Several weeks ago I had the pleasure of being a vendor at Art Fest in Richmond Heights. Some of you might have put two and two together, but for those who haven’t, let me quickly complete the equation. Besides stuffing my face all over St. Louis and writing about it for Sauce, I also own a mobile business in which I sell cute vintage things out of a 1960 travel trailer.
See? I told you it’d be quick. Anyway … at this particular event, I knew that we (the vendors) would be getting a lunch, which my brain translated into a bag of chips and a soggy sandwich. So when I was handed a brown box filled with this fresh noodle salad, I was over the moon. It had udon noodles, carrots, lettuce, tofu (bonus!) and a wonderfully spicy sesame dressing that I poured over every bit.
I went home that day knowing I had to recreate it for the summer days ahead, and now, well, here we are! Hope you enjoy!
Cold Noodle Salad with Spicy Sesame Sauce
4 servings
12 oz. extra-firm tofu
7 oz. udon noodles
4 Tbsp. sesame oil
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Sriracha
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 hearts of romaine, torn into 1-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup torn cilantro leaves
• Place 6 layers of paper towels on a plate. Remove the tofu from the package and place onto the paper towels. Cover with another 6 layers of paper towels, then place a heavy skillet on top. Let it sit until ready to assemble the salad.
• Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a pot. Add the udon noodles and cook 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Sriracha and garlic. Set aside.
• Once the noodles are cooked, drain and spray them with cold water until they’re cooled to room temperature. Keep in a colander while slicing the tofu.
• Remove the tofu from the paper towels and slice in half horizontally (making it half as thick). Take those two pieces and cut each into 12 more pieces (or smaller if you want).
• Place the drained noodles in a large bowl. Give the sauce a quick whisk and then pour half of it over the noodles.
• Stir well to make sure all the noodles are covered, then add the romaine, carrots, tofu and the rest of the sauce. Stir again to combine. Top with torn cilantro.
• Place the salad in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes or until it’s chilled to your liking.
This article appears in June 2013.