Vegan Black Bean Tofu Noodles – Campervan Cooking in Florie

This is one of the best vegan campervan recipes I've stumbled into: one pan for the stir fry, and it's vegan from sauce to noodles.

I went into Carrefour for dog treats. That was the whole plan. Then a bag of fresh bean sprouts caught my eye, and I remembered the jar of homemade black bean sauce I'd packed "just in case". By nightfall Florie was parked at a picnic area on the Vía Verde in Córdoba province, looking out over Laguna del Salobral, which has all but dried up. The view had no water in it, but supper was one of my quickest campervan recipes yet, on a paper plate in front of me. Issy got her treats. Nobody went hungry.

Campervan Recipes Don't Get Much Quicker

Campervan cooking rewards a short ingredient list and a hot pan. This is one of the best campervan cooking recipes I've stumbled into: one pan for the stir fry, one small pan for the noodles, and ten minutes from lighting the gas to eating.

The heavy lifting is done before you leave home. A jar of Nearly Lee Kum Kee brings fermented black beans, garlic and depth that no van cupboard could produce on the spot. Half a jar sounds generous. It is. That's the point.

Soba noodles earn their place in any list of campervan recipes. They cook in three minutes, and the buckwheat stands up to a strong sauce rather than drowning under it. Tofu soba noodles, stir fried in ten minutes – quick, filling and properly savoury.

At home I make a slower version: Black Bean Tofu Recipe – Casa Adora, Nearly Lee Kum Kee Style

Ingredients

Like most of my campervan recipes, this serves one hungry person, and it's vegan from sauce to noodles.

• 150g plain firm tofu, cubed
• 70g soba noodles
• 1 smallish onion, diced
• A large handful of fresh bean sprouts
• A few cashews
• Garlic powder, a good shake
• ½ jar Nearly Lee Kum Kee Black Bean Sauce
• Olive oil

My homemade black bean sauce recipe is here: Nearly Lee Kum Kee Black Bean Sauce

Method

Brown the tofu. Get the pan hot with a splash of olive oil. Brown the tofu cubes on all sides, then lift them out and set aside. Those browned edges are what make black bean tofu worth eating, so don't rush this.

Scorch the onion. Into the same pan with the onion, cashews and a shake of garlic powder. Let the onion catch at the edges. You want colour, not softness. Those browned edges make the dish, so don't rush them.

Start the noodles. On the second ring, simmer the soba gently for three minutes, then drain.

Sauce and toss. Add the black bean sauce to the onion pan, return the tofu, add the bean sprouts and shake the pan for a minute or two. The sprouts should stay crunchy.

Bring it together. Tip in the noodles, stir, shake and serve.

Cook's Notes

• Don't crowd the tofu. In a small van pan, brown it in two batches if needed.
• Bean sprouts want heat, not time. Two minutes at most or they go limp.
• Keep a jar of homemade sauce in the van and the best campervan recipes need nothing more than a bag of sprouts.

This is one of my vegan campervan recipes, featured in my Campervan Cooking Hub, Tofu Recipes, Black Bean Recipes and Veggie & Vegan Recipes.

Find more recipes and food adventures here, or browse every collection in my Recipe Hubs.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef