Soba Noodles in Soup with Ginger Tofu

Ingredients

• 180g soba noodles
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 spring onions
• 60g fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1 sachet kombu dashi stock powder
• 5 tbsp red miso

Quick Ginger Teriyaki Tofu

• 1 pack firm tofu
• 1 tsp minced ginger root
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp mirin

Toppings

• 2 tbsp dried wakame seaweed
• ½ tbsp black toasted sesame seeds
• ½ tbsp white toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Dice the tofu into cubes, then place it on a paper towel to drain and remove any excess water. Chop the garlic, ginger, and spring onions. Slice the shiitake mushrooms. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the tofu on each side until browned (about 1-2 mins). Add the ginger, mirin, and soy sauce. Fry until caramelised. Set aside.
3. Soak the wakame in water for 10 minutes to reconstitute. Drain well, and set aside.
4. While the wakame is reconstituting, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Fry the garlic and spring onions to infuse the flavour into the oil, then add the shiitake mushrooms. Fry for a couple of minutes until browned.
5. Add the dashi stock. Stir until combined, bring to the boil, and then turn down the heat to simmer for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the miso and one ladleful of dashi stock. Stir well, and add to the rest of the stock. This is to ensure the miso is fully dissolved for a smooth soup.
6. Bring 3-3.5L of water to the boil in a separate large saucepan. Cook the soba noodles for 5 minutes. Make sure the noodles do not boil over. If they boil over, add a little cold water and continue to simmer.
7. When the soba noodles are cooked, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process, drain, and serve into individual bowls. Pour the miso soup onto the soba noodles and place the mushrooms, wakame, and tofu on top. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top. Serve hot.