I always know that summer is over when I have to don a long sleeve shirt before heading out on my early morning run. Fall is nearly here and that means winter is also just around the corner. Sorry to burst your warm weather bubble.
Growing up my family would escape Canada’s very cold winter with a trip down south to sunny Miami, Florida. Miami is chock full of five star restaurants so as you can imagine, this was heaven for a foodie like me (the hot sun, beaches, and shopping didn’t hurt either). I bet it would surprise you to know that my family’s favourite meal wasn’t found in a high end restaurant, but in the food court at a small sandwich and salad stand.
They made THE BEST salad you ever had. Not only was it chock full of any vegetable, fruit, and protein you could think of, but after it was assembled, the friendly staff attacked it with a hammer, chopping your salad into bite size pieces that just made it taste so much better.
So this is my attempt to recreate that meal – and maybe also my attempt to bring some of sunny Miami to cold Toronto. All of these vegetables and tofu are interchangeable – swap in roasted asparagus or green beans for the zucchini or eggplant. Add chicken instead of the tofu. When all the chopped up vegetables and tofu are mixed with the crunchy romaine and cashews and soft avocado, it’s a flavour and texture explosion
I can almost feel the heat of the Miami sun beating down on me as I dive into this bowl of chopped vegetable goodness – almost!
Dara
Asian Tofu and Vegetable Chopped Salad
Serves | 4-6 |
Dietary | Vegetarian |
Meal type | Lunch, Salad |
From book | Adapted from Bonnie Stern's Best of Heartsmart |
Ingredients
- 1 block of tofu (cubed)
- 3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 red onion (chopped)
- 3 zucchini (chopped)
- 1 eggplant (chopped)
- 1 red pepper (chopped)
- 2 ears of corn (husked and stripped of kernels)
- 1 Pint grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 2 heads of romaine lettuce (chopped)
- 1 cucumber (chopped)
- 1 bunch of parsley (chopped)
- 1/2 cup unsalted cashews
- 2 avocados (peeled and chopped)
Dressing
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 Tsp Asian chili garlic paste
Note
This salad is jam packed with different flavours and textures. Roasted chicken or steak would be a great substitute for the tofu. You could also use any vegetables you have on hand in place of the ones used here. Leftovers keep well for one day in the fridge undressed.
Directions
1. | Place tofu in a shallow dish and pour hoisin sauce on top. Toss to coat and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. |
2. | Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spread the vegetables on two parchment lined baking sheets. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until soft. |
3. | Once vegetables are finished, transfer tofu to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until brown. |
4. | In a large bowl, add romaine lettuce, cucumber, parsley, roasted vegetables, and tofu and toss to combine. Add cashews and avocado and toss one more time. When ready to serve toss with dressing until the vegetables, lettuce, and tofu are coated. |
Dressing | |
5. | In a small bowl or container, whisk all ingredients together. |
Leave a Reply