Name: Tofu Salad with Vegetables
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter; 3 tablespoons hot water; ¼ cup hoisin sauce; 4 teaspoons lime juice; 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil; 1 teaspoon garlic clove , minced; ¾ teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce; ½ teaspoon table salt; 28 ounces soft tofu , cut into ¾-inch pieces; ½ teaspoon table salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 8 ounces snow peas , strings removed, cut into ½-inch pieces; 1 red or yellow bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces; 4 ounces (2 cups) bean sprouts; 2 carrots , peeled and shredded; 2 scallions , sliced thin on bias; 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Why This Recipe Works

Creamy, custard-like soft tofu makes a great foil for crisp sliced raw vegetables in this main-dish salad. To drain the tofu of excess moisture, we cut it into cubes and placed them on multiple layers of paper towels to drain. Broiling the drained tofu gave it some light charring and additional flavor. For the vegetables, we chose carrots, snow peas, and bell peppers for both their crisp textures and their bright colors. Bean sprouts added more nice crunch and a clean flavor. For the dressing, tasters favored a blend of peanut butter, hoisin sauce, lime juice, toasted sesame oil, and garlic, a combination that created the right balance of salty, acidic, and savory. A little chili-garlic sauce added a touch of heat. Thinly sliced scallions, minced cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds gave our salad just the right finishing touches.

Before You Begin

We prefer the texture of soft tofu in this recipe; however, firm tofu may be substituted.

Instructions

for the dressing

Whisk peanut butter and water in large bowl until smooth, then whisk in hoisin, lime juice, sesame oil, garlic, chili-garlic sauce, and salt until combined; set aside.

for the salad

Position oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread tofu on paper towel–lined baking sheet and let drain for 20 minutes. Gently press dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Gently toss tofu with half of dressing in separate bowl and spread in even layer on prepared sheet. Broil tofu until spotty brown, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add snow peas, bell pepper, bean sprouts, carrots, and scallions to bowl with remaining dressing and gently toss to coat. Gently fold in tofu, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Season with pepper to taste, and let sit until flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Serve.