Spicy Tofu Salad Bowl
This spicy tofu salad bowl is a quick and light meal to put together. Like most of the recipes I write about here, you can substitute the ingredients with things you have on hand. You can use any veggies you like, or substitute the brown rice with leftover quinoa or wild rice.
My favorite part of this dish is that it includes contrasting textures—the tofu is soft, the vegetables are crunchy. This also makes a colorful presentation perfect for enticing your little ones to eat some veggies.
Tofu, also known as bean curd, is made by pressing the curd from coagulated soy milk, similar to the process of making cheese. But instead of using rennet (which comes from an animal’s stomach) as a coagulant, a salt or acid coagulant is used.
There are several different textures of tofu. Firm is great for stews; extra-firm can hold up in pan-frying. Many vegan recipes substitute the dairy in creamy dips and cheesecakes with silken tofu. Be on the lookout for freshly-made tofu next time you visit an Asian market. The fresh stuff, like all fresh stuff, has an intense soy flavor and a crumbly texture that’s 1,000 times better than the boxed stuff.
The most common complaint I get about tofu is that it’s rather bland. Just like chicken and fish, tofu relies on marinades and sauces to give it flavor. It helps to let the tofu sit in its marinade for a couple of hours.
I happen to love the subtle sweet taste of tofu on its own. I often put a block of firm tofu on a plate, drizzle it with a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil, garnish with some chopped green onion and chisel away with a spoon. It always brings me back to those times when my family took care of each other.
Spicy Tofu Salad Bowl
Adapted from Vegetarian Times, October 2006
Spicy tofu
- Low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup
- Hot sauce, I like sriracha, 2 tablespoons
- Dark sesame oil, 2 tablespoons
- Extra-firm tofu, drained from its liquid, blotted with a clean kitchen towel and diced, 14 ounces
- Nonfat yogurt, 1/4 cup
- Lemon juice, 2 tablespoons
- Green onion, five stalks, finely chopped
Salad
- Brown rice, cooked and cooled, 2 cups
- Mixed greens, 4 1/2 cups
- Carrots, peeled and julienned, 1 medium
- Grape tomatoes, halved, 1 cup
- Toasted sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon
Whisk together soy sauce, hot sauce and sesame oil in a bowl. Add tofu and toss gently. Heat skillet over medium heat. Take out tofu from the marinade with a slotted spoon. Cook in skillet for 10 minutes, turning regularly until all sides are browned. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
Add yogurt, lemon juice and green onion to the remaining marinade. Add the cooled tofu to the marinade and toss.
Mound rice in serving bowls. Top with greens, tomatoes, carrots and tofu. Douse with a bit of the tofu marinade. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Serves 6.