Cold Rice Noodle Bowls with Sriracha Tofu, Thai Basil & Tahini Sauce

I’m trying something a little different today: a consolidated blog post. While I love writing, sometimes getting a blog post drafted (and published) is a chore. And, I have heard so many people—from friends to general internet chatter—say they wish it was easier to get to the damn recipe! So, here you are. This is an ingredient-heavy recipe, but once you’ve made it once you’ll see it’s quite easy to throw together. Cold rice noodles make a great lunch for enjoying in the sun, on the patio. Fresh herbs, tahini, and spicy Sriracha are bold and bright. Hope you enjoy!

Cold Rice Noodle Bowls with Sriracha Tofu, Thai Basil & Tahini Sauce

Published May 7, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

   Print This Recipe

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

---

Ingredients:

For the Sriracha tofu:

1 pound extra firm or super firm tofu, drained

2 tablespoons Sriracha

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

For the tahini dressing:

½ cup tahini

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

For the bowls:

1 eight ounce package Mai Fun rice noodles

About 2 cups spring greens

1 red bell pepper, diced small

1 cucumber, diced small

1 large carrot, julienned

1 daikon radish, julienned

3 sprigs Thai basil

3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, minced

3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds and lime wedges

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475°F and fit a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place Sriracha, olive oil, and soy sauce in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes and place in bowl. Use a spatula to gently turn tofu in sauce until coated. Using tongs or a fork, move tofu to prepared baking pan, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space between pieces. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Using tongs, flip tofu to the other side. Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, then place pan aside to cool and turn off oven.
3. Meanwhile, prepare tahini dressing: place tahini, maple syrup, rice vinegar, water, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl and whisk until fully incorporated (note: at first, tahini might not want to mix in, but eventually it will become a smooth sauce!).
4. Cook rice noodles according to package. Place cooked rice noodles in a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water.
5. Assemble bowls: divide spring greens among serving dishes. Top with rice noodles. Add red pepper, cucumber, carrot, and radish. Top with tofu, then garnish with basil, mint, peanuts, sesame seeds, and lime wedges. Drizzle with tahini sauce. Serve.

Vegan Dinner Miso Soup

Last week, we woke up to rain. And it rained and rained until about 10am when the temperature dropped and the winds started and it began to snow sideways.

It was a perfect storm for Miso Soup.

Typical miso soup is light — really nothing more than an appetizer. With this recipe I sought out a miso soup that was filling. Something you could have as a meal when you’re snowed in. Traditional miso soup usually has a few bites of tofu, and pieces of wakame. We added: shiitake mushrooms, rice noodles, and TOPPINGS! (Fried garlic chips, green onions, chili crunch sauce, toasted sesame oil). All in all it makes a more filling soup with out losing the miso-y quality. Despite the add ins, this soup is still vegan (some add bonito flakes to miso soup, I opted for dried mushrooms).

I know warm weather is on it’s way — but until then, I’ll be souping. :)

Vegan Dinner Miso Soup

Published March 19, 2019 by Caitlin Sherwood

   Print This Recipe

Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 50 minutes

---

Ingredients:

For the broth (dash):

2 sheets kombu (About 5 inches x 3 inches each)

6 dried shiitake mushrooms

7 cups water 

For the soup:

1/3 cup white miso paste

1 tablespoon ginger juice

2 tablespoons dried wakame, plus about 2 cups of water for rehydrating

1-2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms, stems removed

14 ounce package extra firm tofu, drained and diced into bite-sized pieces

To serve:

Rice noodles, cooked according to package (I used vermicelli)

1/2 cup sliced green onions, white and dark green parts removed

Chili crunch sauce (affiliate link)

Fried garlic chips (I use avocado oil rather than canola)

Toasted sesame oil

Optional (not vegan - makes the meal heartier): Soft boiled eggs

Directions:

