Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for about 3–4 minutes, or follow their package directions until pliable. Drain well and divide equally: keep one half soft for the salad and spread the other half out to drain and dry thoroughly before frying.
- Warm a thin layer of neutral oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the thoroughly drained noodle half in a thin layer and pan-fry until golden and crisp, turning carefully as needed. Keep water away from the hot oil. Drain on paper towel and break into bite-sized crisp pieces.
- Toss the dry tofu cubes with the tofu tamari, chili garlic sauce, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, rice vinegar and cornstarch. Air-fry in a single layer at 375°F (190°C) for about 15 minutes, shaking or turning halfway, until browned and crisp at the edges. Allow more time if needed without scorching the glaze.
- Sprinkle the cooked tofu with the measured sesame seeds.
- Whisk the dressing rice vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, lime juice, tamari, ginger and garlic in a small bowl until combined.
- Combine the romaine, watermelon, radishes, herbs and reserved soft noodle half. Add the dressing and toss gently just before serving.
- Divide the salad among four bowls and add the warm tofu. Scatter the crisp noodle pieces over the top at the table so they keep their crunch.
Nutrition
Notes
Noodle quantities: Four ounces of dry noodles supplies both textures. Half remains soft and half is fried; do not buy or count an additional half cup dry noodles. A half-cup of crisp topping is a variable finished volume drawn from this same noodle batch.
Frying: Drain and dry the soaked noodles thoroughly before they meet hot oil. The pan-fried topping can form a crisp cake; break it into shards rather than expecting puffed dry-noodle nests.
Oil: Use enough pan oil for a thin layer. The amount absorbed varies with the pan and noodles, so nutrition values are approximate.
Tofu: Pressing is preparation and adds time. Avoid crowding the air fryer; the maple glaze browns quickly, so use color and crisp edges as cues.
Oven option: Bake the coated tofu at 400°F (200°C) for about 30 minutes, turning halfway and checking the glaze; this takes longer than the air-fryer estimate.
Add-ins: Cucumber or finely shredded carrot add fresh crunch; cooked edamame adds another protein element, added separately.
Make ahead: Refrigerate tofu, dressing, noodles and cut produce separately for up to one day for best quality; keep crisp noodles dry and dress only at serving. Reheat tofu to 165°F (74°C) before adding to the cold salad; keep the watermelon and greens chilled.
Labels: Check chili sauce and tamari for vegan ingredients and any gluten-free requirements.
Nutrition: The estimate uses four servings and all quantified ingredients, including the full four-ounce noodle batch. Unmeasured noodle-frying oil and optional add-ins are excluded; absorbed frying oil increases the finished dish’s energy.
