Mushroom-Tofu Noodles/Lettuce Wraps.

, , , 0 Comments

So sorry to have been m.i.a. I was out-of-town last week and well, frankly, this morning just got away from me. But here I am with a delicious vegetarian recipe that even carnivores will enjoy.

This recipe initially appeared in Bon Appetit as Saucy Tofu Noodles with Cucumbers and Chili Crisp. I was super excited to give it a try because this vegetarian dish was reminiscent of the popular pork-centric Dan Dan Noodles that you’ll find on many Chinese Sichuan menus. In this preparation firm tofu that has been pressed to release excess moisture is crumbled and then browned in a nonstick skillet. Finely chopped shiitake mushrooms, shallot, garlic and ginger are added to the tofu and the resulting mixture has a ground pork consistency. Brilliant!

The sauce that gets added to the mix is a delicious blend of the usual Asian marinade suspects with the lovely addition of tahini. And the quick pickled cucumbers provide the perfect–I dare say, essential–acidic bite. The only component that I felt fell flat were the ramen noodles. Don’t get me wrong, they were fine and were in keeping of the inspiration for the recipe. If you follow the recipe as intended, you’ll get a “meaty” sauce to spoon over noodles. But after a couple of bites, I knew that I could do better. The tofu-mushroom mixture was the star and by just spooning it into romaine lettuce leaves (or wrapped in butter lettuce) there is no distraction. Just pure bliss.

So here I am, promoting this recipe as Mushroom-Tofu Noodles/Lettuce Wraps but absolutely feel free to stick with the original if you want a more substantial dish (the recipe below lists the noodles and/or lettuce leaves as options and nothing else changes). But either way, give it a go–you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!

Mushroom-Tofu Noodles
Print Recipe

Mushroom-Tofu Noodles/Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c soy sauce
  • 1 Tbls brown sugar
  • 1 Tbls tahini
  • 1 Tbls toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tsp black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbls store-bought chili crisp, plus more for serving I use Trader Joe's
  • 4 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced into rounds
  • 1/2 c unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt divided
  • 1 14-oz block extra-firm tofu drained
  • 2 Tbls cornstarch
  • 4 Tbls vegetable oil divided
  • 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped I used my food processor
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 1"-piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 10 oz 10oz. fresh or dried wheat ramen noodles optional for serving
  • romaine or butter lettuce leaves optional for serving

Instructions

  • Whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, tahini, sesame oil, black vinegar, 1 Tbsp. chili crisp, and ½ cup water in a small bowl or measuring glass until sugar is dissolved. Set sauce aside.
  • Toss cucumbers, rice vinegar, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl to coat. Let sit, scrunching with your hands every few minutes, until cucumbers are softened and lightly pickled, about 10 minutes. Drain and set pickled cucumbers aside.
  • Wrap tofu in a clean kitchen towel. Gather ends of towel together and squeeze with your hands over sink to extract as much liquid as possible. (Don’t worry if the tofu breaks apart—it’s going to get crumbled up anyway.) Or line a plate with paper towels, place tofu on plate and top with an additional plate. Weight the plates with a large can to press the water from the tofu.
  • Crumble tofu into a medium bowl (it should resemble cooked ground meat with some larger pieces). Sprinkle with cornstarch and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; toss with your hands to evenly coat tofu.
  • Heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high. Arrange tofu crumbles in a single layer in pan; reserve bowl. Cook tofu, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes. Toss and continue cooking, tossing occasionally, until tofu is golden brown and crisp all over, about 4 minutes more. Transfer tofu back to reserved bowl.
  • Add remaining 2 Tbsp vegetable oil to same skillet and reduce heat to medium-high. Add mushrooms and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes; season with salt. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return tofu to pan and add reserved sauce; bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • If using, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and divide among bowls. If serving in lettuce, separate leaves, wash, dry and arrange on a platter.
  • Ladle saucy tofu over noodles or spoon into lettuce leaves and top with reserved pickled cucumbers and more chili crisp.