Miso has been on my radar for a while. Luckily Paulie had a meeting which was a near a large chinese supermarket so I sent him off with a list of asian goodies and white miso paste was one of them. When I first tasted it I thought wow that packs a salty punch but my 2nd taste revealed its complexity, it has sweet and savoury undertones which are delicious. I have used it in 2 recipes so far and this salad was my favourite. I love brussel sprouts and they work really well in this salad. Tofu is another ingredient that is fairly new to us and I realise the secret is to marinade it and fry it making sure there are crispy bits on the outside. This salad was delicious.

Ingredients (serves 2 )

For the tofu

• 100g tofu, cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

For the salad

• 50g whole wheat udon noodles, cooked to packet instructions
• small bag of brussel sprouts
• 1/4 head of broccoli, optional (I had some left in fridge)
• 3 slices of pickled ginger, roughly chopped, optional
• 1/2 preserved lime, roughly chopped, optional (recipe here)
• 2 tbsp peanuts

For the miso dressing

• juice of a lemon or lime
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

Directions

1. Start by marinating the tofu, prick the tofu all over, I used a tooth pick. In a sealable bag add the marinating ingredients tip in the tofu and lightly shake. place in fridge for at least 15 minutes.
2. While the tofu is marinating cook the udon noodles (mine took 9 minutes) and prepare the brussel sprouts by discarding the outer leaves, peel off the next 2 leaves and leave whole and then shred the rest. If you are using broccoli cut into small florets. Set aside.
3. To make the dressing add all of the ingredients into a jar or bowl and shake or whisk well to combine.
4. Heat a wok over a high heat and once smoking add the marinated tofu and stir fry for around 6 minutes, once cooked set aside.
5. To assemble the salad, drain and rinse the noodles and add to a bowl. Add in the brussel sprouts, broccoli, pickled ginger and preserved lime. Pour over 3/4 of the dressing and mix with a fork so everything gets covered.
6. To serve share the noodle and vegetable mixture between 2 serving dishes, top with cooked tofu and peanuts. Share out the remaining dressing over the top and serve. Enjoy.