Just wanted to take a quick second today to share this crunchy, colorful salty-sweet salad that Ryan and I have been eating a ton of lately.
This recipe originally comes from Healthy Nibbles. I adapted it a bit to suit my and Ryan’s preferences, but I still wanted to give credit where it’s due!
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 bunch of curly kale
- 1 avocado
- 1 large carrot
- 1/4 head red cabbage
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 green onions
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp miso paste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 tsps sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic (or 2 cloves garlic)
- sprinkle of sesame seeds
- 1 package extra firm tofu
- Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
PROCESS
Drain, press and cut your tofu: Remove your tofu from its packaging. Use a tofu press — or, some dry kitchen towels and a heavy cast iron skillet — to remove the excess water from your tofu. It should only take about 20 or so minutes. Cut your tofu into bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch by 1-inch by half an inch. Set aside.
Mix your dressing: Combine the olive oil, rice vinegar, miso paste, soy sauce, maple syrup, 1 1/2 tsps sesame oil and granulated garlic in a small bowl using a whisk. Add salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste.
Tip: If you’re stuck with large chunks of miso paste, use a food processor to smooth everything together.
Marinate your tofu: Add about a third of the dressing to a shallow dish, and then place your drained and pressed tofu in the dish. Make sure you coat all your tofu in the dressing. You’ll only be marinating it for about 20 minutes, and you can feel free to flip your tofu during the process just to make sure it’s all coated.
While your tofu is marinating, prepare your veggies: Remove the stems from your kale, discard them, and tear the leaves into pieces. Dice your avocado and create carrot ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Cut your red pepper and cabbage into small bite-sized pieces, and chop your green onions.
Toast your sesame seeds. Use a frying pan over low heat to slowly toast your seeds until they’re slightly browned. Be very careful not to burn them! Once they’re toasted and cool, set aside.
Place a large non-stick skillet on your stovetop. Coat the bottom of the pan with 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil, and then heat to medium. Add your tofu. Allow your tofu to slightly brown on both sides — a few minutes on each side. It’ll be done once it’s crispy on both sides, but still soft and chewy in the middle.
Assemble your salad: Layer kale, cabbage, carrots, red pepper, avocado and green onions in your bowl. Top with your tofu and your toasted sesame seeds, and then add dressing to taste.
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Enjoy!
