Udon Noodles with Sesame Umeboshi Sauce and Tofu

This was a great diversion from my usual onion/garlic/sesame udon standby. The sauce is tart due to the umeboshi paste, so if you have any aversion to tartness or the taste of vinegar, maybe try this or this dish instead.

I made a few alterations to this recipe. I added agave to tone down the sourness a tiny bit, and I added some toasted sesame oil because I love that stuff. I also put tofu in the dish.

I recommend that you don't omit the onion, and use a sweet one, because it is a wonderful complement to the sourness of the sauce.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons sesame seeds for toasting

1/2 lb extra firm tofu, cubed
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
a couple of dashes of soy sauce or tamari

1 package udon noodles
a bit of olive oil to add to cooked noodles

1/4 of a medium purple onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon umeboshi paste
2 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

Toast sesame seeds in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and grind in a mortar and pestle, food processor, or coffee grinder. A course grind is fine; it's okay to have some whole seeds visible.

Using a medium skillet, lightly brown your tofu cubes in sesame oil and a couple of dashes of soy sauce or tamari. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Brown your onion and garlic in the same skillet using whatever oil is left there after removing the tofu. When it is soft and slightly browned, remove from heat and toss it into the tofu.

Meanwhile, cook your udon noodles according to the package instructions. After draining cooked noodles, be sure to rinse in plenty of cool water to keep noodles from getting extra sticky. Then stir a bit of olive oil into the noodles.

Make your sauce by combining umeboshi paste, ground toasted sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil, agave syrup, soy sauce or tamari, and lemon juice with a food processor or blender.

Mix sauce into your tofu and onions. Serve noodles with this mix on top.