Lemongrass tofu noodle bowls
Crispy tofu glazed in lemongrass, garlic and soy over rice vermicelli with crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs, peanuts and a bright lime-chile dressing.
- Prep
- 7 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Serves
- 2
- Per serve
- 830 kcal
Ingredients
Method
Bring a pot of water to a boil for the noodles (an electric kettle speeds this up). Meanwhile, stir the lime juice, sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, water, garlic and half the chile until the sugar dissolves; that's the dressing. Mix the glaze ingredients (lemongrass, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, the rest of the chile) in another bowl.
Press the tofu firmly between paper towels to squeeze out excess water, cut into 3/4-inch cubes and toss with the cornstarch and a pinch of salt.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the tofu, turning every couple of minutes, until golden and crisp on most sides.
While the tofu fries, cook the vermicelli according to the package, usually 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain well.
Turn the heat under the tofu to medium, add the glaze and toss until it's sticky and fragrant and coats every piece.
Divide the lettuce and noodles between 2 bowls. Add the cucumber, carrots and herbs, top with the tofu and peanuts and spoon over the dressing.
Tips
- For gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce in both the glaze and dressing, and check your lemongrass paste.
- The more water you press out of the tofu, the crispier it gets. Pressing hard for 30 seconds is enough here.
- Swap the vermicelli for microwave jasmine rice for a heartier bowl.
