Marinated Tofu Salad
Source
https://lovingitvegan.com/tofu-salad/
Ingredients
Marinated Tofu
- 450g extra firm tofu
- 30ml soy sauce (2 Tbsp)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 15ml maple syrup (1 Tbsp)
- 15ml rice vinegar (1 Tbsp)
- 15ml sesame oil + more for frying (1 Tbsp)
- 15ml hoisin sauce (1 Tbsp)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Salad
- ~180g chopped romaine lettuce (~6 cups, about 2 small heads)
- ~150g cherry tomatoes, sliced (~1 cup)
- ~300g sliced cucumber (~2 cups)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- ~120g grated carrot (~1 cup, ~2 medium carrots)
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- 60ml pickled ginger (~¼ cup)
- 25g fresh basil, chopped (~½ cup)
- 10ml sesame seeds (~2 tsp)
Serving
- 1 medium avocado, chopped
- Chopped chives
- Sesame seeds
Dressing
Instructions
- Press tofu 20 minutes (tofu press, or plates with heavy weight).
- Marinade: Mix soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, ground ginger, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and hoisin sauce in a bowl. Leave cornstarch for later.
- Cut pressed tofu into cubes. Place in glass dish. Pour marinade over. Turn cubes to coat both sides. Marinate 30 minutes in fridge.
- Heat frying pan with a little sesame oil. Remove tofu from marinade. Fry until golden brown.
- Add cornstarch to leftover marinade. Pour over fried tofu. Fry until sauce thickens and coats tofu.
- Assemble salad: Add romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, carrot, spring onion, pickled ginger, basil, and sesame seeds to a large bowl. Toss.
- Add marinated tofu. Pour tahini dressing over. Toss together.
- Serve topped with avocado, chives, and extra sesame seeds.
Tips & Notes
- This is a main-event salad — high protein from tofu, very filling.
- Keeps 1–2 days fridge. Add avocado per serving to extend freshness.
- Prep time includes pressing + marinating. While tofu presses/marinates, prep salad veggies (~1 hour total but mostly hands-off).
- Gluten-free: Use GF soy sauce and GF hoisin.
- Sesame seeds: Half black/half white looks great but either works.
- Spring onions = green onions = scallions = salad onions.
Tags
recipe, vegan, salad, main, tofu, asian