Gluten Free Spicy Ginger Tofu Noodle Salad Recipe
Updated Apr 02, 2020, Published Apr 18, 2012
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I don’t often eat tofu. It is not because I don’t like it. I do. I consider it sort of a treat.
How weird is my world where tofu is a treat? I was in the grocery store and spied a package of organic tofu and I just had to take it home with me. I didn’t know what gluten free recipe it would wind up in; I just knew it was time for a little tofu.
Have you ever known anyone whose speech and mannerisms change depending on who they are talking to? You’re at a party, they spend five minutes talking to a guy from New Jersey and all of a sudden they turn into Joe Pesci, a short conversation with a Southern Belle and they morph into Paula Deen. Well, that’s tofu – it soaks up the flavors of whatever it hangs with. That’s a good thing because on its own, it doesn’t bring much to the party, flavor-wise.
And if your tofu is going to soak up flavor like a sponge, you might as well provide some really good flavor for it to take on. The flavor for this tofu dish came from one of San-J’s new line of gluten free Asian dressings, Tamari Asian Ginger. I added a little heat to the dressing with some red pepper flakes and garlic powder, seared my tofu so it would be almost crispy on the outside and creamy within, tossed it all together with some gluten free noodles, shitake mushrooms and lots of cucumber, green onion, bell pepper and cilantro and the result was a quick salad that was simple to prepare but anything but in terms of flavor. I prefer this served at room temp but it holds up well in the fridge, which is a good thing because it is a slightly addictive and I kept going back to get “just another bite.”
Make sure you use firm or extra firm tofu in this recipe; the soft stuff won’t hold up when you fry it.
All in all, I very much enjoyed my recent tofu “treat.” And the next time I decide to indulge, I am making this again!
Gluten Free Spicy Ginger Tofu Noodle Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup San-J Tamari Ginger Asian Dressing
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon (more if you want it spicier) red pepper flakes
- 1 pound gluten free brown rice fettuccini style pasta
- Gluten free non-stick cooking spray
- 1 pound firm tofu
- 4 ounces shitake mushrooms, , stems removed and sliced
- 1 English, (hothouse) cucumber
- 1 bunch cilantro, , coarsely chopped
- 4 green onions, , thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1 red bell pepper, , cut into small dice
- Salt & pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Whisk together the San-J Tamari Ginger Asian Dressing with the garlic powder and red pepper flakes.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with hot water. Add the dressing and toss to coat.
- While the pasta is cooking pat the tofu dry with paper towels and cut into 1 inch pieces. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray the pay heavily with non-stick cooking spray and add the tofu pieces. Let cook for 1 – 2 minutes undisturbed or until they are golden brown. Flip the pieces over and continue cooking until browned on all sides. When the tofu is done, remove from the skillet, add to the pasta and add the mushroom slices to the hot skillet and cook until browned, stirring often, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pasta.
- Peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with a spoon, cut into thin slices and add to the pasta. Reserve some of the chopped cilantro for garnish and add the rest to the pasta along with the green onions and bell pepper. Toss everything together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the reserved cilantro leaves and the sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve really been getting into tofu lately and your dish sounds Just lovely! My favorite tofu is when it has been soaking up spiciness in a laksa- yummo!
Sounds fab!
I think I just drooled a little bit onto my keyboard!
Hahaha!
I love tofu! Thank you for your website, I am new to gluten free and just love all your recipes!
Thank YOU Linda!
Love the idea of this salad. Where do you get the salad dressing?
Hi Sarah, I get it at my local grocery store (Publix) or you can find at the health food store. If your store doesn’t carry it, ask them to! They listen. :) Good luck!
Ha ha ha funny! But true! I always loved tofu for some reason – and fried and paired with cilantro and shitake is heaven! Gorgeous, mouthwatering dish!
Thank you Jamie!
Looking very yummy..thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. !!
Wow! That looks very very good. I love spice + ginger + tofu. Wonderful combination of flavors here. Thanks! ~Bella f/ Sweetnsavorylife.com
Thanks Bella, enjoy!