Asian Chopped Salad with Tofu
Chinese five spice livens up tofu in this classic salad. We added a sesame vinaigrette and crunchy sliced almonds for garnish.
Servings
Produce
Carrot (Organic)
3 1.5 oz
Green Beans
5 2.5 oz
Cabbage, red
8 4 oz
Lettuce mix
4 2 oz
Green onion
2 1 oz
Protein & more
Extra firm tofu
1 0.5 Package
Almond slices
1 0.5 oz
Pantry items
Olive oil
1 0.5 tablespoon
Sea salt
1 0.5 teaspoon
Spice mix
Cinnamon powder
1 0.5 teaspoon
Cloves
1 0.5 teaspoon
Ground fennel
1 0.5 teaspoon
Star anise
1 0.5 teaspoon
Red pepper flakes
1 0.5 teaspoon
Sesame vinaigrette
Minced Garlic
2 1 Clove
Ginger root
0.5 0.25 tablespoon
Rice vinegar
1.5 0.75 tablespoon
Tamari
1 0.5 teaspoon
Sesame oil
3 1.5 tablespoon
Vegan sugar
0.5 0.25 teaspoon
Prep ahead (optional)
a. Thinly slice red cabbage, green onion, and green beans (remove stem ends). b. Peel carrots and grate or continue peeling for ribbons. c. Leave lettuce mix whole or chop bite-sized.
Instructions
1
Prep tofu:
a. Drain and rinse tofu; using paper towels, press as much water from tofu as possible.
b. Slice tofu into ½”-thick “steaks,” then slice those in half lengthwise.
c. Season with Chinese five spice and ½-1 tsp salt. Set aside.
2
Prep salad:
a. In large mixing bowl, add lettuce mix (leave whole or chop bite-sized), carrots (peel & discard skin, continue peeling ribbons or grate), red cabbage (thinly slice), and green beans (trim stem ends and thinly slice). Set aside.
b. In large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add sliced almonds. Moving pan constantly, toast almonds until golden. Set aside to cool.
3
Cook tofu:
a. In same large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add marinated tofu and cook until slightly crispy and caramelized and warmed through, about 5-7 minutes.
4
Assemble and serve:
a. Add sesame vinaigrette to salad mix. Toss well to combine and coat with dressing.
b. Divide salad mix among bowls. Top with tofu.
c. Garnish with green onions (thinly slice) and toasted, sliced almonds.
Chef's notes
A combination of cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and ground cloves can be a workable substitute for five-spice. Another option is to do away with powdered spices altogether. Instead, add a splash of sambuca to your dish.
All spice mixes and dressings made by Inner Chef from scratch with organic ingredients, local when possible.
This week’s local ingredients across all Inner Chef meal-kits come from:
Gundermann Acres,
Wharton County, TX
Wharton County, TX
Fagan Family Farm
Lone Star Herbs,
League City, TX
League City, TX
G&S Groves,
Mission, TX
Mission, TX
The Farm Patch,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
Kitchen Pride,
Gonzales, TX
Gonzales, TX
Fruitful Hill Farm,
Bastrop, TX
Bastrop, TX
J&B Farms,
Hondo, TX
Hondo, TX
Martinez Farms,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
J&D Farms
Village Farms,
Marfa, TX
Marfa, TX