Chopped salad with tofu and sesame dressing: A crisp, refreshing dish that's easy to customize

This chopped salad is crisp, refreshing and perfect for this time of year. The best part? You can assemble it with whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand. But the sesame dressing, which is inspired by one I tasted on a recent trip to Japan, is a must. It’s so good, I could put it on anything. While I’ve kept this version vegan, using a Japanese mayonnaise will make the dressing extra creamy and more authentic.

Ingredients

Tofu:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½-inch piece ginger, grated
• 1 (350 g) block extra-firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp vegan or Japanese mayonnaise, such as Kewpie
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, crushed with a mortar and pestle

Salad:

• 2 heads romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
• 2 cups ready mix salad greens
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 crisp apple, cored and thinly sliced
• ½ cup frozen edamame, thawed
• 1 carrot, shredded using the large holes of a box grater
• ½ cup toasted peanuts
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

Preparation

In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Add the tofu and toss until fully coated. Cover and set aside  for at least 15 minutes or store in the fridge overnight.

When you’re ready to cook the tofu, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes, gradually adding any remaining marinade to the skillet. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth, thinning with water if needed.

Arrange the lettuce and salad greens on a large platter, then top with red pepper, carrot, apple, edamame, peanuts, scallions and tofu.

Drizzle the dressing overtop, toss everything together and enjoy!

Serves 6 to 8

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Produced in collaboration with CBC Creator Network.