Smoked Tofu Salad
Fresh, crunchy and packed with flavour, this smoked tofu salad is a quick and satisfying meal you can throw together in under 30 minutes. Crisp greens, juicy cherry tomatoes and golden fried tofu come together for a salad that’s both nourishing and exciting. Whether you marinate your own tofu or use store-bought smoked tofu for convenience, this recipe makes a perfect lunch or easy weeknight dinner.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Salad greens – Any mix works. Radicchio, lamb’s lettuce and endive add great colour and bitterness, but feel free to use your favourite leafy greens.
- Cherry tomatoes – They’re sweeter than regular tomatoes and look very visually appealing in this salad, but you can also replace them with small slices of regular tomatoes.
- Croutons – Homemade or store-bought. This is optional, but croutons add another interesting layer of texture to the salad.
- Tofu – Use firm or extra-firm tofu. For the crunchiest tofu bites that really soak in the marinade, make sure to press the tofu first. You can marinate and fry it as described, or use store-bought smoked tofu if you want to skip the marinating step entirely (it still crisps up beautifully when pan-fried).
- Soy sauce – The key ingredient for the marinade. You can replace it with tamari for a gluten-free marinade.
- Rice wine vinegar – Adds brightness. White wine vinegar is a good substitute.
- Maple syrup – Balances the savoury flavours. Agave or a small amount of brown sugar works in a pinch.
- Sesame oil – Adds depth and nuttiness — highly recommended.
- Liquid smoke – Gives the tofu a smoky flavour. Skip it if you don’t enjoy smoky notes or if you’re using store-bought smoked tofu.
- Garlic – Adds aroma and flavour; omit if you prefer a milder taste.
How to Make Smoked Tofu Salad
Step One: Marinate 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 marinated 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.
FAQs
Yes! Store-bought smoked tofu works perfectly. Just cube it and pan-fry until golden. It saves time and still adds great flavour. You can also used smoked tofu and still marinate it, but omit liquid smoke from the marinade.
It’s best fresh, but you can refrigerate the components separately for up to 2 days. Keep the tofu and croutons stored separately to maintain their crunch.
Yes! Use tamari instead of soy sauce and choose gluten-free croutons (or skip them).
A simple vinaigrette works beautifully (just follow instructions from the recipe card). If you want to switch things up, lemon-tahini dressing or a sesame-ginger dressing are also great options for a richer salad.
Definitely. You can fry it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
More Vegan Salad Recipes
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 Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups (120 g) salad (mix of radicchio, lamb's lettuce and endive)
- ½ cup (90 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup (10 g) croutons
- ½ block (150 g) tofu
- 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, skip if you're using smoked tofu
- 1 clove garlic, minced
For the vinaigrette dressing
- ¼ cup (50 ml) 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.
