Spinach and Tofu Salad

By David Tanis

Published November 20, 2018

  • Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(653)
Comments
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Here’s a spinach salad that takes cues from Japan and is hearty enough to be a main course. Try to find crisp, medium curly-leaf spinach, which will hold up when dressed. (Baby spinach leaves will surely wilt.) Other sturdy greens — such as mizuna, curly endive or Napa cabbage — can stand in for spinach, or you can combine several kinds of greens.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

FOR THE TOFU AND MARINADE

  • ½ pound firm tofu

  • ¼ cup soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon sake

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger

  • Pinch of cayenne

FOR THE SALAD

  • 8 ounces medium spinach leaves

  • 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons white or red miso

  • ½ teaspoon grated garlic (from about 2 to 3 cloves)

  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger (from a peeled 1-inch piece) 

  • 1 cup chopped cucumber

  • 1 cup thinly sliced daikon radish

  • 1 cup frozen edamame, thawed

  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

  • 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts

  • Pinch of kosher salt or flaky sea salt

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

11 grams carbs; 261 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 984 milligrams sodium; 14 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice tofu into 1-inch-by-2-inch pieces about ¼-inch thick and place in a deep bowl or on a platter.

  2. Step 2

    Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sake, brown sugar, ginger and cayenne. Pour marinade over tofu slices to coat well. Leave in marinade for at least 15 minutes. (You may marinate the tofu up to 24 hours in advance.)

  3. Step 3

    While the tofu marinates, pick over spinach leaves and remove any tough stems. Swish the spinach in a deep bowl of cold water. Lift leaves from water into a colander. If you see any sand in the water, repeat up to 3 times, using fresh water each time. Drain well and dry spinach, then wrap in a kitchen towel and refrigerate until ready to use. (You may wash the spinach up to 24 hours in advance.)

  4. Step 4

    Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, soy sauce, miso, garlic and ginger.

  5. Step 5

    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and arrange the tofu pieces in a single layer. Spoon remaining marinade over tofu. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly crisped. Remove and leave at room temperature.

  6. Step 6

    To make the salad, arrange spinach in a low, wide salad bowl or on a deep platter. Scatter cucumber, daikon and edamame over spinach, then sprinkle with sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and peanuts. Tuck slices of tofu here and there.

  7. Step 7

    Sprinkle a pinch of salt over everything, then drizzle salad with dressing and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
653 user ratings
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Comments

Susan

What??

Norma Akamatsu

Norma: My Japanese mother used to slice tofu then lay on dish towel, cover tofu with another and place a wooden cutting board on top, weighted down by a heavy bowl. She explained to me the (in her case fried) tofu will cook better if some of the water is removed first.

Dave

I was w/o miso so I substituted some tahini and went a little heavy on soy. No daikon and substituted sliced radishes which gave enough of a peppery taste. I found that flipping the tofu after 20 mins and coating with a small amount of reserved marinade then heating in the oven for an additional five minutes firmed up the tofu better. This recipe is a great winter weeknight dinner option.

Lauren

I love the flavors of this salad and have made it a few times. But I find the method for cooking the tofu doesn’t let it crisp because there’s too much marinade on it in the oven. I’ve found it to be faster and more flavorful to sear the tofu in a cast iron and let the sliced tofu brown for a few minutes on both sides until crisp. Then I pour in the marinade and let it thicken and glaze onto the tofu, flipping again to make sure it’s coated on both sides. Makes the tofu more crisp and flavorful. Also nestled in some jalapeños into the glaze for the last few minutes and left a nice kick. Topped my salad with shredded carrot and a little leftover cabbage.

Cam

Really wanted to love this, but came out too acidic for our palates

Cheryl

This was great, but even with only 1 tbsp of miso the dressing was still MUCH TOO SALTY. I recommend starting w 1/2 tbsp soy sauce and miso and then adding as needed. Although they warned against baby spinach, we did fine with a baby spinach/kale mix and dressing it at the table.

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