Tofu, anyone? No? You don’t like tofu? Tofu scares you? Tofu intimidates you? Well, it is about time that we change that, don’t you think? With just a little bit of practice, you will come to find that tofu is actually super simple to prepare and it is also super delicious. I love tofu baked by itself, in stir-fries, on sandwiches, and now in salads. Tofu is high in protein, takes on the flavors of whatever you season it with, and is honestly one of my favorite additions to make the ordinary just a little bit (okay, a lot) better. Many of you already know how great tofu is, but I’m sure a lot of you are still uncertain about it. Don’t worry. I used to be the exact same way. In fact, knowing that I now crave tofu makes me laugh. It is true what they say: your taste buds really can change and evolve!
I have made a Vietnamese-inspired Banh Mi Sandwich in the past, and have fallen in love with the Vegan Banh Mi sandwich at Gateway Market Cafe. Basically, anything banh mi-related makes me happy.
We know that banh mis are great in sandwich form, but what about in a lighter form? Say…in a salad form? Yyyup, I went there.
Tofu Banh Mi Salad
Servings: Makes 2 salads
Ingredients
1/2 block extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into strips
For tofu marinade:
1/4 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 TB seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp sriracha sauce
2 TB barbecue sauce (divided in half)
For marinated vegetables:
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and shredded
2 TB seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar or honey
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
For dressing:
1/4 cup of reserved tofu marinade
2 TB barbecue sauce
your favorite bagged salad or fresh greens
1 handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
Directions
1. Press and cut tofu. Combine Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, 1 1/2 TB seasoned rice vinegar, sriracha sauce, and 2 TB barbecue sauce in medium bowl to make marinade. Whisk until mixed well. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade to use in the dressing.
2. Place tofu in shallow dish and cover with remaining marinade. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove tofu from refrigerator and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake the tofu for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the tofu is crispy and golden brown.
4. While the tofu is baking, combine the carrots, cucumber, 2 TB seasoned rice vinegar, agave nectar/honey, and red pepper flakes. Stir until the vegetables are coated well. Refrigerate until it is time to compile the salad.
5. To make the dressing, combine the 1/4 cup of reserved tofu marinade and 2 TB of barbecue sauce. Whisk well. Add additional marinade or barbecue sauce to make the dressing to your desired thickness.
6. Build you salad in the following order: lettuce/greens, marinated vegetables, cilantro, baked tofu, and dressing.
I don’t know about you, but I get tired of the same old boring salad topped with conventional toppings and dressed with bottled salad dressing. This is a salad that is far from conventional.
Whether you have tried and loved banh mi sandwiches in the past, or if you are simply bored with the same monotonous salad, this is definitely a recipe to help perk up your taste buds. Trust me, you will not be bored with this salad. And please don’t be afraid of the tofu. I think that I have many fellow bloggers/blog readers who can and will vouch for just how delicious it is. When you season it well the results can be fantastic. I am a major fan of Vietnamese-inspired flavors, so this salad was right up my alley. Plus, when you put barbecue sauce and sriracha sauce into something…well,you can almost guarantee that I’ll love it.
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First, these pictures turned out pretty great! That’s one photogenic salad. Second, this is proof that tofu doesn’t have to be bland and tasteless or some weird diet food. Anyone who has had bland tofu didn’t have properly dressed and seasoned tofu 🙂 Looks yummy.
SO true! When seasoned and cooked right, tofu is fantastic!
i could never comment on your posts 🙁
Weird, but I’m glad you can now!
That looks so good!
Thanks so much, Lisa!
Yummm, this looks delicious!! I dont cook with tofu often (my husband wont come near the stuff), but I might have to try this one out for myself!
You definitely should!! Maybe someday you can convince him how good it is ;).
Oh my gosh! Yum! This looks incredible!
Thanks Kelsey! Please let me know if you give it a try :).
This looks SO good. Tofu doesn’t scare me, but I just never think to buy it at the grocery store. I think I always forget that it can be good in things besides just a stir fry.
It sure is good in stir-fry, but you are right..it is good in a lot more than just that! I love using it to make “eggless salad” sandwiches. They are SO good!
That salad looks DELICIOUS! I love Bahn Mi!
