Let’s discover the delightful and refreshing flavors of a 10-minute cold Silken Tofu Salad with soy dressing.
This delightful Silken Tofu Salad can be a quick, nutritious, and delicious meal any day of the week. It can be a true lifesaver on hot summer days when you don’t feel like going grocery shopping or cooking.
Start by preparing the sauce in a small bowl. Carefully unbox a package of soft silken tofu onto a plate. Optionally, use a straw to create holes in the tofu block, allowing the dressing to infuse it with flavor. Drizzle the prepared sauce over the tofu and garnish with chopped scallions, garlic, cilantro, and a dash of chili powder. Enhance the dish further by pouring hot vegetable oil over the tofu, expertly mingling with the toppings.
If you like the unique, rich, and complex taste of preserved duck eggs, you can boost the flavor of this silken tofu salad by adding cubed preserved duck eggs around the tofu block when serving. The contrasting characteristics of these two ingredients will complement each other to form a complex and satisfying texture and flavor.
Tips for making silken tofu salad
1. How to remove the silken tofu from the box
When you try to remove a delicate silken tofu from its box, how often does it break apart like this?
In order to release the tofu from the box without damaging its delicate texture, you can typically use a knife or scissors to carefully trim off the bottom corners of the tofu box.
The tofu box is a closed container with the tofu inside. The tofu is tightly held within the box due to the pressure exerted by the packaging material, creating a seal around the edges. This pressure prevents the tofu from freely moving within the box and makes it challenging to slide it out smoothly.
When you trim off the bottom corners of the tofu box, it creates small openings or gaps in the seal, allowing air to enter the box.
Now, when you gently press the tofu from the top, the air pressure inside the box exerts a force on the tofu, helping to loosen it from the sides of the packaging.
If the tofu is exceptionally soft or firmly stuck to the box, even after trimming the corners, it may still be challenging to slide it out. In such cases, there’s an alternative method to assist with its removal. Carefully flip the tofu box over a plate and gently blow some air into each corner of the box. This will create a small gap between the tofu block and the box. With the gap established, gently lift up the box, allowing the tofu to come out and land smoothly on the plate. This technique provides an effective way to release the tofu when it’s particularly soft or firmly adhered to the packaging.
2. Turn your tofu block into a honeycomb
Tofu is relatively bland on its own, but it’s excellent at absorbing flavors from sauces and dressings. By poking holes in the tofu block, you create channels for the sauce or dressing to penetrate deeper into the tofu, infusing it with more flavor throughout. This results in a more flavorful and enjoyable tofu salad.
What’s more, a honeycomb-shape tofu can have a more appealing appearance when you create an interesting pattern of holes on its surface.
But it is totally fine to skip this poking step, especially if you have tropophobia. Instead, you can slice the tofu block into ½ inch thick slices and arrange them on a plate to maximize their contact with the sauce.
3. Steam the tofu or not
It is perfectly safe and healthy to eat silken tofu raw. Steaming tofu before making a silken tofu salad is not a traditional step in the preparation process. But some people do prefer steaming the tofu block for 5 to 10 minutes to create a softer texture and reduce the slight bean taste that tofu may have.
When preparing tofu salad using firm or medium firm tofu, consider steaming the tofu block for a softer texture and enhanced flavor absorption. On the other hand, if you’re using soft or extra soft silken tofu or prefer the simplicity of raw tofu, you can skip the steaming process.
4. Drizzle hot oil or not
When we drizzle hot oil over the silken tofu salad, it immediately infuses the dish with its rich and aromatic flavors. The heat helps to release the flavors from garlic, scallions, and cilantros, adding depth and complexity to the overall taste of the salad.
Be sure to do it carefully to avoid splattering or burning yourself.
If you prefer to avoid drizzling hot oil or are looking for a healthier alternative, you can substitute the hot oil with toasted sesame seeds, which provide a similar nutty and aromatic flavor that complements the tofu salad.
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb silken tofu (About 1 box of soft or extra soft silken tofu)
- 2 tbsps scallions (Finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsps cilantros (Finely chopped)
- 1 tsp chili powder (You can use gochugaru or Sichuan red chili powder.)
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
Sauce
- 2 tbsp light or regular soy sauce
- ½ tbsp black rice vinegar
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp sesame oil
Optional Ingredient
- 2 preserved duck eggs (Peeled and cubed)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prepare the sauce: add light soy sauce, black rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil into a small bowl. Mix well.
2. Unbox a package of soft silken tofu into a plate. (Refer to the picture illustrations above for a step-by-step guide on how to unbox tofu without it breaking apart.)
3. Take a straw and poke multiple lines of holes in the tofu block. (This step is optional. It allows the dressing to penetrate the tofu and infuse it with flavor throughout.)
4. Pour the sauce (prepared in step 1) over the tofu block. Place chopped scallions, garlics, cilantros, and chili powder on the top of the tofu.
5. Heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan until it starts to smoke. Carefully pour the hot oil over the tofu. Gently mix the toppings with the back of a spoon.
6. Optionally, you can add some cubed preserved duck eggs around the tofu block when serving. You may refer to this recipe for more details and guidance.
My other tofu recipes you will also like:
Silken Tofu Salad (10-minute cold tofu salad with soy dressing)
Equipment
- Knife
- straw
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 lb silken tofu (About 1 box of soft or extra soft silken tofu)
- 2 tbsps scallions (Finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsps cilantros (Finely chopped)
- 1 tsp chili powder (You can use gochugaru or Sichuan red chili powder.)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Sauce
- 2 tbsp light or regular soy sauce
- ½ tbsp black rice vinegar
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp sesame oil
Optional
- 2 preserved duck eggs (Peeled and cubed)
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: add light soy sauce, black rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil into a small bowl. Mix well.
- Unbox a package of soft silken tofu into a plate. (Refer to the picture illustrations above for a step-by-step guide on how to unbox tofu without it breaking apart.)
- Take a straw and poke multiple lines of holes in the tofu block. (This step is optional. It allows the dressing to penetrate the tofu and infuse it with flavor throughout.)
- Pour the sauce (prepared in step 1) over the tofu block. Place chopped scallions, garlics, cilantros, and chili powder on the top of the tofu.
- Heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan until it starts to smoke. Carefully pour the hot oil over the tofu. Gently mix the toppings with the back of a spoon.
- Optionally, you can add some cubed preserved duck eggs around the tofu block when serving.
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