Cold Soba Noodle Salad

One benefit of being a teacher is the much-needed vacation time. I love teaching my students every day, but I find myself needing a break from them right around the time our school vacations are set to begin. This year was no different; in the week or so before December 20, I found myself counting down the days until we were on Christmas Break. The minutes slowly ticked by on December 18, the last day of school before a two week break. Now I am on my second official day of Winter Break and enjoying the relaxation time.

Since I am home, I've decided to cook a real lunch for my husband and I everyday and branch out and try some new foods. While I was flipping through my huge hardback Cooking Light compilation cookbook, I found this recipe for soba noodles with tofu. The husband is a huge fan of tofu and I am always looking for new ways to use it, so I decided to give this a try.

Even though I used low-sodium soy sauce, I did find this to be a tad salty, so I might reduce the amount of soy sauce next time. Also, I plan to half the amount of cucumbers and double the tofu. Some grilled ginger chicken might also be a nice addition. However, I have printed the original recipe from Cooking Light below. Let me know what you think and if you make any substitutions. :)

Cold Soba Noodle Salad
Source: Cooking Light
Printable Recipe



Ingredients
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chili oil or vegetable oil (I used vegetable oil, but I just found chili oil at Fresh and Easy recently)
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds
4 cups cooked soba noodles (8 ounces uncooked noodles)
2 cups sliced peeled cucumber (1 whole cucumber)
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 cups cubed firm tofu, about 12 ounces (I used medium firm...be sure to squeeze out all of the water before adding to the salad)

Directions
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, whisk together, and set aside.

Cook the sesame seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat until toasted, about one minute.

Combine sesame seeds, noodles, cucumber slices, noodles, and onions in a large bowl. Toss gently.

Pour the dressing over the top of the salad and toss once again.

Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.