These Miso Soba Noodle Bowls with Spicy Tofu are filled with umami flavour and are the perfect vegetarian comfort food!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Soba noodles – Korean buckwheat noodles and whole wheat vermicelli are the best substitutes for soba noodles. You can also use udon noodles or ramen noodles as a replacement, but it will alter the overall flavour.
Miso broth
- Vegetable broth – if you want to have a more authentic Japanese-cuisine experience, use dashi instead!
- Miso paste – this recipe calls for miso, so you will want to make sure you have this ingredient. There are a few variations of miso paste like white, red, yellow, etc. I recommend the white soybean miso paste for the best results.
- Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos will work well in place of soy sauce.
- Chili garlic sauce – chili garlic sauce adds a spice element to the broth. If spicy food isn't up your alley, then feel free to leave this out.
- Enoki mushrooms – enoki mushrooms add rich vitamins and healthy amino acids to your broth. You can choose to use a different mushroom instead or leave it out completely.
- Green onions – if you don't like green onions, you can leave this step out or replace them with chives for a similar effect.
Spicy tofu
- Extra firm tofu – using extra firm tofu keeps its shape through the cooking process, but medium to medium firm tofu also pairs nicely in miso soup. Just a heads up, it is more delicate than firm tofu.
- Sunflower oil – olive oil and vegetable oil will also work in place of sunflower oil.
- Sriracha – you can use chili paste, crushed chili flakes or cayenne to replace the Sriracha. If you're looking to minimize the spice level of this recipe, feel free to leave this out.
- Soy sauce – see substitution notes above.
- Rice wine vinegar – use 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar plus 1/4 tsp. sugar for every tablespoon of rice wine vinegar.
Toppings
- Sunflower sprouts – swap out any of the toppings for another ingredient of your choice.
- Red cabbage – see substitution notes above.
- Jalapeños – see substitution notes above.
- Spicy Tofu – see substitution notes above.
How to make this recipe
- Prep and cook the spicy tofu.
- Make the miso broth.
- Add in the soba noodles.
- Serve with your favourite toppings and enjoy!
More topping ideas
The topping options are endless when it comes to a hearty noodle soup! Here are some recommendations:
- Mushrooms (king oyster, shiitake, cremini, enoki, etc.)
- Shredded carrots
- Baby bok choy
- Snow peas
- Bean sprouts
- Edamame
- Cilantro
- And anything else you’re in the mood for!
Frequently Asked Questions
Miso is a fermented soybean paste that originates from Japan. It’s used to create flavour in a lot of Asian cuisine but is mostly recognized for being the main ingredient in miso soup. The overall taste of miso is also the reference point for “umami” – a flavour sensation in Japanese dishes.
Soba noodles are relatively healthy compared to regular pasta. They’re made of buckwheat, which is naturally gluten-free, and are lower in fat.
These soba noodle broth bowls have 391 calories per serving.
Storing and reheating
You can store any extra miso soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I like storing my soup in mason jars – it makes it so easy when you need to take your leftovers with you on the go!
When you’re ready to enjoy your miso noodle soup, microwave it for 1 to 2 minutes or reheat it in a pot on the stovetop until warmed through.
Freezing this recipe
Unfortunately, this recipe isn’t freezer-friendly. The soba noodles and tofu won’t freeze and defrost well.
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More noodle soup recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- These are the mason jars I use to store an leftover soup.
- I love this low-sodium soy sauce.
- This is the brand of tamari I like (if you're looking for a soy sauce alternative!).
Miso Soba Noodle Bowls with Spicy Tofu
Ingredients
- 9 oz Handful of soba noodles
Miso broth
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup miso paste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
- 8 oz enoki mushrooms
- 3 green onions, sliced
Spicy Tofu
- 350 g package extra firm tofu
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
Toppings
- Sunflower sprouts
- Red cabbage
- Jalapeños sliced and deseeded
- Spicy Tofu
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Cut tofu into cubes and marinate for 15 minutes and up to an hour. Remove cubes from marinade and roast in the oven on a parchment lined baking sheet for 15 minutes, flipping once.
- While tofu is cooking, make broth by combining miso paste with broth in a large pot and whisking constantly as you bring it to a boil. Stir in soy sauce and chili garlic sauce, then add mushrooms and green onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add soba noodles and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Spoon into large bowls, add desired toppings and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Carl says
I see that soba noodles come in both cooked and uncooked varieties at my local grocery store. Which did you use in your recipe? Thanks!
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Carl! I used the uncooked variety then boiled them in water for a couple minutes according to the package directions. They are usually in with all the other dried rice noodles, vermicelli etc. 🙂
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
So now I know what to do with that brick of tofu I bought recently when I was in a healthy mood and that has been sitting in my fridge ever since 🙂 Delicious looking and probably almost as good as chicken soup in curing whatever ails you.
Mei says
That looks soo good! And now I’m hungry! ><
Taylor Stinson says
Thanks Mei!! 🙂 That was the idea hahaha
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
Love your tip about soybean paste over miso paste. And this bowl is calling to me!
Taylor Stinson says
Thanks Kristen! Sometimes labels at the store can get so confusing!
Sarah says
Love tofu and this sounds simply delightful!
Taylor Stinson says
Thanks Sarah, glad to hear somebody else around here actually likes tofu!
Erin @ Platings and Pairings says
Taylor – I find myself drooling over your recipes day after day!!! Love this 🙂
Taylor Stinson says
Aww Erin you are so sweet!! I love your website too, especially the income reports!! It’s so helpful to see other medium-sized bloggers like me and how they make their money – we can’t all be Pinch of Yum with 2 million visitors a month ahahah
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen} says
Oh, yummy! The perfect antidote to my cold 🙂
Taylor Stinson says
Oh it’ll knock your cold out alight!! 😉
Kristina says
photos are stunning! I love these kind of bowls – I could eat them every day!
we are getting a lot of sunshine here too, LOVE it!
Taylor Stinson says
Thanks Kristina!! 🙂