Asian Tofu Salad with Roasted Peanuts

February 25, 2015

I love this salad…a one-dish meal that’s light, fresh, but deeply satisfying. Smoky baked tofu is beautifully offset with crisp greens, sweet roasted peanuts and sensually sweet mangoes for just a hint of the tropics.

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredient List:

  • Toasted sesame oil
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
  • 3-4 shallots, halved, thinly sliced into half-moon pieces
  • 5-6 thin slices fresh ginger, finely minced
  • grated zest of 1 lime
  • organic soy sauce
  • 1 red bell pepper, roasted over an open flame, peeled, seeded, diced
  • 1 carrot, fine matchstick pieces
  • Mirin or white wine
  • 4 slices packaged baked tofu
  • 1 bunch watercress, rinsed well, finely diced
  • brown rice vinegar
  • ½ cup Valencia peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 mango, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced

Step By Step Instructions:

Place about 3 tablespoons of oil in a deep skillet and turn heat to medium-low. When the oil is warm, add garlic, shallots, ginger and lemon zest, a splash of organic soy sauce and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Stir in red pepper and carrot, another splash of organic soy sauce and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add ½ cup mirin/wine, season lightly with organic soy sauce and reduce heat to low. Cook vegetables, uncovered, until liquid has reduced to a thin syrup, 7-10 minutes. Stir in baked tofu and lay watercress on top. Cover and turn off heat. Allow watercress to steam until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in a sprinkle of brown rice vinegar.  

While the vegetables cook, prepare the peanuts. Place the peanuts in a heat-resistant bowl. Bring rice syrup and salt to a foaming boil over high heat. Pour over peanuts and stir well to coat. Immediately stir sweet peanuts into tofu dish.

Transfer cooked tofu mixture to a serving platter and arrange sliced mangoes around the rim of the dish.

Cook’s Tip: if you prefer to make this dish without wine or mirin to avoid any alcohol, simply substitute sparkling apple juice for a delicious result.