Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Tofu
Serves 6 - Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes
(Can be made gluten-free if using GF tamari in place of soy sauce)
Cook's Notes:
1. I used my brand-new non-stick grill pan & it made gorgeous, "grilled tofu". Get a grill pan (Cuisinart Green Gourmet) at Bed, Bath, & Beyond for 20% off.
2. I used Nasoya light firm tofu to cut the fat. My nutritional info, therefore, differs from Isa's
3. I subbed walnuts for the peanuts to up the omega-3s. Use peanuts if you like--it's only 1/4 cup for 6 servings.
Dressing:
1/3 cup warm water
3 tablepoons agave nectar
3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes, depending how juicy your limes are)
1/4 tsp. salt, optional
Salad:
12 ounces extra-firm (Light-I use Nasoya) tofu
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 (8-ounce) package of thin rice noodles (vermicelli) I used the pad thai variety
1 medium-size cucumber thinly-sliced half-moons (1 heaping cup or 6 ounces)
4 ounces string beans, sliced into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup) These stay raw!
1 small red onion, sliced thinly (I left this out. I hate raw onions)
2 cups mixed greens
1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves
Peanut-Mint Gremolata (I used walnuts):
1/4 cup peanuts (or walnuts), chopped very well. If you could care less about omega-3s, use the peanuts!
3 tablespoons finely chopped mint
Zest of 1/2 lime
Instructions:
1. To make the dressing, mix all its ingredients together and stir vigorously. Set aside.
2. Slice the tofu into eight equal pieces widthwise, then slice those rectangles corner to corner to form long triangles.
3. Place in a single layer on a large plate and pour 6 tablespoons of the dressing over the slices. Also drizzle 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. Let marinate, flipping occasionally, while you prepare everything else.
4. Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. Usually they say to boil water, turn off the heat, and soak the noodles for about 8 minutes. Once cooked, drain in a colander and run the noodles under cold water for about a minute until they are fully cooled. Set aside to drain while you finish prepping everything.
5. Mix all of the vegetables and the mint leaves into the noodles. Just use your hands--it's messy, but the best way I found to incorporate everything. Mix the dressing into the noodles and toss to coat. Refrigerate while you prepare everything else.
6. Combine the gremolata indredients in a small bowl.
7. Now grill the tofu. Preheat a non-stick grill pan (love that Green Gourmet) or a cast-iron grill pan or a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Do not spray a non-stick pan with oil--it will ruin it! The tofu will not stick! If you only have a cast-iron pan you will have to spray it that icky non-stick cooking spray or the tofu might stick. Grill the tofu on each side for 4 minutes, or until grill marks appear. If using just a regular pan, cook it for 3 minutes on each side. Add the excess marinade to the noodles.
To serve: Scoop the noodles into six pretty bowls. Wedge two or three tofu peices on the side of each bowl. Sprinkle with the gremolata and serve with lime wedges and extra chili garlic sauce.
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Nutrition Facts
Appetite for Reduction
Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Tofu |
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Serving Size: 1 serving
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| Amount Per Serving | |||||
| Calories | 268 | ||||
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| Total Fat | 4.4g | ||||
| Saturated Fat | 0.3g | ||||
| Trans Fat | 0g | ||||
| Cholesterol | 0mg | ||||
| Sodium | 517mg | ||||
| Carbohydrate | 50.4g | ||||
| Dietary Fiber | 1.9g | ||||
| Sugars | 9.8g | ||||
| Protein | 8g | ||||
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