so I use extra fresh lime juice (or dilute the Bragg’s with water) and toasted sesame oil to mellow it out. I also like to use lots of cilantro. Experiment with the flavors to make it perfect for you! Serve as a main dish or a side salad or appetizer.
Ingredients
8 oz. package Soba (gluten free) or Udon noodles
1 pound fresh green beans (I tried frozen but it doesn’t work as well) – cut diagonally in 1 inch pieces
1 bunch green onions – cut diagonally in 1 inch pieces
1 package extra firm tofu – cut into small cubes
2-3 tbsp. sesame seeds
½ cup chopped cilantro
Sauce
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3-4 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2-3 tbsp. soy sauce or Bragg’s Amino Acids
Directions
- Make the sauce first and adjust flavors to your taste.
- Start boiling 2 pots of water (salted if desired) – one for cooking the noodles and the other for cooking the green beans.
- Marinate the cubed tofu in half of the sauce.
- Cook the noodles per package directions.
- Chop the green beans, green onions and cilantro.
- Cook the green beans for approximately 4 minutes until bright green or until desired tenderness. I like the green beans slightly crunchy.
- After the noodles are cooked, drain and dress them with the remaining sauce.
- Combine noodles, tofu, green beans and green onions in a mixing bowl.
- Add desired amount of sesame seeds and cilantro. Mix well and adjust the flavors of sauce, if needed.
- Serve hot immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers.
cheri says
Beautiful looking dish. do you use raw or roasted sesame seeds?
Amy says
Thanks so much, Cheri! I used raw sesame seeds here, but have used toasted in the past. I like it both ways.