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Smashed Cucumber Sesame Noodles with Torn Braised Tofu and Pickled Ginger

Smashed Cucumber Sesame Noodles

These Smashed Cucumber Sesame Noodles feature a creamy tahini dressing base topped with noodles covered with torn braised tofu and a light and fresh smashed cucumber salad.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cucumber Resting Time 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course, Salad
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Tahini Dressing
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 1 clove garlic peeled
  • 1 (1-inch) knob ginger peeled
  • 3 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp water
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 lime juiced
Smashed Cucumber Salad
  • 1 whole English cucumber
  • High-quality finishing salt for sprinkling
  • 1¼ cups edamame shelled and cooked
  • ¼ cup pickled ginger drained
  • ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 (1-inch) knob ginger peeled and minced
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
Torn Braised Tofu
  • 1 brick extra firm tofu torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil I used canola
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup mirin
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
To Assemble
  • 4 cups cooked wheat or egg noodles
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp high-quality finishing salt
  • 1 batch Tahini Dressing see above
  • 1 batch Torn Braised Tofu see above
  • 1 batch Smashed Cucumber Salad see above
  • Garlic chive blossoms for sprinkling, optional
  • Black sesame seeds for sprinkling

Equipment

  • 1 Large skillet
  • 1 kitchen mallet or rolling pin
  • 1 Food Processor

Method
 

For the Tahini Dressing
  1. Place the tahini, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, mirin, water, and salt in a food processor. Blitz until very smooth.
    ¼ cup tahini , 1 clove garlic, 1 (1-inch) knob ginger, 3 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp water, ½ tsp salt
  2. Pour the dressing into a bowl and add the lime juice. ** Whisk to combine. Cover and set aside. Do not chill. 
    1 lime
For the Smashed Cucumber Salad
  1. Cut the cucumber into thirds and smash each piece with a mallet or rolling pin until they naturally split into quarters. 
    1 whole English cucumber
  2. Coarsely chop the cucumber and place it in a bowl. Sprinkle the cucumber with salt and let sit for 10 minutes. 
    High-quality finishing salt
  3. Add the edamame, pickled ginger, cilantro, garlic, fresh ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame oil to the cucumber. Toss to coat. Chill until ready to serve. 
    1¼ cups edamame, ¼ cup pickled ginger, ¼ cup cilantro, 1 clove garlic, 1 (1-inch) knob ginger, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil
For the Tofu
  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the tofu and spread it into an even layer in the pan. Let cook undisturbed until golden. Shake the pan and repeat. Continue until the tofu is golden on all sides.
    2 tbsp neutral oil , 1 brick extra firm tofu
  2. In a small bowl, whisk to combine the soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil. Pour it into the frying pan and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is mostly absorbed. This should take between 10-15 minutes. 
    ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup mirin, 1 tsp sesame oil
To Assemble
  1. Place the freshly cooked, drained, and rinsed noodles in a bowl. Add the sesame oil and the salt and toss to coat. Set aside.
    4 cups cooked wheat or egg noodles, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp high-quality finishing salt
  2. Spread the tahini dressing onto a large platter. Top the dressing with the noodles and top the noodles with the tofu and the cucumber salad. Garnish with sesame seeds, and garlic chive blossom if using. Serve immediately. 
    1 batch Tahini Dressing, 1 batch Torn Braised Tofu, 1 batch Smashed Cucumber Salad, Garlic chive blossoms , Black sesame seeds

Notes

** Add a much or as little lime juice as you want to the dressing.