A simple but tasty recipe – this smoked tofu salad combines fresh vegetables with crunchy, fried smoked tofu for some extra protein. You can have it ready in under half an hour, making it the perfect lunch or weeknight dinner.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Smoked Tofu Salad
A mix of your favourite salad greens – radicchio, lamb’s lettuce and endive work really well together, but feel free to add other leafy greens you like.
Cherry tomatoes – they’re sweeter than regular tomatoes and look very visually appealing in this salad, but you can also replace them with slices of regular tomatoes.
Croutons – homemade or store bought. This is optional, but croutons add another interesting layer of texture to the salad.
Tofu – for the crunchiest tofu bites that really soak in the marinade, make sure to press the tofu first.
Soy sauce – the key ingredient for the marinade. You can replace it with tamari for a gluten free marinade.
Rice wine vinegar – gives the marinade a special flavour, but if you don’t have any at hand, you can substitute it with white wine vinegar.
Maple syrup – for a touch of sweetness. Can be substituted with agave syrup or even a teaspoon of brown sugar, but the flavour won’t be the same.
Sesame oil – gives the tofu a very special, almost nutty aroma, so I don’t recommend replacing it.
Liquid smoke – the crucial ingredient to make smoked tofu. Alternatively, you can also buy already smoked tofu if that’s easier for you. If you don’t like the smoky flavour, you can easily omit it as well.
Garlic – because no salad is complete without a bit of garlicky flavour. You can omit it if you disagree.
How to Make Smoked Tofu Salad
Step One – Marinade the Tofu
Make the marinade by combining soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, liquid smoke and garlic. Cut the pressed tofu into thick slices and place at the bottom of a baking dish. Pour the marinade over the tofu and allow it to soak in for at least 15 minutes.
Step Two – Fry the Marinade Tofu Pieces
Cut the marinated tofu into 1-inch pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, add the tofu pieces and fry until all sides are lightly browned.
Step Three – Assemble the Salad
Combine the lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes, fried tofu pieces and croutons. Drizzle with vinaigrette dressing and serve.
More Vegan Salad
If you’re looking for a different salad, make sure to check out these:
- Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado
- Vegan Creamy Potato Salad
- Balsamic Lentil Salad
- Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes Salad
- French Potato Salad
- Cucumber Lemon Orzo Salad
- Rainbow Salad
- Quinoa Salad with Black Beans
Smoked Tofu Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups (120g) salad (mix of radicchio, lamb’s lettuce and endive)
- ½ cup (90g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup (10g) croutons
- ½ block (150g) tofu, pressed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the marinade
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 clove garlic, minced
For the vinaigrette dressing
- ¼ cup (50g) virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Make the marinade by combining soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, liquid smoke and garlic.
- Cut the pressed tofu into thick slices and place at the bottom of a baking dish. Pour the marinade over the tofu and allow it to soak in for at least 15 minutes.
- Cut the marinated tofu into 1-inch pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, add the tofu pieces and fry until all sides are lightly browned.
- Combine the lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes, fried tofu pieces and croutons. Drizzle with vinaigrette dressing and serve.
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