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Charred Cabbage Salad with Torn Tofu and Plantain Chips

By Sam Block

Published on September 21, 2021

Yield

Serves 4

Charred Cabbage Salad with Torn Tofu and Plantain Chips

Ingredients

14 ounces firm tofu, torn into bite-size pieces3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar 2 tablespoons lime juice 4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, divided1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 head red cabbage (2 pounds)7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided4 teaspoons Thai red curry paste, divided1 tablespoon ground turmeric, divided½ teaspoon table salt 1 tablespoon water 1 cup bean sprouts ¼ cup chopped fresh basil 2 scallions, sliced thin on bias¼ cup plantain or banana chips, crushed

Before You Begin

If you don't have plantain chips, chopped macadamia nuts or cashews work fine. The tofu can be marinated for up to 24 hours. Note that this recipe uses seasoned rice vinegar; we don't recommend using unseasoned rice vinegar in its place. To make this dish vegetarian, replace the fish sauce with either Bragg's Amino Acids or our Vegetarian Fish Sauce Substitute.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Gently press tofu dry with paper towels. Whisk 1 tablespoon vinegar, lime juice, 2 teaspoons ginger, honey, and fish sauce together in medium bowl. Add tofu and toss gently to coat; set aside for 20 minutes. (Tofu can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
  2.  Halve cabbage through core and cut each half into 4 approximately 2-inch-wide wedges, leaving core intact (you will have 8 wedges). Whisk ¼ cup oil, 1 teaspoon curry paste, 2 teaspoons turmeric, and salt together in bowl. Arrange cabbage wedges in single layer on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet, then brush cabbage all over with oil mixture. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 10 minutes. Remove foil and drizzle 2 tablespoons oil evenly over wedges. Return sheet to oven and roast, uncovered, until cabbage is tender and sides touching sheet are well browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
  3.  Whisk remaining 2 teaspoons ginger, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining 1 tablespoon curry paste, and remaining 1 teaspoon turmeric together in bowl. Microwave until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk water and remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar into ginger mixture.
  4.  Chop cabbage coarse and divide among individual plates. Serve, topping individual portions with bean sprouts, basil, scallions, and tofu. Drizzle with vinaigrette and sprinkle with plantain chips.
Charred Cabbage Salad with Torn Tofu and Plantain Chips
Photography by Kevin White. Styling by Kendra Elizabeth Smith.

Charred Cabbage Salad with Torn Tofu and Plantain Chips

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Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

14 ounces firm tofu, torn into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, divided
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 head red cabbage (2 pounds)
7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 teaspoons Thai red curry paste, divided
1 tablespoon ground turmeric, divided
½ teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon water
1 cup bean sprouts
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 scallions, sliced thin on bias
¼ cup plantain or banana chips, crushed

Ingredients

14 ounces firm tofu, torn into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, divided
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 head red cabbage (2 pounds)
7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 teaspoons Thai red curry paste, divided
1 tablespoon ground turmeric, divided
½ teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon water
1 cup bean sprouts
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 scallions, sliced thin on bias
¼ cup plantain or banana chips, crushed

Ingredients

14 ounces firm tofu, torn into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, divided
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 head red cabbage (2 pounds)
7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 teaspoons Thai red curry paste, divided
1 tablespoon ground turmeric, divided
½ teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon water
1 cup bean sprouts
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 scallions, sliced thin on bias
¼ cup plantain or banana chips, crushed

Why This Recipe Works

We used Southeast Asian flavors for this showstopping salad, first coating wedges of red cabbage with oil, Thai red curry paste, and turmeric and then roasting them in the oven. The spice paste gave flavor; the roasting brought out the cabbage's natural sweetness. We marinated tofu in lime juice, honey, rice vinegar, fish sauce, and ginger, taking it from neutral to sweet and sour. Scallions and bean sprouts added pleasant crispness to the dish. For our warm dressing, we bloomed more curry paste, turmeric, and ginger in the microwave and then added rice vinegar. Plantain chips gave a sweet-salty crunch.

Before You Begin

If you don't have plantain chips, chopped macadamia nuts or cashews work fine. The tofu can be marinated for up to 24 hours. Note that this recipe uses seasoned rice vinegar; we don't recommend using unseasoned rice vinegar in its place. To make this dish vegetarian, replace the fish sauce with either Bragg's Amino Acids or our Vegetarian Fish Sauce Substitute.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Gently press tofu dry with paper towels. Whisk 1 tablespoon vinegar, lime juice, 2 teaspoons ginger, honey, and fish sauce together in medium bowl. Add tofu and toss gently to coat; set aside for 20 minutes. (Tofu can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
  2.  Halve cabbage through core and cut each half into 4 approximately 2-inch-wide wedges, leaving core intact (you will have 8 wedges). Whisk ¼ cup oil, 1 teaspoon curry paste, 2 teaspoons turmeric, and salt together in bowl. Arrange cabbage wedges in single layer on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet, then brush cabbage all over with oil mixture. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 10 minutes. Remove foil and drizzle 2 tablespoons oil evenly over wedges. Return sheet to oven and roast, uncovered, until cabbage is tender and sides touching sheet are well browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
  3.  Whisk remaining 2 teaspoons ginger, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining 1 tablespoon curry paste, and remaining 1 teaspoon turmeric together in bowl. Microwave until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk water and remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar into ginger mixture.
  4.  Chop cabbage coarse and divide among individual plates. Serve, topping individual portions with bean sprouts, basil, scallions, and tofu. Drizzle with vinaigrette and sprinkle with plantain chips.

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