Vietnamese Salad
Vibrant, crunchy Vietnamese-inspired salad with golden baked tofu, Chinese leaf cabbage, julienned carrot, cucumber and a zingy lime & soy dressing. Finished with fresh herbs and peanuts.
Equipment
Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.
Ingredients
- 400 g extra-firm tofu
FOR THE MARINADE:
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
FOR THE SALAD:
- ½ head Chinese leaf cabbage (napa cabbage)
- 175 g carrot
- 1/2 medium cucumber
- 100 g bean sprouts
- 15 g mint
- 15 g coriander
- 75 g salted peanuts roughly chopped
FOR THE DRESSING:
- 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 4 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp white sugar
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
TO SERVE: (optional)
- lime
- mint
- red chillies
Instructions
- Press the tofu for around 20 minutes to extract as much water as possible. You can use a tofu press or wrap the tofu in a clean towel and press it between 2 plates by securely placing something heavy on top.400 g extra-firm tofu
- Make the marinade: Whisk together in a small bowl all the marinade ingredients. Set aside.2 Tbsp fresh lime juice, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, 2 Tbsp light soy sauce, ½ Tbsp rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp grated ginger, ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F or the air-fryer to 180°C.
- Once the tofu is ready, cut it into thin strips using a vegetable peeler. Place the tofu strips in an ovenproof dish (approximately 23 x 23cm or 9 x 9 inches). To keep the tofu moist during cooking, avoid spreading it too thinly across a large roasting tray.
- Toss in the marinade and cook for around 30 to 35 minutes (20 to 25 minutes if using an air fryer) until golden. Toss halfway through cooking.
- While the tofu is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Cut the cabbage into thin shreds. Cut the carrot into thin strips using a Julienne cutter. Cut the cucumber into small sticks. Chop the mint and coriander.½ head Chinese leaf cabbage, 175 g carrot, 1/2 medium cucumber, 15 g mint, 15 g coriander
- Make the dressing by whisking together all its ingredients into a bowl.3 Tbsp fresh lime juice, 4 Tbsp vegetable oil, 2 Tbsp light soy sauce, 1 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp white sugar, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- To assemble the salad, toss together the cabbage, carrot, cucumber and bean sprouts in a large salad bowl.100 g bean sprouts
- Add the dressing, mint, coriander and 3/4 of the peanuts. Toss again until everything is well combined.75 g salted peanuts
- When the tofu is ready, place on top of the salad. Scatter the remaining peanuts on top.
- Optional: serve with extra slices of lime, mint and sliced red chillies on top.lime, red chillies, mint
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 11gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 806mgPotassium: 440mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 5251IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 2mg