Vegetable Yaki Soba

Vegetable Yaki-Soba
Reprinted from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair (Sasquatch Books, 2008).

This traditional Japanese dish is one of my favorite dishes. My daughter has loved yaki-soba from kindergarten to college. I like to pan-fry the tofu cubes before adding them but the dish is equally good if the tofu is added raw. Soba is a hearty noodle made from buckwheat and wheat flour. Watch our video about soba.

1 package soba noodles
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
I onion, cut in thin half moons
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
5 shitake mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces
4 cups water
1/3 cup tamari or shoyu
½ pound firm tofu, cut into ½” cubes or fried tofu cubes (I used chicken breast)
1 tablespoon freshly grated gingerroot
2 cups chopped bok choy
2 scallions, cut into thin slices

Prepare soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a 4-quart soup pot. Add onion and garlic; sauté over medium heat until onion begins to soften. Add carrot and mushroom pieces; sauté a few minutes more. Add water, tamari, tofu and gingerroot. Bring heat up until mixture begins to simmer. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add bok choy and simmer until leaves are bright green. Serve this dish by placing a handful of noodles in each serving dish. Ladle broth and vegetables over the noodles. Garnish with scallions.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings