Fall soba salad

It is often that when you find one recipe that hits all the right notes, it becomes set in stone. Last year, for me, it was a soba salad: red cabbage, bell peppers, beans, and avocado mixed with soba noodles and tossed in a sesame oil and Sriracha-infused dressing (if you want that recipe, type “Soba and veggies to go” in the online Vanguard database). It was the perfect meal because it was healthy, traveled well and was tasty. But these days, I have been experimenting with other vegetables, and I think I have found that recipe’s counterpart, fall-style. The recipe employs great fall/winter vegetables, warm spices, soba noodles, and leftover tofu from a recent Chinese take-out night, and it might just be a new favorite.

Ingredients

• 1/4 package of soba noodles
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
• 6 large kale leaves
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoon dried ginger
• salt
• black pepper
• 1/2 cup of leftover cooked firm tofu, or fresh cubes
• Sriracha, to your liking
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Method

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Salt, and add soba noodles. Meanwhile, bring oil in a medium skillet to medium heat. When hot, add carrots and kale, sautéing for a few minutes, until kale begins to break down. If mixture looks dry, add a few tablespoons of water.

Add tofu and spices to the mixture. Sauté for a few more minutes. When soba noodles are done (they only take about six minutes), drain, and add to the skillet. Once tofu is heated through, remove the mixture from heat and add to a bowl. Check seasonings, dress with rice vinegar and Sriracha to your liking.