Japanese Tofu Salad Dressing Recipes

JAPANESE TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Place tofu between two plates, and weigh down with a heavy book. Allow tofu to drain for 1 hour, pouring out the expelled liquid every 20 minutes.
• Whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat, stir in the garlic and ginger, and gently cook until lightly golden; stir into the soy sauce mixture.
• Cut tofu into bite-sized pieces, and toss together with the tomato, onion, and cilantro. Pour in the dressing and toss to coat. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

SPINACH AND TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice tofu into 1-inch-by-2-inch pieces about 1/4-inch thick and place in a deep bowl or on a platter.
• Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sake, brown sugar, ginger and cayenne. Pour marinade over tofu slices to coat well. Leave in marinade for at least 15 minutes. (You may marinate the tofu up to 24 hours in advance.)
• While the tofu marinates, pick over spinach leaves and remove any tough stems. Swish the spinach in a deep bowl of cold water. Lift leaves from water into a colander. If you see any sand in the water, repeat up to 3 times, using fresh water each time. Drain well and dry spinach, then wrap in a kitchen towel and refrigerate until ready to use. (You may wash the spinach up to 24 hours in advance.)
• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, soy sauce, miso, garlic and ginger.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and arrange the tofu pieces in a single layer. Spoon remaining marinade over tofu. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly crisped. Remove and leave at room temperature.
• To make the salad, arrange spinach in a low, wide salad bowl or on a deep platter. Scatter cucumber, daikon and edamame over spinach, then sprinkle with sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and peanuts. Tuck slices of tofu here and there.
• Sprinkle a pinch of salt over everything, then drizzle salad with dressing and serve.

ASIAN CRISPY TOFU SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk all ingredients except for tofu in a 9x9 inch square baking dish.
• Drain and slice tofu in half lengthwise to make two thinner slabs. Blot with a paper towel.
• Preheat non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick spray. Slide tofu slices onto skillet and grill for about 4-5 minutes per side, flipping carefully with a large spatula. Brown it nicely to give it color and texture.
• Slip tofu slices into marinade, and turn with spatula at least once. While the tofu is sitting in the marinade, cut each slab 3 times lengthwise and widthwise with a sharp knife to make 16 squares per slab. Toss carefully.
• Let marinate for up to 30 minutes and remove garlic and ginger slices before serving warm, at room temperature or chilled.

SILKEN TOFU WITH SPICY SOY DRESSING

Steps:

• Make the dressing: Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chile oil, sugar, sesame seeds and scallion in a small bowl. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
• Carefully drain the liquid from the package of tofu, and gently tip the block onto a kitchen towel. (Try to keep the block in one piece, if possible, but don't worry if it falls apart; it will still taste great.) Pat with another clean kitchen towel, removing as much liquid as possible. Transfer the blocks to one large plate or two smaller plates, and spoon the soy dressing over the top until the tofu is completely covered. Top with scallions and cilantro leaves, and eat on its own or with rice or noodles on the side.

JAPANESE TOFU SALAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Do not use light sesame cooking oil for this. You need to use the dark Asian sesame oil.
• Place in blender.
• Blend for 1 minute.
• chill or serve immed.