Makes 4-ish servings

Notes:

Like most of our recipes, this one sprang from the hodge podge of ingredients we had on hand while wondering what to make for dinner. Most of the ingredients in this recipe are ones we generally keep on hand, as they can be used myriad ways; the kale chips previously made an appearance in our Chicken Tendie Bowls, the rice noodles are featured in the Vietnamese Steak Salad in Volume 2 of Meal Better Meal Plans, while the cubed butternut squash was used in our Leftover Turkey Congee. At

Though this recipe takes slightly longer than 30 minutes, it’s mostly hands-off time and there’s minimal prep and knife work involved. And, it’s a lovely and light yet still cozy recipe for these final days of winter.

We made our own dressing, but that’s not necessary - feel free to use a store bought dressing. Double the sauce if you - like us - can’t live without dressing.

Product recs:

We used Whole Food’s extra firm tofu, but are also partial to Hodo and Wildwood.
If you opt to buy instead of making your dressing, we like Primal Kitchen’s Honey Mustard Vinaigrette.

Pro-tips:

The easiest way to cut noodles is with your culinary shears.

Swaps:

Sweet potato cubes or rounds could be swapped for the butternut squash.
Any vinegar you have on hand - balsamic, red wine, apple cider, etc. - will work fine instead of the rice vinegar.
This dish would work well over another noodle, or a grain - say farro, brown rice, or quinoa.
If you don’t have arrowroot or cornstarch, AP flour will work fine.

Add-ons:

A handful of fresh, torn herbs - such as mint or scallions - would add a delightful, fresh pop.
A sprinkle of nutritional yeast would provide a great hit of umani.
You could add a handful of nuts or sesame seeds for some more crunch.
Throw on some chile flakes for a but of spice.

Equipment:

Small bowl or 4 cup measuring cup
Sheet pan
Parchment paper
Large bowl or pot
Strainer

Ingredients:

For the dressing (or sub ¾ store-bought dressing):

¼ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the bowls:

1 block (about 14 ounces) extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons cornstarch, arrowroot starch or AP flour
~1 pound cubed butternut squash
8 ounces instant Asian brown rice vermicelli
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
2 ounces kale chips (1 carton)

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 425° F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Make your dressing: in a small bowl or measuring cup whisk together the maple syrup, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then, drizzle in your grapeseed oil and whisk until the dressing is emulsified. Set aside.

Next, remove the tofu from its packaging and drain any liquid, and gently squeeze out as much water as possible. Place the block of tofu on your sheet pan and crumble into ~1” chunks (great task for the kiddos!), then toss with your cornstarch or arrowroot starch.

Dump your butternut squash onto the sheet pan as well, then toss the butternut squash and tofu with half of your dressing.

Bake the tofu and squash for 25 minutes (set a timer!), until both are darkened at the edges, and the squash is soft.

While the tofu and squash are baking, bring four cups of water to boil (you can do this in a pot on the stove top, or in the microwave in a glass bowl). When the water is boiling, remove from heat and stir in your noodles. Let sit until soft - about four to five minutes (again - set a timer so you don’t forget!) - then rinse with cold water and drain. Coat your noodles with a drizzle of grapeseed oil, to prevent clumping.

When the tofu and squash are done, assemble your bowls: divide the noodles among four bowls, then top with a handful of kale chips, and then the squash and tofu. Drizzle with remaining dressing and enjoy.

Maple Mustard Tofu Bowls