Tofu and Veggie Noodle Bowl with Miso Gravy

I’ve managed to break through my omnivore tendencies to make vegan food. Meat-and-dairy free food has really caught on in recent years, and it’s evolved from being seen as just an eco-conscious lifestyle to a healthier way of eating. Heck, if Natalie Portman is a vegan it must be a good thing, right? However, I’m a proud cheeseaholic, and when food doesn’t have cheese I notice its absence. But I’ve found a solution that doesn’t involve fake cheese! It came in the form of this Tofu and Veggie Noodle Bowl.

East Asian food (such as Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Korean), for the most part doesn’t have dairy in it. Drinking cow’s milk was just not a thing people did in those societies, historically. In fact, people from that region are more likely to be lactose intolerant. So with their food, half of the work is done – leaving out the dairy part. All that’s left is getting rid of the meat! The only way I don’t like tofu is when it’s left plain, so I marinated mine in a soy sauce mixture for a few days overnight.

And yes, I’ve also used miso again to make a tasty gravy that coats the tofu, crisp veggies, and noodles. The inspiration for both the miso gravy and the noodle bowl comes from Fresh restaurants, a chain of vegan/vegetarian eateries in Toronto that serve some seriously delicious and addictive dishes.

The recipe calls for steaming the vegetables separately, so you can swap out the ones I’ve picked with your favourite vegetables. Just make sure to get some form of crunchy green goodness in there!

Note: I recommend that you add sesame seeds to this dish for some extra crunch – I wasn’t able to do this myself since my husband is severely allergic to them.

Tofu and Veggie Noodle Bowl with Miso Gravy

Print this recipe!

Adapted from two recipes in Refresh by Ruth Tal and Jennifer Houston

Yield: 6 servings

Marinated tofu cubes

1 package firm tofu

½ cup rice wine vinegar

¾ cup soy sauce

¼ cup water

1 ½ tsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp brown sugar

Noodles and veggies

1 package thin whole grain noodles (like spaghetti or soba noodles)

2 heads broccoli, rinsed, florets only (stems removed)

7oz (200g) package snow peas, rinsed

6oz (170g) package spinach, rinsed

Miso gravy

4½ tbsp whole wheat flour

¼ tsp garlic powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1½ cups vegetable stock

3 tbsp white miso paste

1½ tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp brown sugar

½ cup water

For the marinated tofu, cut the tofu into 1-inch or 2cm square cubes. Stir the remaining ingredients in a glass or plastic bowl until the brown sugar dissolves. Stir in the tofu cubes. Cover the dish and marinate in the fridge for anywhere between 4 and 48 hours. When you are ready to use the tofu, you can reuse the marinade for another batch of tofu cubes if you like.

When you’re ready to prepare the dish, put on a large pot of water to boil. Use your favourite method of steaming (double boiler, steaming basket) to steam the vegetables separately. On high heat, the broccoli should take about 5 minutes, the snow peas and spinach each 3 minutes. You want the vegetables to retain some crunchiness and not get too soft. Set the vegetables aside in a dish to cool. Keep your steaming water at a boil and cook the noodles in the same pot according to package instructions. When the noodles are cooked until slightly firm, drain in a colander. Allow the noodles and veggies to cool to room temperature.

For the miso gravy, gently warm 1/3 cup oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, stir in the flour and garlic powder. Increase heat to medium and stir the mixture until it starts to bubble and foam, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 seconds or until it forms a thick paste. Gradually add small amounts of vegetable stock and whisk thoroughly to create a creamy base for the sauce. When all the vegetable stock has been incorporated, stir in the miso and mustard until smooth. Gradually add the water while whisking to thin out the consistency, then remove from heat.

To assemble the dish, toss the noodles in the hot miso gravy and divide between six bowls. Top each bowl with the marinated tofu cubes, broccoli, spinach and snow peas.