Bahn Mi is seriously amazing! It is probably one of my favorites sandwiches, so incorporating it into this salad was a must!
YUM! I’ve never had a Bahn Mi sandwich but I love tofu and this looks delicious!
Thanks Ashlee!! You NEED to try a banh mi sandwich. I have a feeling you would really like it!
I am still trying to get the hang of tofu. It’s so inexpensive for all the protein you get so I always want to try to incorporate it but I am definitely intimidated. I can never seem to get it crisp on the outside which is the way I like it.
Usually just a simple marinade and baking it (flipping it halfway through) leaves it pretty crispy for me. Or, cooking it on the stove-top on medium-low to medium heat (flipping a few times) for about 20 minutes or so makes it crispy. I usually do either one of these first before adding it to anything (a stir-fry, etc.).
I like tofu! I haven’t had this sandwich before but the flavors sound good. I like how this is a change up from a traditional salad yet most of the ingredients are pantry staples.
Gotta love tofu! And you REALLY need to get your hands on a banh mi sandwich. They are AWESOME.
This looks really good! I’m a bit obsessed with BBQ sauce so I was sold the minute I saw it in the ingredients list. I’ve never had a banh mi sandwich but hear they’re incredible.
They really are incredible. You need to try one. And I hear you on the bbq sauce. I could literally drink it from the bottle ;).
Pissed I don’t have the ingredients to this in the house right now! It looks so good (you know I love bahn mi!)
Oh yes, I do!! You would definitely enjoy this one :). Go buy yourself the ingredients this weekend!
I’m sad to say I’ve never actually cooked tofu in my own kitchen. This salad looks absolutely delicious, though. Vietnamese (and Asian cuisine in general) is one of my favorites!
Mine too! Tofu is definitely spectacular in Vietnamese/Asian cuisine. I LOVE it in salads and in stir-fries.
This looks amazing!! SO excited to try it out – I swear you always have the best ideas!
Aw, thanks so much! That seriously means a lot!
This is one recipe that I’d have to eat for dinner since Joshua would look at me like “um hunnie, where’s my meat” Ha Ha. It sounds divine!!
Haha, too funny! Yes, sometime when you are just cooking for yourself you will have to give it a try. I love that you aren’t afraid of tofu :).
This looks amazing!! I am definitely trying this one out! Do you think Tempeh would work too?
There is a vietnamese place near my work that does a salad similar to this but they also add in vermecelli noodles too and it is so good, sometimes I do order it without the noodles and honestly don’t miss it 😉
That salad sounds awesome! And yes, I think it would be fantastic with tofu! Let me know if you try that. I am definitely going to have to give it a try as well.
I am obsessed with tofu…. is it wrong that I eat the whole block lol. Its just too good! I love it most ways, but baked with liquid aminos, sesame oil and tamari= amazing.
Haha, definitely NOT wrong! Yay for tofu :). It makes me so happy when I see and hear about other people eating it. And yes, marinated with liquid aminos and baked is AWESOME (just did that for lunch today!).
Just one question – you reserve 1/4 cup of tofu marinade for the dressing?? But your marinade itself is only around 1/4 cup though?
Yes, with the added ingredients to the marinade outside of the liquid aminos, it is just enough. You can always pour as much as you want over the tofu and then reserve what is left from that (the tofu will soak up some but not all of the marinade). Let me know if you have more questions!
Oh gosh I’m so silly I made this last night and I was still kind of confused (before reading your reply) so I poured the entire marinade over my tofu and let it sit there, and I forgot about it so I left it for around 4 hours ! lol. Needless to say it was extremely salty so I actually soaked it in water for an hour, and I managed to save it somewhat 😛 But that’s an error on my part – otherwise great recipe!
I love banh-mis! These look delish; Do you have a good barbecue sauce that you recommend?
Banh mis are amazing! I don’t have a specific bbq sauce that is a “go to.” I generally just try to find one that doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup and doesn’t have a super long ingredient list.
sounds delicious! tofu can be so good–but i agree, preparation is everything!
Yes, when seasoned and cooked properly it is SO good!
It took me a while to get to liking tofu, but now that I actually know how to cook with it, I love it! I’ve always wanted to try a Banh Mi so this is perfect!
When cooked right, tofu is SO good!! And you need to try this salad AND a banh mi sandwich!