Tofu Salad Food

TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix the chili sauce, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Place tofu in the mixture, and marinate 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Immerse the snow peas in the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, then immerse in a a bowl of cold water. Drain, and set aside.
• Toss the peas, carrots, cabbage, and peanuts with the tofu and marinade to serve.

TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Press your tofu (see my full guide HERE on pressing tofu) and cut into your desired shape. I like larger cubes when serving in a salad but really anything works well.
• Make the marinade for the tofu by whisking together the lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic, water, maple syrup, garlic, and salt in a shallow dish. Put the tofu in and shake gently to coat the tofu in the marinade. Let sit for 15-30 minutes.
• To cook the tofu, you can bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping halfway. OR you can pan fry it, which is my favorite, by removing it from the marinade and putting it in a large skillet over medium heat. Flip every few minutes and cook until it's lightly browned on all sides.
• Whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside until ready to use.
• Make the salad by layering in a large bowl the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado and almonds. Pour on the dressing and toss gently to combine. Top with the tofu and any additional toppings.
• Serve and ENJOY!
• If making for meal prep, I suggest leaving off the avocado and simply add it right before serving or it will go brown.

JAPANESE TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Place tofu between two plates, and weigh down with a heavy book. Allow tofu to drain for 1 hour, pouring out the expelled liquid every 20 minutes.
• Whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat, stir in the garlic and ginger, and gently cook until lightly golden; stir into the soy sauce mixture.
• Cut tofu into bite-sized pieces, and toss together with the tomato, onion, and cilantro. Pour in the dressing and toss to coat. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Blot tofu dry. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel; place on a plate and refrigerate at least 1 hour. In a large shallow dish, whisk vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, peanut butter and ginger until smooth. Add tofu; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 3-5 hours, turning occasionally. Drain tofu reserving marinade; pat dry. In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu; cook until crisp and golden brown, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, combine romaine, carrots, avocado, tomatoes, onion and tofu. Pour reserved marinade over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

COLD TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Combine the dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
• Cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes and arrange on individual plates. Cover with the dressing and serve immediately.

SESAME TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• To make the dressing: Put the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, garlic and 2/3 cup of the olive oil into a blender. Blend until completely emulsified. Taste the dressing and adjust to your taste, adding more vinegar or sugar as needed. Pour half of the dressing into a jar and refrigerate for the salad.
• Put the tofu cubes into a bowl and pour over the remaining dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• Remove the tofu from the dressing and pat dry. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the tofu on all sides until nicely browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Toss in the sesame seeds and cook for another minute. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
• To assemble the salad, put the mixed greens, halved tomatoes and sliced onion in a large bowl. Pour on half the remaining dressing, reserving the rest for later use. Toss to coat. Arrange the tofu and mandarin oranges all over the greens. Serve immediately.

ASIAN CRISPY TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk all ingredients except for tofu in a 9x9 inch square baking dish.
• Drain and slice tofu in half lengthwise to make two thinner slabs. Blot with a paper towel.
• Preheat non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick spray. Slide tofu slices onto skillet and grill for about 4-5 minutes per side, flipping carefully with a large spatula. Brown it nicely to give it color and texture.
• Slip tofu slices into marinade, and turn with spatula at least once. While the tofu is sitting in the marinade, cut each slab 3 times lengthwise and widthwise with a sharp knife to make 16 squares per slab. Toss carefully.
• Let marinate for up to 30 minutes and remove garlic and ginger slices before serving warm, at room temperature or chilled.

SPINACH AND TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice tofu into 1-inch-by-2-inch pieces about 1/4-inch thick and place in a deep bowl or on a platter.
• Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sake, brown sugar, ginger and cayenne. Pour marinade over tofu slices to coat well. Leave in marinade for at least 15 minutes. (You may marinate the tofu up to 24 hours in advance.)
• While the tofu marinates, pick over spinach leaves and remove any tough stems. Swish the spinach in a deep bowl of cold water. Lift leaves from water into a colander. If you see any sand in the water, repeat up to 3 times, using fresh water each time. Drain well and dry spinach, then wrap in a kitchen towel and refrigerate until ready to use. (You may wash the spinach up to 24 hours in advance.)
• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, soy sauce, miso, garlic and ginger.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and arrange the tofu pieces in a single layer. Spoon remaining marinade over tofu. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly crisped. Remove and leave at room temperature.
• To make the salad, arrange spinach in a low, wide salad bowl or on a deep platter. Scatter cucumber, daikon and edamame over spinach, then sprinkle with sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and peanuts. Tuck slices of tofu here and there.
• Sprinkle a pinch of salt over everything, then drizzle salad with dressing and serve.

TOFU EGG SALAD

Steps:

• Place oil, onion and garlic in a skillet on medium high heat . Saute until fragrant, 3-5 minutes.
• Add tofu (cut into tiny little 1/4 inch cubes or crumbled) and saute 10-12 minutes or until golden.
• Reduce heat add spices and nutritional yeast. Fold until well coated, remove from heat and let cool.
• Once cool, add mayonnaise and mustard. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
• Serve on sprouted grain bread, in a whole grain tortilla, or on a bed of greens. Makes enough filling for 8 wraps or sandwiches.