This is a great salad when you are rushed, hot, or just love salads.  I fit all those moments.  Anyway, I taught my Tamale Class today and didn’t get home until late this afternoon.  I was not particularly in the cooking mode, since I had been cooking all day.  I wanted something crunchy, tart, and vegetarian. Since I love tofu I always have it on hand.  The best thing about tofu, is that it really picks up other flavors like the tartness of the rice vinegar and the nutty flavor of the sesame oil.  It is a warm salad but it also tastes great when the tofu is at room temperature or cold.  

 

You don’t have to marinade the tofu so it cooks up quick.  Another great thing about tofu is it’s nutritional value.  Also be sure and use the extra-firm because it holds up great when you are sauteing it.  

 

If you want just a bit more tanginess you can add more of the rice vinegar to your own salad.  You can also add chopped cilantro for a nice flavor.  The recipe is for 4 servings and I like to add more greens and more rice vinegar.  I want a big dish of this salad and 3.5 oz of chopped tofu is plenty.  Just follow the pictures below. First the ingredients:

 

3 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

14 oz package extra firm, water packed tofu, rinsed and patter dry and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced

1 large English cucumber, chopped

8 or more cups of mixed salad greens or chopped romaine.

 

Per serving:  237 calories; 16g fat; 0mg cholesterol; 16g carb; 11g protein; 5g fiber; 454 mg sodium.  Lots of Vitamin A (180% daily value); 41% dv folate; 38% dv Vitamin C; 29% dv Calcium.