Over the years, I embraced tofu, once I figured out how to cook with it. Now, I'm tofu obsessed. In Arizona, the heat this week is out of control. So, I decided to grill tofu in advance for a tofu salad. Instead of eating the tofu hot off the grill, I chose to serve it cold in a salad with tofu and my favorite vegetables.
When I walked into the produce department today, I already knew my plan for the week. But, what caught my eye was beautiful Artisian lettuce. Each package of Artisan Lettuce contains four heads from the six varieties of Artisan Lettuce. Green or red, ruffled or scalloped, each variety has a distinct, complementary flavor.
Of course, I used all four varieties in a large salad for the whole family. Another benefit aside from the four varieties of lettuce, Artisian lettuce lasts longer in the refrigerator. In my case, however, the high temperature made it tofu salad night.
Tofu, although simple to cook, is often overlooked because people don't know how to Pressed Tofu for Grilling, Baking, Air-frying, or Cooking in a Skillet. For instance, I hate tofu for years, but only because I never prepared it correctly. Even when we went out for dinner, and I tried tofu, I thought it was disgusting.
Then, I saw the light! I figured it out with the help of my EZ Tofu Press. The trick, however, is patience; slow and steady presses the tofu best!
HOW TO PRESS TOFU FOR TOFU SALAD RECIPE
First, carefully remove the tofu from the package, discarding the fluid from the package.
The next step is to place the tofu in the middle of the press and turn both knobs equally about four turns. I usually place the tofu press in the sink on its side, but for this visual post, I placed it on a plate to drain.
- Turn the knobs every two minutes, equally until you have the end result (the last picture).
- Most people stop here…NOT YET. Keep turning until the knobs are screwed as far as they can.
- Now, remove the press from the plate, and I give it another press with some paper towel for excess fluid removal.
- Cut tofu into 4 identical slabs
HOW TO MARINATE AND GRILL TOFU FOR TOFU SALAD
Next, the marinade is the key to getting the flavor just right. For this tofu salad recipe, for instance, I chose to double the recipe of the dressing and use half for the marinade and the other half for the dressing.
WHAT'S IN THE MARINADE?
- Tahini
- Lemon juice and zest
- Maple syrup
- Rice vinegar
- Water
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the best results, I suggest marinating tofu overnight for optimal flavor absorption.
HOW TO GRILL TOFU FOR MARINATED TOFU SALAD
Even though I prefer grilled tofu, not everyone has a grill or the climate to grill outdoors. For that reason, other cooking options are available, so you don’t miss out on this fabulous tofu recipe.
GRILLING INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the grill to low
- Place a grill mat on the grill (you can also use a grill pan, or if you are careful, you can place the tofu directly on the grill.
- Cook for about 8 minutes on each side
- Remove from the grill and place back in the marinade until ready to use.
- Then, cut it into strips or cubes
BAKING TOFU IS JUST AS EASY
- Simply follow the same pressing and marinating process.
- Then, preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Place cut or uncut tofu on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Cook for 15 minutes
- Remove from oven and flip tofu over; cook for an additional 15 minutes.
AIR-FRYING TOFU
- Simply follow the same pressing and marinating process.
- Set air fryer temperature at 375 degrees
- Cook 10-15 minutes, shaking the basket a couple of times through the cooking process.
Although I love grilled tofu on its own, I love adding grilled tofu to a salad cold or hot! The tahini and lemon flavor of the marinade, for instance, pairs perfectly with the other salad ingredients.
Once grilled (or cooked), I allow the tofu to cool before cutting it into cubes. Since I'm planning to serve my grilled tofu in the tofu salad cold, I place my cut tofu back into the marinade and stored in the refrigerator until I planned to make my salad.
WHAT OTHER INGREDIENTS ARE IN TOFU SALAD?
Even though you can choose and fresh vegetables, I chose an array of colors and flavors consistent with my marinade and dressing. For that reason, I selected a combination of vegetables, herbs, and nuts to enhance those flavors.
- Baby bell peppers (a variety of colors)
- Grape tomatoes (I used orange ones)
- Cucumber
- Red Onion
- Grilled corn (or canned corn, drained)
- Avocado
- Toasted almonds
- Sunflower seeds
- Dried cranberries
- Parsley
- Cilantro
FAQs
IF YOU LOVE TOFU, LIKE ME, HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE RECIPES
📖 Recipe
Tofu Salad
Ingredients
Marinated Tofu
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu rinsed and drained
- ½ tahini lemon vinaigrette dressing recipe below
- 2 Tablespoons parsley chopped
Tahini Lemon Vinaigrette (½ for the marinade; half for the dressing)
- ½ cup tahini
- 2 lemons juiced and zested
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Tofu Salad
- 4 heads Artisan lettuce or lettuce of choice
- 1 English cucumber chopped
- 1 cup red onions sliced thin
- 1 cup cooked corn I grilled 1 large ear of corn
- 1 cup baby bell peppers sliced thin
- 1 cup grape tomatoes chopped
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 avocado diced (do not add to salad until lady to serve)
- 2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds optional
- 2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds optional
- 2 Tablespoons dried cranberries optional
- ¼ cup toasted blanched almonds optional
Instructions
PRESS AND PREPARE TOFU
- First, carefully remove the tofu from the package, discarding the fluid from the package.
- Then, place the tofu in the middle of the press and turn both knobs equally about four turns. I usually place the tofu press in the sink on its side, but for this visual post, I placed it on a plate to drain.
- Turn the knobs every two minutes, equally until you have the end result (the last picture).
Most people stop here…NOT YET. Keep turning until the knobs are screwed as far as they can to almost touch the end like this:
- Although I have never tried this, I decided this time, I would measure the amount of water I got from the bottom of the plate at the end.
- Remove the tofu from the tofu press and remove any excess fluid with some paper towel
- Next, cut tofu into 4 identical slabs
- Using a high speed blender, combine the marinade/dressing ingredients.
- Using half the marinade and 2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley, and combine with tofu in a refrigerator safe container.
- Marinate overnight, or for at least a few hours
- Place additional marinade/dressing in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
GRILLED TOFU: (OTHER COOKING OPTION)
- Preheat the grill to low
- Place a grill mat on the grill (you can also use a grill pan, or if you are careful, you can place the tofu directly on the grill.
- Cook for about 8 minutes on each side
- Remove from the grill and place back in the marinade until ready to use.
- Then, cut it into strips or cubes
BAKING TOFU IS JUST AS EASY
- Simply follow the same pressing and marinating process.
- Then, preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Place cut or uncut tofu on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Cook for 15 minutes
- Remove from oven and flip tofu over; cook for an additional 15 minutes.
AIR-FRYING TOFU
- Simply follow the same pressing and marinating process.
- Set air fryer temperature at 375 degrees
- Cook 10-15 minutes, shaking the basket a couple of times through the cooking
PREPARE SALAD
- Chop lettuce and place in a large bowl
- In the center of the bowl, place the cold, grilled (or cooked tofu)
- Add ther other vegetables and ingredients, except for the nuts, seeds, and cranberries. Those ingredients are added right before serving as a garnish.
- Tofu salad can be prepared in advance.
- Pour dressing over the top of the tofu salad.
- Serve in individual bowls with optional seeds, nuts, and dried fruit as a garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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