- 1 pound broccoli, crowns broken or cut into small florets, stems peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or peanut oil
- 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps quartered
- 2 plump garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 6 scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
- 1/2 pound firm tofu, sliced and drained on paper towels
- 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (more to taste)
- 1/2 pound buckwheat pasta (soba)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoons Chinese sesame oil
Soba Noodles With Tofu, Shiitake Mushrooms & Broccoli
It is stating the obvious to say that I love pasta, the highest number of posts in my categories are pasta, one of the things I love the most about Italy is the food and I often crave the consistency of pasta in my mouth. Of course my love for pasta is not exclusively for Italian pasta, a noodle is a noodle is a noodle, and asian noodles share the same place in my heart as their western sisters.
This is yet another recipe from the Recipes for Health section of the New York Times, it is becoming one of my main sources for inspiration. Almost every recipe looks delicious and though I am not an obsessively healthy eater and don’t necessarily center my cooking around health foods, I do like the idea that I am guaranteed a healthy meal when I make these dishes.
I also love tofu, I rarely make it and therefore rarely eat it, but I love its nutty flavor and its bizarre consistency.
Soba Noodles With Tofu, Shiitake Mushrooms & Broccoli from the New York Times
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Add the broccoli to the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Remove to the ice water. Allow to cool, then drain and dry on paper towels. Cover the pot of water and keep hot.
Heat a wide, heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When it is rippling hot, add the mushrooms and sear for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Turn the heat to medium, add the garlic, ginger, scallions, and red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and transfer the contents of the pan to a bowl.
Return the pan to medium-high heat and heat the remaining tablespoon of oil until rippling. Add the tofu and sear on both sides until it begins to color, about 1 minute per side. Add 1 teaspoon soy sauce and stir together. Return the mushroom mixture and the broccoli to the pan. Add the stock and soy sauce, bring to a simmer and turn the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for a minute or two, until the broccoli is crisp-tender, then turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, bring the pot of water back to a boil and add the pasta. Cook soba noodles until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain and toss with the mushrooms and the broccoli. Heat through, add the cilantro and sesame oil, toss together, and serve.
Yield: Serves 4 generously
Advance preparation: You can prepare the ingredients and blanch the broccoli hours ahead of cooking the dish. The stir-frying is a last-minute operation.
Italicious 
Great recipe. I imagine that it would taste great with a mixture of fresh shiitakes and oysters. Thanks for the inspiration!
– Brittany
Mmmmm this looks really good. You take great photos too!
I love noodles, too, and just recently have started replacing the rice in my stir fries with soba or udon. I just discovered the awesomeness that is rice vermicelli!