Crispy Tofu & Rice Salad
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This Crispy Tofu & Rice Salad is made with marinated & baked tofu strips, rice, romaine, avocado and a delicious & tangy green dressing!
This Crispy Tofu & Rice Salad is fresh and bright. The perfect summer salad – layered with crispy tofu that has been tossed in a flavor-packed sauce, romaine, avocado, leftover rice and the most herby & delicious green sauce. It has the perfect blend of flavors & textures.
Step One: Make the Tofu
The first step of any tofu recipe is to drain & press it. I like to do this by placing the tofu between 2 heavy plates. You could also get fancy and use a tofu press. Once it is pressed, slice the tofu into 8 pieces.
To make the sauce for the tofu, you will need:
- oil
- smoked paprika
- low sodium soy sauce
- garlic salt
- oregano
- cumin
- pepper
- lime juice
Add all of the sauce ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. Place the tofu in a shallow dish and pour over the sauce. If you have the time to let the tofu marinate, that’s what I would do. But you can also just pop it straight into the oven. Cook it for 25-30 minutes. The outside should be nice and crispy.
You can also make the tofu in a skillet. Prepare it the same way and heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook until crispy on both sides.
Once the tofu is done, place it on a cutting board and cut it into thinner strips. The reason I wait to do this at the end is because the tofu is easier to work with in bigger pieces when it is baking.
Step Two: Make the Green Sauce
This green sauce is to-die-for!!! It has the perfect amount of spice and tang.
Here is what you need:
- cilantro
- jalapeños
- garlic
- green onions
- apple cider vinegar
- lime
- vegan mayo
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Add everything to a food processor blender and blend until smooth. Play around with the amount of garlic, jalapeño and vinegar. Make it to your liking!
Step Three: Assemble & Serve
Add a head of chopped romaine to a bowl and toss with some of the green dressing. You don’t need to use all of the dressing, just enough to coat the romaine.
Layer the romaine on a platter on in a large salad bowl and top with leftover rice (you can warm up the rice or leave it chilled), the tofu slices and avocado. Layer on as much of that green dressing as you want and serve it up!
This is best served right away – to keep the romaine from wilting and the avocado from browning. But you can also make everything ahead of time and assemble right before serving.
Looking For Other Recipes? Try these:
Crispy Tofu & Rice Salad
Ingredients
FOR THE TOFU
- 1 block extra firm tofu drained and pressed
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 lime juiced
FOR THE GREEN DRESSING
- 1 bunch cilantro roughly chopped
- 1-2 jalapeños roughly chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 green onions roughly chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 lime juiced
- 1/4 cup vegan mayo
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
FOR THE SALAD
- 1 head romaine chopped
- 2 small avocados sliced
- 1 cup leftover rice cooled or warm
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the tofu into 8 strips. Combine the rest of ingredients in a bowl and mix. Place the tofu strips in a shallow dish and pour over the sauce. Gently toss so all of the pieces are coated. Transfer to the baking sheet and pour over any leftover sauce. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until crispy. Remove and slice into thinner strips.
- Add all of the sauce ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
- Place the romaine in a bowl and add enough sauce to coat. Toss and set aside.
- To assemble, layer a bowl or platter with the romaine, rice, tofu and avocado. Serve with the leftover sauce on the side.
Video
Notes
- You likely won’t need to use all of the dressing. The rest can be saved in the fridge for 2-3 days and can be used as a dipping sauce or dressing.
- The tofu is really good if you let it marinate for a few hours – if you have the time!
- The tofu can be made in a skillet. Prepare it the same way and heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook until crispy on both sides.
- To make ahead of time, prepare all of the components and assemble right before serving. This will keep the romaine from wilting and the avocado from browning.
This dressing is insane! We love it. We will use it for other recipes for sure. Thank you for sharing!
Does the marinade for the tofu have soy sauce? Didn’t see t listed.
You are so right – the recipe is updated!
Made this tonight for dinner and it was so flavourful. The sauce was the highlight of the meal. I added some pepitas for textual appeal. Thank you for this recipe.
Is this one serving or two?
It is 4 servings!
I made it today and it was delicious 😋 thank you for this easy and amazing recipe.
So glad you liked it Sandra!
This looks amazing! Do you think I could leave out the oil in the dressing? Or replace with something?
You could try swapping the mayo for non-dairy yogurt and keeping the oil. Or if you need to take the oil out completely, you could sub water. Let me know how it goes!