1. Make broth: heat 7 cups of water in a large soup pot with kombu and dried mushrooms. Once the water comes to a boil, remove it from the heat. Allow kombu and mushrooms for roughly 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, hydrate wakame in a small bowl. When wakame is completely softened, strain out excess water. Then, roughly chop wakame into bite-sized pieces.
3. After broth has soaked, use a slotted spoon to remove kombu and mushrooms.
4. Place miso in a small to medium sized bowl. Ladel roughly 1 cup of broth in the bowl with the miso, and whisk until no clumps remain (this makes it easier to mix into the full pot of broth). Pour miso mixture into soup pot.
5. Add tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and wakame to the pot, and place back on stove over low heat. Heat until the soup is just barely simmering.
6. Divide rice noodles amongst serving bowls, and label soup over top. Top to taste with: sliced green onions, toasted sesame oil, chili crunch sauce, and fried garlic (and eggs, halved, if using).

Red Curry Noodle Bowl with Shrimp & Broccoli

Happy 2019! 🎉

What are your goals this year? Any New Year Resolutions?

I haven’t written any down, but after the holidays I am looking for some healthy meals to tuck into. (After all that Eggnog, thumbprint cookies, and pie — oh my!)

Plus, when the days are short and it’s dark before I leave work, there’s nothing like a colorful, warm dinner to brighten things up. Red Curry Noodle Bowls are exactly that.

Rice noodles cook in 5 minutes flat — a big advantage if you’re rushing to get dinner together after the gym or a long day! In fact, if you’re really in a rush, and you’re good at planning (eh-em — not me), you can make the coconut curry broth ahead of time, and then dinner will be on the table in 10 minutes! 

Other than being 1) super delicious and 2) super cozy on a cold January day, this bowl has it all: complex carbohydrates, protein, fat (specifically, medium chain saturated fatty acids), and fiber. Plus: Vitamin C, folate, omega-6 and omega-3s, and essential minerals.

Thai Curry is usually served over rice, but sometimes you just want to mix it up! Rice noodles are slurpy, delicious, and a perfect match for curry flavors. (Besides, see above comment about cooking time… they cook faster than rice, which takes closer to 18 minutes.)

To store leftovers, I put cooked rice noodles in one pyrex dish and the broth and veggies in another. I’ve found that some brands of rice noodles will continue to soak up any broth or sauce after they’re cooked, so when you store them together the noodles get a little too soft for my taste. Keep them separate until it’s time to eat and you’re golden! (Sort of like ramen — add the noodles last!)

Red Curry Noodle Bowl with Shrimp & Broccoli

Published January 1, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

   Print This Recipe

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

---

Ingredients:

For the red curry coconut broth:

1 shallot, minced

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk

¼ cup chicken broth

4 tablespoons red curry paste

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon maple syrup

Dash of fish sauce (optional)

For the shrimp & veggies:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 cup shrimp, raw, shelled & deveined

2 cups broccoli florets

½ cup sliced mushrooms

For serving: 

Brown rice noodles

2 tablespoons scallions, sliced

Sesame seeds

Lime wedges

Hot sauce, such as sriracha

Directions:

1. Make the sauce: Heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a sauce pan, and add minced shallot. Sauté until shallots are soft. Add coconut milk, broth, curry paste, lime juice, maple syrup, and a small dash of fish sauce (optional). Bring to a simmer, and stir until everything is well mixed.
2. Sauté shrimp in veggies: Heat coconut oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes or until pink (about 1 minute on each side). Move shrimp to a plate, and reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms to pan, and cook about 2 minutes, and then add broccoli. Cook for 3 mote minutes, stirring every minute or so — broccoli should be bright green and mushrooms should be soft.
3. Cook noodles according to package. I used Lotus Foods Brown Rice Noodles (affiliate link!), and boiled them in hot water for 5 minutes, and then strained them.
4. Serve: Divide rice noodles between 4 bowls. Ladle coconut curry broth over top, and then use a spatula to divide shrimp and veggies between each. Top with sliced scallions, sesame seeds, lime wedges, and hot sauce to taste.