10 minutes to prepare
This simple and quick tofu salad makes a delicious, nutritious yet easy-digesting light meal. It has a delicious Asian flavour. It can be a great side dish, salad or light main meal. The great things about this dish are no cooking skills required and super easy and quick. It takes only 10 minutes to prepare a healthy and delish Tofu salad using the microwave.
What is Tofu
Tofu is coagulated soy milk that is being pressed into solid blocks. There are so many different types of tofu: silken, soft, firm, extra-firm tofu, deep-fried tofu and tempeh. Nowadays, you can get them easily in major supermarket chains beyond Asian grocery stores. I think it is partly due to a rise in veganism and consumers’ health awareness of plant-based protein (soybeans in this case).
I grew up with tofu as a child in a Korean family. Love tofu. You can tell how much many Asians love tofu by a variety of tofu recipes across Asian countries. Let’s have a look – there are Agedashi tofu (deepfried soft tofu) in Japan, Sundubu Jjigae (spicy soft tofu stew) in Korea, and Mapo tofu (Sichuan spicy tofu) in China to name a few.
How to make tofu tasty – all about the sauces
I asked those who did not grow up on tofu what they think about tofu. Most of them seem to think that tofu is tasteless with a strange texture. How to make this seemingly tasteless yet nutritious ingredient tasty? The key to making yummy tofu dishes lies in sauces. Tofu soaks up its surrounding sauce and takes on the flavour. It mingles well with others although it does not have a strong personality on its own.
Make it packed with an umami bomb! If you do not like the soft texture of tofu in general for your general cooking, go for tempeh (Indonesian fermented tofu with nutty flavour), extra firm tofu or fried tofu. They give a bit more texture. But this fresh tofu salad recipe calls for no-fry, soft or soft -medium firm tofu types.
Easy & Quick Tofu Recipe (microwave cooking)
I always make sure to have a couple of tofu in my fridge. When I feel like a light dinner or have a sudden craving for a quick meat-free & protein-rich plant-based dish, tofu recipes (umami-packed soy sauce braised tofu or spicy pan-fried tofu) are the perfect solutions to my ‘what I shall eat tonight’ conundrum.
I can totally relate to having a “lazy cooking day”! This tofu dish recipe sounds perfect for those days when you don’t feel like doing a lot of dishes. And the fact that it’s easy and quick is definitely a plus. But easy doesn’t have to mean boring – the umami flavours and different textures and colours in this dish sound delicious. And the fact that it can be made in a microwave oven is so convenient. I can’t wait to give it a try!
All you need is the microwave. A flavourful and nourishing Tofu dish will be on your dinner table in no time.
Let’s talk about the ingredients
Tofu:
- Tofu is cooked (heat-treated) before being pressed into tofu blocks. So, it is safe to eat it as it is. You can just warm it up by pouring some hot water or blanch it quickly in boiling water for a min or so.
- Choose soft but firm tofu that holds the shape
- Avoid using silken tofu. It can easily disintegrate.
- Extra-firm tofu is not ideal for this recipe, but ideal for frying.
Capsicum and Chilli
- Red Capsicum – cut into small pieces
- Chill – I like a bit of kick. Omit chili if you are not a spicy eater.
- Use Red and Green for visual colour contrast
Spring Onion/Shallot
- Use green parts of spring onion
- Chopped finely
- Sprinkle it on top as garnish
How to extract Pomegranates
Pomegranate seeds have a slightly sweet and tart taste. So, it goes well with the salty flavour of soy sauce. Above all, they are esthetically stunning and nutritionally packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. No doubt why Cleopatra, the ancient Egyptian queen ate this fruit to stay young.
- Make an incision around the crown area, about halfway down from the top. Place a big bowl under while tapping the cut fruit with a large wooden spoon or other kitchen tool.
- Seeds will pop out and fall into the bowl.
- Remove white membranes and save red seeds only.
- Seeds are edible. They add crunch to the dish.
Ingredients
Tofu and Vegetables
- Tofu 250g - cut into a bitable sizes
- Spring onions 2 stalks (only green part)- chopped finely
- Green Chili 1- chopped
- Pomegranates seeds 1 bulb
- Red Capsicum 1 - diced
- Coriander - chopped finely
Sauce
- Soy sauce 1 tbs
- Mirin 1 tbs
- Maple Syrup or honey 1/2 tbs (optional)
- Sesame seed oil ( a few drops)
Instructions
- Pour hot boiling water over the biteable-size tofu cut in a bowl and leave it for a couple of minutes to warm up the tofu. Drain the water in a few minutes. (See Note)
- In a serving bowl, place the warmed tofu, and layer it with the prepared vegetables
- In a small bowl, prepare the sauce by adding all the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the taste if needed
- Pour the mixed sauce over the tofu vegetable bowl
- Heat up in the microwave oven for a few minutes (See Note)
Notes
- Step 1 (blanching tofu in hot water) can be skipped.
- I like Tofu to be warm-hot. This way, it can reduce microwaving time so that vegetables are not overcooked but lightly cooked to preserve vibrant colours, crunch and nutrients.
- Alternatively, microwave the tofu and sauce together without vegetables. Then add raw greens just before serving.
- Adjust the microwaving time depending on your microwave wattage
