Cold Asian Noodle Salad w/ Tofu

I try my best to make and pack lunches for my school day.  Sometimes this is just a hastily thrown together peanut butter and jelly sandwich, along with some chips and a piece of fruit, but when I can get my act together on a Sunday afternoon I like to prepare something a little heartier, more satisfying, and definitely something that appeals to my taste buds (No offense PB&J, you know I love you!).  A few years ago, an ex-girlfriend of mine introduced me to this super easy and quick noodle salad, which, if you're ok with tofu, makes for a great packed lunch due to it being a 'cold' dish, plus it's packed with protein from the tofu to help you combat hunger until you can make it home and snack or eat.

The Ingredients:

The Dressing

-3 TBSP.  Fresh Lime Juice (About 1 1/2 )

-2 TBSP.  Tamari or Soy sauce (Variations of the same thing)

-2 TSPS.  Toasted Sesame Oil

Whisk all three ingredients together and set them aside.

The Salad

-8 OZ.  Green Beans, trimmed and cut into 2-in. pieces

-6 OZ.  Soba Noodles (Japanese buckwheat noodles, which can be found in most supermarkets)

-6 OZ.  Extra-Firm Tofu, cut into 1/2-in. cubes 

-2          Scallions, rough chopped

-Dash   Toasted Sesame Seeds (Optional)

Fill a pot with 3-4 quarts of water and start it on its long journey towards boiling.  While you're waiting rinse and trim the green beans, and mince the scallions.  At this point my water is typically still not boiling (something might be wrong with my stove top...) so I move onto the tofu.  

The tofu needs to be drained and then further dried to remove some of the water content.  I find the best way to do this is to lay down 2 layers of paper towel on my cutting board before placing the tofu on it.  I then slice the tofu in half width-wise,

before cutting the two halves into 1/8ths, and finally 1/16ths:

After cubing the tofu, leave it on the paper towel and cover it with another sheet or two, and let it drain until the green beans are finished, or until it's drained to your liking.  When it's ready put it in a large bowl and gently toss it with half of the dressing we made earlier, and set it aside.

Hopefully by now the water is boiling.  Toss in the prepped green beans and let them boil until they are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes (4 for a little more tenderness).  Using a slotted spoon, remove the green beans (Haricot verts, en Francais!) and dump them in a colander to drain.  Now, dump your uncooked noodles right into the same pot, and let them cook to the packages instructions (typically 5-6 minutes for al dente).

Once the noodles have cooked, drain them and place them in a large bowl and toss them with the remaining dressing, the green beans and the scallions.  Sprinkle the tofu on top and then top it all off with a dash of toasted sesame seeds for some added pop.  

Now the hard part:  Wrap up the salad with saran wrap, or if you're going the packed lunch route just dish it out into your Tupperware, and place the salad in the fridge for at least an hour or two of cooling.  Afterwards, stuff your face, or think about how good this is going to be for lunch tomorrow.

Enjoy!