Tofu Salad with Savory Dressing (Easy!)

This savory Tofu Salad recipe has amazing texture and flavors in every bite! It features crisp veggies, crunchy peanuts, warm baked tofu, and a delicious homemade dressing. It's protein-rich, healthy, and easy to assemble! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

This delicious tofu salad features all the good stuff - crisp veggies, crunchy peanuts, warm fluffy tofu, and a homemade savory dressing with miso and tamari. (Yum!)

There's amazing texture and flavor in every bite. Plus it's so fresh, healthy, satisfying, and easy to assemble. I adapted this recipe from my Asian Chopped Salad. (But this version is even heartier with protein-rich tofu!)

This dish is hearty enough for a main dish (either lunch or dinner), or you can serve it as a side salad, or even prepare it ahead of time for meal prep.

Ingredients for Tofu Salad

For this recipe, you'll toss together in a large bowl:

• Romaine lettuce: You'll need one large head for this recipe, which is about 5-6 cups chopped. I like the crisp texture of romaine, but you could swap in fresh baby greens, kale, baby spinach, or other salad greens of choice.
• English cucumber: This is also known as hothouse cucumber. But you can use regular garden cucumbers or mini cucumbers instead.
• Shredded carrot: Most often I purchase the bags of pre-shredded carrots for convenience. But feel free to shred, grate, or julienne your own from whole carrots.
• Green onions: Or you could use thinly sliced red onion for a stronger flavor.
• Roasted peanuts: These add awesome crunch and flavor! I use unsalted, dry roasted peanuts. Or you can toss in slivered almonds or cashews as well.
• Baked tofu: I use one batch of my Easy Baked Tofu cubes for this recipe using extra-firm tofu. It adds lots of flavor, plus plant-based protein and fiber!
• Savory dressing: We'll whisk together rice vinegar, tamari (or soy sauce), miso, maple syrup, garlic powder, fresh ginger, and sesame seeds. It's a delicious pairing with this salad! But if you want a creamier dressing, try this similar Asian Sesame Ginger Dressing with tahini which is great too.
• Thai basil: This is completely optional if you wish to include it! Thai basil has a bold, savory, distinct flavor that lends itself well to this salad. (It's different than regular sweet basil.)

Customizing

Veggies: Adjust the amount of the ones listed, or add other fresh vegetables. You could try red cabbage, sugar snap peas, edamame, avocado, red bell pepper, mung bean sprouts, celery, or anything else that sounds good.

Make it spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to taste before serving. (I love this addition!) Or you can include chili paste or sriracha.

Dressing: Adjust the flavors as you see fit. Add more garlic, ginger, or maple syrup for sweetness. If you include oil in your diet, feel free to stir in 1-2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil. You could also whisk in a tablespoon of hoisin sauce for more sweet & savory flavor.

Assembling: Instead of making the salad in one large bowl, you can plate the salads separately per person. Or set out all the ingredients on the counter for a build-your-own salad bar!

Serving

Garnish your bowl with sesame seeds, fresh cilantro (or fresh parsley), more nuts, crispy wonton strips, pickled ginger, or red pepper flakes if desired.

Storing

Store the salad, baked tofu, and dressing in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Then assemble when ready to enjoy. I find it keeps for about 3-4 days if stored separately. Once the salad is tossed with the dressing, the leftovers are best enjoyed within a day or so.

For more inspiration, also browse all vegan tofu recipes or salad recipes.

If you're enjoying this tofu salad recipe with savory dressing, also check out:

• Asian Garlic Tofu

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