Soba Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pack extra firm tofu (12-14oz)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar
• ¼ cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 300 grams dry soba noodles (10.5 ounces)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half (170 g)
• 1 ripe avocado, cubed
• ½ lemon
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, stems removed
• 2 tbs black sesame seeds

Instructions

1. 1
   Slice the tofu into ¼” thick squares. Place them in a gallon-sized freezer bag and cover with ¼ cup soy sauce and 1 tablespoon sugar. Squeeze as much air out as possible and seal the bag. Marinate the tofu for 30 minutes.
2. 2
   In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, water, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt and white pepper.
3. 3
   Heat a frying pan until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil, and then fry the tofu until browned on one side. Flip the tofu and brown the second side. Transfer the browned tofu to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized pieces
4. 4
   Boil the soba according to the package directions. If the directions give a range of times, use the low end of the range, if there’s only one number, boil the noodles for 1 minute less than what the directions say. Drain the noodles and plunge them into a bowl of ice water to chill.
5. 5
   Prepare the cherry tomatoes by washing and cutting them in half. Halve, pit, peel, then cube the avocados and sprinkle them with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Pluck the cilantro leaves from the stems, and discard the stems.
6. 6
   Add the noodles, tofu, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and black sesame to a bowl and drizzle the dressing on top. Toss everything together and serve.
7. 7
   The salad will keep for up to one day in the fridge, but it is best eaten immediately as the noodles will absorb the dressing and get soft.