Tofu Soba Noodles: Sesame Sauce Stir Fry Recipe

Tofu soba noodles with a stir fry sesame sauce is a deliciously easy, vegan dinner that you can prepare in the wok at home!

Our vegan soba noodle recipes use buckwheat ‘soba’ noodles, a simple sesame sauce, and marinated tofu pieces. Add in a few crunchy stir fry vegetables, such as broccoli and carrots, stir fry your soba noodles with vegetables, then serve hot with a few chopped scallions and extra sesame seeds!

It’s a great and healthy soba noodle recipe, so get your tofu press ready and fire up the wok. Here’s how to make our vegetarian soba noodle recipe!

Tofu soba noodles preparation tips and FAQ

Our tofu and noodles recipe is an easy dinner to prepare, and with the sesame sauce and fresh herbs, it’s a real stir-fried winner. 

With a few simple tips, you can up your vegetarian soba noodles and tofu preparation skills to the next level, so keep reading for our top prep tips!

How long can I store tofu soba noodles leftovers for? 

This is quite a versatile dish, and you can enjoy tofu soba noodles, either hot or cold (in fact, many buckwheat noodle dishes are actually served cold in Asia!). You can serve it fresh from the wok or leave it in the fridge until later on in the week.

If you’re saving the stir fry for later, then transfer the contents (or leftovers) to a resealable container. You can safely store them for 48 hours in the refrigerator. Eat the leftovers cold or reheat them in the wok. If you’re in a hurry or have taken the leftovers into work for lunch (and you still want a hot lunch), then tofu soba noodles will microwave in a few minutes. 

What other vegetables can I use in the stir fry?

We’ve kept our tofu soba noodles recipe simple by only including carrots and broccoli as the major vegetables (with scallions for garnish, of course). It’s easy to vary the recipe, however, and to include any other vegetables you might have in the fridge or that you simply love to stir fry. 

Stir-fries work best with crunchy vegetables, and you can include bell peppers, cauliflower, onions, asparagus, green peas, and other veggies that take your fancy. You could also add in a few softer vegetables, such as mushrooms, beansprouts, or zucchini. 

Do I have to use soba noodles? 

Soba noodles are thin, healthy noodles prepared from buckwheat. They’re popular in Japan, but they’re easy to source in stores worldwide too, where they’re often sold in their dried form. 

One important soba noodle prep tip to know is that it’s best to run them under cold water as soon as you remove them from the boiling water. This stops them from continuing to cook. You need your noodles to be slightly al dente, as you’ll also be stir-frying them in the wok shortly after. 

Soba noodles (vegan) are great for this recipe, but you can incorporate other types of noodles into the stir fry too. If you prefer a thicker type of noodle, then we suggest trying a thick udon noodle (usually, these are produced from flour).

Other noodle options

Other options that work well include fresh or dried egg noodles, rice noodles, or zucchini-based zoodles. You could even try making your own noodles from scratch at home. 

Are tofu soba noodles healthy?

Tofu soba noodles are a wonderfully healthy stir fry combination, particularly if you’re on a veggie or vegan diet. 

In this recipe, the tofu is used as a protein-packed stir fry ingredient, as it’s high in protein and low in calories. With the marinade, it’s easy to add a lot of flavor to the tofu, as it will absorb the sesame seed sauce and other ingredients while marinating. 

But soba noodles are also a healthy addition to the traditional stir fry recipe. Soba noodles are prepared from buckwheat, which means that they are entirely gluten-free. Soba noodles are also low calorie, low in fat, but high in protein and high in fiber. 

If you need to remove gluten from the recipe completely, then use tamari sauce in the marinade instead of soy sauce, as this is a great gluten-free alternative. If you want to remove the oil from the recipe for a healthier meal, then you can remove this and use extra soy or tamari sauce when you’re stir-frying and marinating the tofu. 

What can I serve with tofu soba noodles? 

You can serve this stir fry as it is, straight out of the wok, but there are a few great side dishes to serve and different ways to vary the recipe itself to make tofu soba noodles a more versatile dinner.

Here are our top tofu soba noodles serving suggestions:

• Garnish with freshly chopped mint, basil, and cilantro. 
• Serve as a soba noodle soup by preparing a miso soup broth.
• If you’re not vegan but vegetarian, then serve with soy-marinated or tea-stained egg. 
• Prepare fresh spring rolls to accompany the noodles (not deep-fried if you want to be healthy!).
• Serve with extra chili flakes, fresh chilis, or chili sauce if you like spicy stir fries. 

As we already suggested, you can add extra veggies and try out different noodles for this dish as well, making it a great choice when you’re looking to rustle up a quick, healthy stir fry. 

What tofu is best for tofu soba noodles?

For the best stir fry, you need to use the firmest tofu you can purchase in the store. We suggest using extra-firm tofu, but you can get away with firm tofu. We need the tofu to hold its shape and to absorb the flavors of the marinade, and the firmer the tofu, the easier it is for this to happen.

Don’t try using silken or soft tofu, as it’s much too watery for it to work in the recipe. Softer types of tofu aren’t going to hold their shape when stir-fried or absorb the flavors of the marinade.

Remember, it’s important to press your tofu before you start to marinate it. As we suggest in the recipe, a tofu press is the best option. You simply leave your block of tofu in the press and allow it to drain. Pressing and draining the tofu removes excess water, which then allows the tofu to absorb the marinade and to better keep its firmness. 

Tofu soba noodles: a healthy vegan stir fry

A tofu and soba stir fry is a deliciously healthy, vegan meal that’s easy to prepare at home. All you need is a tofu press and a wok to get started!

Serve with added chili flakes, switch carrots for mushrooms, and serve this stir fry hot or cold. Why not save our tofu soba noodles recipe for your next stir fry evening?