Home Recipes Stir Fry Vegetables with Tofu & Udon Noodles

Stir Fry Vegetables with Tofu & Udon Noodles

Name: Stir Fry Vegetables with Tofu & Udon Noodles
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 1 tsp Rapeseed Oil; 1 heaped tsp Garlic Puree/ 2 crushed medium cloves; 80g Tenderstem Broccoli; 1 Carrot, cut into strips; 5 Baby Corn; A small handful of Runner Beans; 140g Firm Tofu; Handful of Spinach; A sprinkling of Chia Seeds; ½ tsp Ginger powder or 1 small knob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated; ½ tsp Cinnamon; ¼ tsp Chilli Powder; 2 tsp Tamari Sauce; Dash of water (approx. 40ml); Pinch of Sea Salt; Black Pepper; 2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce; 1 serving of fresh Udon Noodles (200g)

This easy 20-minute banger combines stir fry vegetables with a tasty spice blend and protein-rich tofu. It’s a perfect vegan meal when you’re searching for a speedy, but healthy option.

lifewithoutmeat

July 23, 2019

2336

I personally think stir fry vegetables is one of the easiest dishes to make, especially when you’re just in from work. It’s quick and tasty – what’s not to like?

While adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet, it’s important to incorporate different textures in your meals to stay satisfied. This is why I’ve chosen to jazz this dish up with some firm tofu and udon noodles. Not only is tofu a great holder of flavour, but it boasts excellent texture. It’s also a brilliant source of ‘whole protein’ as it contains all 9 essential amino acids. Which is why I love cooking with it.

Sometimes, shop-bought stir fry sauces can be full of sugar, which I noticed last time I went food shopping. I found myself checking labels because my partner recently found out he’s intolerant to wheat. But I wasn’t willing to compromise on the sugar, so I was like: “f**ck it, I’ll just make my own” haha!

With this recipe for stir fry vegetables, I wanted to show you how easy and straightforward it is to create a lovely taste using common spices you probably have in your cupboard at home.

stir-fry-vegetables-tofu-udon The step-by-step process of this recipe allows you to layer the ingredients to build on the meal’s flavour. Rather than throwing everything in at once, it’s helpful to remain patient. I always start by releasing the aromas of garlic before adding in the vegetables and spices.

When it comes to stir-frying vegetables, you need to start with the hardest vegetables first as I’ve done, since these will require the longest cooking time. In comparison, spinach and udon noodles cook incredibly quick which is why I’ve added these near the end.

Again, if you choose to throw in some bean sprouts – be sure to add these in with the spinach to savour their crunch. These only need a short amount of cooking time; otherwise, they go all soggy.

It’s important to note that fresh udon noodles, much like rice noodles, will need to soak in boiling water for 2 minutes before you add them to the pan. However, double-check the packet instructions as brands will differ. I’ve included this at step 7.

What’s The Best Type of Tofu to Use With Stir Fry Vegetables?

For this recipe, I advise using extra-firm tofu. It’s much more substantial for frying in comparison to soft or silken tofu.

Why Are Fermented Foods Good for You?

I’ve topped my stir-fry with fermented red cabbage a.k.a sauerkraut because I LOVE IT! It pairs really well with Asian foods as does fermented ginger and kimchi. Fermented foods are really good for the gut as they’re a source of probiotics. These encourage healthy digestion by boosting the number and variety of ‘good’ gut microbes.

You can make your own fermented foods, but the supermarkets stock them too. Example brands include Biona, Yutaka, and The Cultured Food Company. If you can’t seem to find any in your local supermarket, then head to one of your nearest health food stores.

Where Can I Get the Key Ingredients for This Recipe?

You can find many of the ingredients in your local supermarket. Extra Firm Tofu can be found in the free-from fridge section – I used Tofoo’s Organic Extra Firm Tofu.

I also grabbed a punnet of pre-prepared vegetables which included baby corn, runner beans, carrot strips and tender stem broccoli. Mainly because they were on offer and I love a cheeky barg! Many supermarkets have these vegetable medleys situated in the fresh food aisles, alongside other stir-fry ingredients. However, feel free to prepare your own vegetables as that doesn’t take long either.

Garlic Puree is always sat on the aisle alongside tomato puree and chopped tomatoes. Again, you can also prepare yourself fresh garlic if you prefer. Sometimes, I fancy a short-cut.

I’ve seen chia seeds kept near the fresh fruit as they’re considered a popular granola topping. Or you could find them down one of the dry food aisles, e.g. home-baking, alongside nuts and seeds like almonds, hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds and walnuts.

Tamari sauce and dark soy sauce can both be found down the Asian food aisles, and will often be near the noodles. Alternatively, you can find these ingredients (as well as tofu and spices) in your local Asian supermarket, and usually, they’re far cheaper. I think I picked up this pack of udon noodles for 40p, and you can get far more spices for your money.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It would be lovely to hear your feedback, so tag me in your social stories and posts to let me know how you get on. Otherwise, you can also leave a review below!

Much Love, G x

Stir Fry Vegetables with Tofu & Udon Noodles

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

A perfect vegan meal when you’re searching for a speedy, but healthy option

Ingredients

1 tsp Rapeseed Oil
1 heaped tsp Garlic Puree/ 2 crushed medium cloves

Vegetables & Protein

80g Tenderstem Broccoli
1 Carrot, cut into strips
5 Baby Corn
A small handful of Runner Beans
140g Firm Tofu
Handful of Spinach
A sprinkling of Chia Seeds

Spices & Seasoning

½ tsp Ginger powder or 1 small knob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
½ tsp Cinnamon
¼ tsp Chilli Powder
2 tsp Tamari Sauce
Dash of water (approx. 40ml)
Pinch of Sea Salt
Black Pepper
2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce

Noodles

1 serving of fresh Udon Noodles (200g)

Instructions

Prepare your vegetables and cut your tofu into bitesize pieces. If you’ve bought a pre-prepared vegetable medley for a stir fry, you can skip the veg prep.
Put oil and garlic in a pan on medium-high heat for a couple of minutes until aromas are released. If you’re using fresh ginger instead of powder, then add this at this point too.
On a high heat, add in the vegetables (broccoli, carrot, baby corn, runner beans) and tofu to cook. Then stir in all the spices (ginger powder, cinnamon, chilli) and tamari sauce to evenly coat the veg and tofu. You can add a dash of water at this point too which will help steam the veggies through.
Cook for approx. 5-8 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have softened a little.
Meanwhile, boil the kettle with enough water to fill a bowl.
Stir in a handful of spinach to the pan ingredients, and sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt, a good grinding of black pepper and some chia seeds.
Meanwhile, place your udon noodles in a bowl of boiling water to soak for 2 minutes. Gently pull them apart in the bowl with a fork, then add them to the pan along with some dark soy sauce.
Use some tongs to combine all the ingredients together over a high heat for another minute or so, then serve with a topping of fermented red cabbage or ginger. Alternatively, you could sprinkle over some chopped spring onion and chilli.