Vegan Spicy Basil Noodles with Crispy Tofu, Bok Choy, and Bell Peppers
By Afton CyrusPublished on February 29, 2020
Time
1¼ hours, plus 35 minutes soaking
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
We strongly prefer our favorite vegetable broths, Orrington Farms Vegan Chicken Broth or our homemade Vegetable Broth Base. Do not substitute other types of noodles for the rice noodles; however, you can substitute ¼-inch-wide dried flat rice noodles and reduce the soaking time to 20 minutes. If you can't find Thai basil, you can substitute regular basil. For a spicier dish, reserve, mince, and add the ribs and seeds from the chiles.
Instructions
- Cover noodles with very hot tap water in large bowl and stir to separate. Let noodles soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Drain noodles. Meanwhile, spread tofu on paper towel–lined baking sheet and let drain for 20 minutes. Gently pat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, pulse chiles, shallots, and garlic in food processor to smooth paste, about 20 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Whisk broth, fish sauce substitute, sugar, and lime juice together in bowl; set aside.
- Toss drained tofu with cornstarch in bowl, then transfer to fine-mesh strainer and shake gently to remove excess cornstarch. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add tofu and cook, turning as needed, until crisp and well browned on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate to drain.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add bok choy stalks and bell pepper and cook until crisp-tender and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in bok choy leaves and cook until beginning to wilt, about 30 seconds; transfer to bowl.
- Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add processed chile mixture and cook until moisture evaporates and color deepens, 3 to 5 minutes. Add noodles and broth mixture to skillet and cook, tossing gently, until sauce has thickened slightly and noodles are well coated and tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in browned vegetables and basil and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Top with crispy tofu and serve.
Time
1¼ hours, plus 35 minutes soakingYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
We used a whopping 2 cups of licorice-y Thai basil, stirring it in at the end of cooking to keep its flavor fresh. We infused our dish with heat by creating a paste of chiles, garlic, and shallots in the food processor. Cooking the mixture briefly deepened its flavor and mellowed the harshness of the raw aromatics. Fish sauce substitute, brown sugar, lime juice, and vegetable broth added sweet and savory flavors. Pan-fried tofu, coated with a light layer of cornstarch, offered both creamy and crispy textures. Stir-fried baby bok choy and red bell pepper added crunch and bright pops of color.
Before You Begin
We strongly prefer our favorite vegetable broths, Orrington Farms Vegan Chicken Broth or our homemade Vegetable Broth Base. Do not substitute other types of noodles for the rice noodles; however, you can substitute ¼-inch-wide dried flat rice noodles and reduce the soaking time to 20 minutes. If you can't find Thai basil, you can substitute regular basil. For a spicier dish, reserve, mince, and add the ribs and seeds from the chiles.
Instructions
- Cover noodles with very hot tap water in large bowl and stir to separate. Let noodles soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Drain noodles. Meanwhile, spread tofu on paper towel–lined baking sheet and let drain for 20 minutes. Gently pat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, pulse chiles, shallots, and garlic in food processor to smooth paste, about 20 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Whisk broth, fish sauce substitute, sugar, and lime juice together in bowl; set aside.
- Toss drained tofu with cornstarch in bowl, then transfer to fine-mesh strainer and shake gently to remove excess cornstarch. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add tofu and cook, turning as needed, until crisp and well browned on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate to drain.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add bok choy stalks and bell pepper and cook until crisp-tender and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in bok choy leaves and cook until beginning to wilt, about 30 seconds; transfer to bowl.
- Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add processed chile mixture and cook until moisture evaporates and color deepens, 3 to 5 minutes. Add noodles and broth mixture to skillet and cook, tossing gently, until sauce has thickened slightly and noodles are well coated and tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in browned vegetables and basil and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Top with crispy tofu and serve.
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