Piri kara soba is healthful and quick to prepare, plus, it's full of punchy flavors. It's the perfect no-fuss meal for hungry people. Japanese cuisine tends to be mild on the whole, but this dish has a real kick to it. The earthiness of the soba noodles mixed with the chile will lift your spirits and boost your energy on a cold day.

　　This recipe was excerpted from 'Atsuko's Japanese Kitchen' by Atsuko Ikeda. Buy the full book on Amazon. Get more of our favorite Japanese soup recipes →

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What you’ll need

　　Chevron

　　Chevron

　　Wakame

　　$13 At Amazon

　　Soba Noodles

　　$11 At Amazon

　　Mirin

　　$21 $20 At Amazon

　　Soy Sauce

　　$14 At Amazon

　　

Ingredients

Serves 2

　　

For the ginger teriyaki tofu

200 g (7 oz.) firm tofu

　　1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

　　1 tsp. peeled and very finely chopped fresh ginger

　　2 Tbsp. soy sauce

　　2 Tbsp. mirin

　　

For the noodle soup

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

　　2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

　　2 spring onions/scallions, whites only, finely chopped

　　3⅓ cups Vegetarian Dashi

　　160 g (5½ oz.) dried soba (buckwheat) noodles

　　3 Tbsp. red miso

　　1 Tbsp. gochujang

　　

To serve, optional

2 Tbsp. dried wakame seaweed, soaked in water to reconstitute, then drained

　　1 Tbsp. toasted mixed black and white sesame seeds

　　Dried red chile/chile strips

　　1 spring onion/scallion, thinly sliced

　　

Step 1

For the ginger teriyaki tofu, wrap the tofu in plenty of paper towels and compress under a heavy kitchen utensil for 30 minutes to remove excess water.

　　

Step 2

Dice the tofu into cubes. In a medium frying pan/skillet, heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat and fry the tofu until browned on all sides. Add the ginger and stir in. Add the soy sauce and mirin and fry for 2 minutes until the tofu becomes caramelized. Set aside.

　　

Step 3

For the noodle soup, put the vegetable oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and spring onions/scallions and fry for 1 minute to infuse some flavor into the oil.

　　

Step 4

Add the dashi and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Meanwhile, cook the dried soba noodles in a separate pan of boiling water following the packet instructions. Drain well and divide between serving bowls.

　　

Step 6

Combine the red miso and gochujang in a cup and stir in a ladleful of the dashi until dissolved. Add the miso mixture back into the saucepan with the soup and stir well to combine. Heat through for another minute, if needed, before serving.

　　

Step 7

Pour the hot miso soup over the cooked soba noodles in the serving bowls, then top with the ginger teriyaki tofu, wakame, sesame seeds, dried chile/chile strips and spring onion/scallion, if desired.

　　From Atsuko’s Japanese Kitchen: Home-Cooked Comfort Food Made Simple by Atsuko Ikeda, published by Ryland Peters & Small. Buy the full book from Amazon or Ryland Peters & Small.