Thai Salad with Peanut Tofu
Yes, another salad. This one is one of my absolute favorites though. It’s another very flexible recipe that depends on only two solid components: the peanut tofu mix and a triple herb and lime topping that when sprinkled on top of the rest of the salad brings it to life. The peanut tofu is super simple! All it takes is some sautéed extra firm Chinese style tofu (in this instance I used the Trader Joe’s extra protein tofu, which worked especially well, as it’s rather low moisture) and a peanut sauce that can be made in a single mixing bowl. Now, my Thai salad must include cabbage and carrots, but you can use whichever vegetables you like best; I also love sugar snap peas when they are available.
Peanut Tofu
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs toasted sesame oil
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 box extra firm tofu, drained
salt and fresh pepper
sauce
3/4 cup light coconut milk, well shaken
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs tahini
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp red chili flakes
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 inch ginger root, peeled and finely grated
juice of 1/2 lime
salt and pepper to taste
thin hot sauce such as sriracha or Cholula, to taste
Optional: a few sprinkles of vietnamese fish sauce, 1-3 cloves of minced garlic, 1/4-1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Triple Herbs and Lime
2 parts finely chopped basil (Thai basil is especially good)
2 parts finely chopped cilantro
1 part finely chopped mint
zest of lime
squeeze of lime juice
In a separate bowl mix together all the ingredients for the peanut sauce. Blend together with fork until nut butters are smooth and well incorporated with the liquids. Add the salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.
Heat the oils and chili in a high walled sauté pan. Crumble the tofu over a colander in the sink, squeezing out any excess liquid. Add the tofu to the pan. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Stir around on med-high heat until the tofu is a nice golden brown, like below.
Golden Brown Tofu
At that point, turn down the heat to low/med-low and pour on about 2/3 of the peanut sauce, enough to coat the tofu. Continue to stir and cook the sauce. Remove from the heat after about 3-5 min.
In another small mixing bowl, mix together the three herbs and the lime zest. Add a little lime juice and stir. Set aside.
Serving: Scoop some tofu onto some salad. Sprinkle with the herb blend, extra lime juice, and a little sesame oil. If you like, you can use the extra peanut sauce as salad dressing.
Finished Product
Comment: Except for the sugar in the peanut sauce this recipe is quite low carb, and as such might not be as filling as some might desire. In that case, you can always add some rice noodles tossed or lightly fried in toasted sesame oil to the mix.