Bean Curd ‘Noodle’ Salad

This ‘Noodle’ salad recipe actually has no noodles. Well, no wheat or rice noodles, anyway, but it actually has bean curd noodles made from soy. That means they’re higher in protein and lower in processed carbohydrates. This means that it could be a salad that actually keeps you full and satisfied, while being refreshing and delicious.

I do want to make it clear that this recipe doesn’t exist to cut out carbs (carbs are gooooooood!!!), but actually a popular cold salad dish you can find in China and Taiwan. There are endless soy/tofu/beancurd products in Taiwan and China, and they all have different shapes, textures and flavours. This shredded bean curd is often used in stirfries and in this case, a cold salad. The texture of the beancurd is ‘al dente’, so it gives you the same satisfying mouthfeel as a noodle salad, but is more nutritionally dense!

All the thinly sliced, julienned vegetables give it a contrasting crunchy texture, and the Taiwanese Satay based vinaigrette is full of flavour and umame, so that even though you’re eating a bowl of vegetables, it feels like you’re having a satisfying meal.

My mum would make this salad on hot summer days to cool us down. It’s really the perfect summer meal!

Key Ingredients

ONE

There are some ingredients in this recipe you have might not have used before, including Taiwanese Satay sauce, pronounced “Sa-cha”. Unlike a Malaysian satay, it is not peanut based, but usually a fish based sauce, more similar to XO or fish sauce….even more like worcestershire! It’s commonly used as part of marinades or in dipping sauces for hotpot. It is a umame PUNCH and definitely worth picking up at your local Asian Grocer. But if you do not have it on hand, the dressing is still delicious.

TWO

Wood ear or Black fungus. These curly, crunchy mushrooms are found in all Asian Grocers in the dried section. They are sold dehydrated so they last ages in the pantry, and just need to be rehydrated before using. They a textural experience worth trying, but also may not be everyone’s jam. I compare them with cartilage. And because I love picking at the cartilage on a bone after chomping down on wings, I love the texture of these mushrooms. And if that’s not for you, then feel free to replace with another vegetable or leave it out completely! Flavour wise, they don’t have too much flavour, so it’s great to add into something that has a flavourful broth or sauce.

It’s a very low calorie, high fiber ingredient with lots of vitamins and minerals. Give it a go!

Storage

This salad is delicious when eaten fresh, the textures are crunchy and contrasting. However, I love making a big batch and packing it for lunch the next day, because it is such a satiating meal. Although you do lose a bit of crunch, that umame packed vinaigrette soaks into all the veggies and actually makes it taste even better! Kind of like when a bolognese tastes better warmed up the next day?

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Bean Curd 'Noodle' Salad

Yield: 4

Author: Cristina Chang

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 25 Min

A perfectly refreshing noodle salad for the warmer months. Jam packed with nutrients and will be sure to keep you fuller for longer!

Ingredients

• 1 Pack of thin bean curd sheet (whole or in strips)
• 1 small Lebanese cucumber
• 1 small carrot
• 2 stalks of celery
• 5-6 pieces of dehydrated wood ear mushrooms/black fungus
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp of soy paste or oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1.5 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1/5 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp Taiwanese Satay (sa-cha) sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh coriander/cilantro

Instructions

1. Place the wood ears or black fungus in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set this aside while you prepare the other ingredients. (at least 15-20 minutes, but can be done the night before if you're organised!)
2. Julienne all of your vegetables into thin strips and set aside.
3. Bring a medium pot of water to a rapid boil. While you wait, slice your bean curd into thin noodles if you've purchased a sheet (about 1/2 cm, the thinner the better though!). If you managed to find beancurd strips, give them a little tousle to loosen them up.
4. Once your water is boiling, blanch the carrots by placing it into the water for about 30 seconds. Remove them, and place it in to a bowl of cold, icy water, to stop the cooking.
5. Repeat this process for the celery. The colours should be bright and the texture should be al dente.
6. Keeping the water at a boil, add in the beancurd noodles. Pour in the baking soda to tenderise the bean curd and boil together for 2-3 minutes until the noodles. Once soft, remove them and place it into the icy water.
7. In a small bowl, mix together the soy paste, sugar, rice wine vinegar, Taiwanese satay sauce and minced garlic to make your vinaigrette.
8. Strain the vegetables and beancurd noodles and place it back into the bowl. Thinly slice the rehydradrated mushrooms, and add them in, along with the julienned cucumbers, to the noodles.
9. Plate up and garnish with chopped fresh coriander/cilantro.

Notes

You can add in any vegetables you like or that are growing in your garden or in season.

Julienned bokchoy, snowpeas or capsicum also work very well. The more colourful, the better.

Because the noodles aren't actually noodles, they're made from soy, they are already high in protein. But if you want to add more, poached chicken, prawns or even crispy pork would be a great addition.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

63.43

Fat

1.39

Sat. Fat

0.14

Carbs

10.84

Fiber

1.51

Net carbs

9.34

Sugar

3.9

Protein

2.44

Sodium

359.3

Cholesterol

0

healthy, high-protein, low-fat, salad,

Salad

Taiwanese