Cucumber-Tomato Salad With Sesame Whipped Tofu

By Pierce Abernathy

Published August 25, 2025

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(69)
Comments
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Silken tofu can be an incredible creamy base for sauces, dips and even soups. It’s packed with protein and is a great way to enhance a simple light salad. The neutral flavor of silken tofu makes it a flexible blank canvas to highlight strong flavors like toasted sesame oil. Here, whipped tofu is a pedestal for simple peak summer tomatoes and cucumbers that are roughly chopped and salted. The simplicity of this salad means that everything needs to be well seasoned. Serve the salad with some crusty sourdough bread, creating a DIY tomato toast situation.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 small shallot

  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, divided

  • 16 ounces silken tofu, drained 

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal

  • 1 English seedless cucumber, or 2 to 3 mini cucumbers 

  • 1 large heirloom tomato

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

  • Chopped chives, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

10 grams carbs; 179 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 12 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 589 milligrams sodium; 11 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

    Cut shallot in half lengthwise and thinly slice into strips. Transfer to a small bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Let sit while preparing the remaining ingredients.

  2. Step 2

    In a large mixing bowl or a food processor, combine the tofu, sesame oil, remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar, the sugar and 1½ teaspoons salt. Whisk or blend until fully combined and smooth.

  3. Step 3

    Cut the cucumber and tomato into 1-inch mismatched pieces and transfer to a separate mixing bowl. Season with olive oil and a pinch of salt and toss to coat.

  4. Step 4

    In a wide shallow bowl, spread the whipped tofu around the plate and spoon over the marinated cucumber and tomato. Garnish with the quick-pickled shallot and chopped chives.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
69 user ratings
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Comments

YiaYia

Question - will the whipped tofu & sesame last if kept in the refrigerator? If so, how long? Cooking for 2 means ingredients must keep or are wasted.

Doug.

Excellent. Followed the recipe. Heirlooms, two medium size, stood out well. Two of us split for a delightful, end of summer, vegan dinner.

Elizabeth

@Frances toasted sesame oil is a different product. It is dark brown and tends to come in a smaller jar.

JP

I didn't really care for this. I don't think the whipped tofu added anything to the overall experience of tomatoes and cucumbers except to make it all very goopy. It was also quite bland even with the sesame oil. The sugar also made it somewhat sweet--so a weird combo. There are so many great tomato salad recipes on this site. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me.

Susan

Once opened, silken tofu will only keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days, so I would not keep any leftovers longer than that.

Natalie

This is delicious! Made this t

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