This is a fresh, vietnamese style dish that is very easy to make. The crispy lemongrass tofu contrasts so well with the soft noodles. The noodles are mixed with crunchy julienne carrots and cucumber, chopped mint and coriander, and finished with lime and soy sauce dressing.

a black bowl with noodles, julienned carrot and cucumber, and crisp lemongrasstofu

For even more veg to noodle ratio, add some shredded red cabbage and whole edamame beans. If you struggle to get fresh edamame beans, they are often found in the frozen section of most supermarkets, and they defrost really well, so you can enjoy them all year round. The shredded red cabbage just adds that extra bit of colour and crunch.

Crushed peanuts can also be a great addition here just to add even more umani flavour and more textural contrast.

a black bowl with noodles, julienned carrot and cucumber, and crisp lemongrasstofu

Lemongrass tofu with warm noodle salad

This is a fresh, vietnamese style dish that is very easy to make. The crispy lemongrass tofu contrasts so well with the soft noodles. The noodles are mixed with crunchy julienne carrots and cucumber, chopped mint and coriander, and finished with lime and soy sauce dressing.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine vegetarian
Servings 4 people
Calories 222 kcal

Equipment

  • 3 saucepans/frying pans

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g firm or extra firm tofu
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp lemongrass
  • 1/2 onion
  • 3 – 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
  • 1 large cucumber, peeled, deseeded and julienned
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 bunch mint, chopped
  • 1 bunch coriander, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes

Instructions
 

  • Drain the tofu and wrap it in a tea towel. Place a heavy weight on top (books or heavy pans) to squeeze the water out. Leave for at least 30 minutes. Then cut into 2 cm cubes.
  • Start to fry the tofu cubes in a non-stick pan on a medium to high heat. Keep turning until all sides are golden brown and crisp.
  • Mean while, blend the lemongrass, half onion, garlic and oil into a paste. Fry the paste in a seperate pan for 5 – 8 minutes until the onion is sweetened and lemongrass is fragrant. Once the tofu is golden brown, add it to the paste and keep warm.
  • Cook the rice noodles according the the manufacturers instructions and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Stir in the cucumber, carrot, mint and coriander.
  • Mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, seaseme oil, and lime juice and pour over the noodle mix. then stir in the lemongrass paste coated tofu. The tofu will slightly warm the salad, so serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 12gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 778mgPotassium: 277mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2863IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 168mgIron: 2mg
Keyword vegan, vegetarian
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