Tofu Udon Noodle Soup

Some Ingredients

Inspired by both my need to use up some tofu in my fridge and Megan’s post over at the Runner’s Kitchen, I made the following recipe from Cooking Light: Spicy Tofu Udon Noodle Bowl.

Ingredients

• 6  ounces  uncooked udon noodles (thick, round fresh Japanese wheat noodles) or spaghetti
• 2  teaspoons  canola oil
• 2  cups  sliced mushrooms
• 3  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2  cups  snow peas, trimmed
• 1  tablespoon  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  teaspoon  brown sugar
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  serrano pepper, sliced
• 1  cup  light coconut milk
• 3  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1  teaspoon  Sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
• 1  (12.3-ounce) package lite firm silken tofu, cut into (1/2-inch) cubes
• 1/2  cup  chopped green onions
• 1/4  cup  chopped cilantro

Preparation

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and next 6 ingredients (through serrano); bring to a boil. Cook 4 minutes. Stir in milk, lime juice, and Sambal oelek; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add tofu; cook 5 minutes. Place about 1 cup noodles into each of 4 bowls. Ladle about 1 1/4 cups soup into each bowl; sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons green onions and 1 tablespoon cilantro.

• I simply substituted red pepper flakes for both the Sambal Oelek and the chile, neither of which I had on hand, so the soup was not as spicy as it should have been. It was still tasty though and let’s be honest, I don’t need to eat insanely spicy food ALL the time. My only recommendation would be to up the amount of mushrooms and snow peas included, I felt that the noodles dominated my bowl.

Soup!