Tantanmen with Tofu

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Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: Inspired by New York Times

Servings: servings

Calories: 848kcal

Ingredients

12 oz ramen noodles dried, or 20 oz fresh
4 tbsp neutral oil
10 oz firm tofu drained and sliced ¼" thick
8 oz shiitake mushrooms trimmed and thinly sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
½ oz dried kombu about 30 sq. inches, optional
2 cups soy or oat milk at room temperature
¼ cup Tahini
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chile oil plus more for serving
1 cup frozen corn defrosted and drained, if needed
4 scallions finely chopped
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. [See serving notes if you're making two portions.] Add noodles and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and run under cold water until the noodles are completely cold. (This stops the noodles from cooking further.) Set aside to drain.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. When hot, add 1 tbsp neutral oil and arrange the tofu slices in a single layer. Generously season the tofu with about ½ tsp salt and some freshly ground pepper. Reduce heat to medium, and cook tofu for 3 to 4 minutes until golden. Flip the tofu, and cook until golden on the other side, about 2 to 3 minutes. (Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook your tofu in two batches.) Remove from the pan, set aside on a plate.
To the same pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Pan-fry until mushrooms are tender and slightly golden, about 6 minutes.
Pour the vegetable stock into a large pot and add the kombu, if using.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook over medium heat, about 7 minutes. Remove kombu and turn off heat. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then slowly and gradually whisk in milk so it doesn't curdle. Once the milk has been added, heat broth over medium until it simmers.
In a medium bowl, combine the sesame paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar and chile oil. Mix well. Divide mixture across two deep noodle bowls. [See notes about serving size.]
Pour the hot broth over the base in the bowls, dividing it evenly among the bowls. [See notes on serving size.] Whisk to combine the base with the broth. Divide the noodles across the bowls, and top each bowl with a few slices of tofu, mushrooms, corn, scallions, sesame seeds and an extra drop of chile oil.

Notes

To serve this two servings at a time, cook only half of the noodles and then proceed through all steps as normal until you get to the serving steps (including adding the tahini/soy mix to the bowls). Divide ingredients at the point, with half being served right away and half being stored. Store the broth, tahini/soy mix and toppings separately. (Tofu, mushrooms, corn and scallions can be saved together if just for 18-24 hours until the next lunch/dinner.)

Nutrition