This recipe has been created in collaboration with Lotus Foods, all opinions are my own.
This recipe has nuggety pieces of tempeh along with a delicious soba noodle salad with a ginger lime sauce. Made with Lotus Foods’ Organic Buckwheat & Brown Soba Rice Noodles for a perfect summer dinner.
I am very excited to bring you all another recipe in collaboration with Lotus Foods! Last week, I put out a recipe for Peanut Tofu Skewers with Spicy Noodles using their Organic Traditional Pho Rice Noodles. Lotus Foods recently came out with a new line of noodles and this recipe is made with the Organic Buckwheat & Brown Rice Soba Noodles. The noodles are easy to prepare and only take a few minutes to cook. Here, they’re mixed with cucumbers, carrots, and scallions to provide some crunch and brightness to the soba noodle salad and the ginger lime sauce is tangy and sweet.
Something I admire about Lotus Foods is all their efforts to protect the small farmers they work with and their environmental impact. They are working on amazing projects and I highly encourage you to check out their website and read more about their sustainability efforts. I also appreciate that I can count on their products to be vegan, organic, gluten-free, non-GMO and kosher. The new noodle varieties cook quickly and are great for lunches, dinners, and meal prepping. Lotus Foods’ Organic Buckwheat & Brown Rice Soba Noodles combine buckwheat and brown rice to make a gluten free Japanese-style Soba noodle. The noodles are nutty, which I love, and are great for using in soups, stir-fries, served cold – anywhere you like!
Let’s Talk Tempeh
When I first went vegan, I did not enjoy tempeh. I didn’t like the flavor, the texture, I actually didn’t eat it for a long time. However, I have now realized it is best to prepare it by steaming it beforehand. Steaming helps to take away some of the natural bitterness and softens it. Tempeh is a soy-based product but unlike tofu which is a smooth block, tempeh is made from fermented soybeans. So, there is a lot of texture and nuttiness in tempeh which makes it hearty and delicious. If you don’t like tempeh, feel free to replace it with tofu or seitan!
Perfect for Summer
As we get into these warmer months my cravings definitely start to change. This recipe is great because the cold soba noodle salad is light and refreshing in contrast to the warm tempeh and bok choy which is hearty. I also love the ginger lime flavors for this because it is tangy and I think it works really well the vegetables in this dish. Trust me, when I say I think this is one you will want to eat on repeat.
FAQ
- Can I make this ahead of time? Definitely! I think this is great for meal prep as well since it will just soak up the flavors.
- Can I use different vegetables? Of course, feel free to use your favorite veggies in here. String beans, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, bell peppers would all work very well in here.
- How to make this soy free? You can swap the tempeh out for seitan and the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos.
- How to make this gluten free? Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Bok Choy, Veggies & Tempeh
Ingredients
Tempeh and Bok Choy
- 1 block tempeh (8 ounces/227g)
- 1 cup 240ml water, divided
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 head baby bok choy (about 7.5 ounces/220g)
Soba Noodle Salad
- 4 ounces (112g) Lotus Foods Organic Buckwheat & Brown Soba Rice Noodles
- ⅓ English cucumber peeled into ribbons or julienned (about 4.5 ounces/130g)
- 1 large carrot peeled into ribbons or julienned (about 1.5 ounces/35g)
- 2 scallions chopped
Ginger Lime Sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Cut the block of tempeh in half crosswise. Place in a sauté pan with ¾ cup of water. Cover with a lid and steam for 15 minutes or until water is gone over medium low heat.
- Meanwhile, prepare the noodles according to package directions. Once they are done rinse with cold water to bring temperature down.
- Prepare the cucumber, carrots, and scallions and place in a large bowl along with the cooked noodles.
- Prepare the ginger lime sauce by adding all ingredients into a bowl and whisking until well incorporated. Reserve 1 ½ tablespoons for later. Add the rest of the sauce to the soba noodle salad and mix. Place in fridge until ready to eat.
- Once the tempeh is done steaming, add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and cook the tempeh on each side for about 5 minutes or until golden over medium low heat.
- Cut the bottom of the bok choy off, so you have the long leaves. Once the tempeh is done remove from the pan and then add the bok choy with ¼ cup of water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes until bright green. Drain any remaining liquid.
- Add the tempeh back into the pan along with 1 ½ tablespoons of the ginger lime sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat until sauce is absorbed by bok choy and tempeh.
- Cut the tempeh into several crosswise pieces. Place on a large plate with the soba noodle salad and bok choy. Garnish with extra green onion and sesame seeds if desired.
I honestly can’t wait to make this salads also like the way you show the product in your photos. It will help everyone know what to look for. Great idea.
thank you so much Jason! so glad you are excited about it! of course my pleasure!!