Cashew Noodle Salad with Miso-Ginger Tofu Skewers

Justin Fox Burks not only takes stunning photos of food, but he also creates mouthwatering vegetarian dishes like this one for his blog, The Chubby Vegetarian.

For the Cashew Noodle Salad:

1 cup cashews

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sambal chili paste

1/4 cup sesame oil

1/4 cup mirin

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 pound spaghetti or soba noodles, cooked per package directions and cooled

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

For the Miso-Ginger Tofu Skewers:

1 tablespoon red miso

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons water

Dash of sriracha or your favorite hot sauce

1 block (14-ounce) extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes

Vegetable oil, for the grates

Skewers (if using bamboo, soak in water for 30 minutes)

Cornstarch, for dusting

To make the Cashew Noodle Salad: Place the cashews, soy sauce, sambal, sesame oil, mirin, rice vinegar, and garlic into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Place the noodles in a large bowl. Add the cashew sauce and sliced scallions. Toss until well coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the Miso-Ginger Tofu Skewers: In a shallow nonreactive dish just large enough to hold the tofu in a single layer, stir together the miso, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, mirin, ginger, garlic, sugar, water, and sriracha. Place the tofu in the marinade and gently toss until well coated. Cover, refrigerate, and marinate for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.

Preheat a clean grill to medium-high with the lid closed for 8 to 10 minutes. Lightly brush the grates with oil.

Remove the tofu from the marinade. Shake off the excess and pat dry. Thread the tofu onto the skewers. Lightly dust with the cornstarch.

Strain the marinade into a small pot over medium-high heat. Allow mixture to reduce by half or until slightly thickened.

Place the tofu on the grill. Close the lid and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn over and lightly brush with the reduced marinade. Cook an additional 4 minutes. Remove from the grill and brush again with the marinade.

To serve, place the tofu skewers on top of the cashew noodle salad.

Serves 4.

Cooking Tips: Lightly dusting the tofu skewers on both sides with cornstarch will help prevent sticking and allow the reduced marinade to cling to the tofu.

Sriracha and sambal are both fiery condiments from southeast Asia. Sriracha is a Thai hot sauce made with chile peppers, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and salt. It is mostly used as a condiment or dipping sauce. Sambal is of Indonesian and Malaysian origin. It is made from a variety of different chiles, usually a pepper like cayenne. Use sambal when you want to add heat without impacting the flavor of the dish. It’s not really used so much as a condiment as it is used for cooking. You will find both of these condiments at an Asian food market or in the international aisle at your grocery store.

Do-Ahead: The Cashew Noodle Salad will last up to a week covered and refrigerated. In fact, it is one of those dishes that some say tastes even better the second day.