Dress your soba noodle bowl to impress – with a vegetarian version of the traditional XO Sauce. Hailing from Hong Kong, the popular condiment brings intense sweet, salty, rich umami flavour to a hearty meal of tender noodles, tofu, bok choy and carrots. Garnish with your favourite homemade bowl toppings and a drizzle of … additional XO Sauce of course!
2 tbsps Vegetarian XO Sauce, plus more for serving
1 cup Matchstick carrots
3 cups Thinly sliced green onion
Procedure
1. Cook noodles as directed on package. Rinse under cold water. Drain well. Mix vinegar, soy sauce and sesame seed in large bowl. Add noodles; toss gently until well coated. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon (15ml) of the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add tofu; cook until lightly browned on all sides; turning occasionally. Remove from pan. Set aside.
3. Add remaining oil to same skillet. Add bok choy and bell pepper; stir-fry 3 minutes or until wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in XO Sauce.
4. Divide noodles among individual serving bowls. Top with bok choy mixture, tofu, carrots and green onion. Serve with additional XO Sauce.
CHEF's TIP!
Test Kitchen Tip:
•Try soba noodles with other assorted toppings, such as bean sprouts, diced tomatoes, sliced radishes, edamame and chopped chili peppers.
•XO sauce, the iconic condiment, was first created in Hong Kong. Meant to impress, it is known to be a luxury blend typically made with dried shrimp and scallops, Chinese dry-cured ham, garlic and various chiles. The ingredients, combined in a base of oil, create an intense sweet, salty, rich umami flavour.
