Silken Tofu Salad (Vegan and Gluten-Free)

Silken Tofu Salad is a delicious combination of tofu, tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado with a light flavorful dressing. This Japanese tofu salad is perfect as a nutritious lunch or as a starter with other Asian-inspired dishes.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mori-Nu Silken Tofu. The opinions and text are all mine. @morinutofu #morinu_partner #morinutofu #shelfstable

Have you ever tried a silken tofu salad?

I occasionally order them in Japanese restaurants since they are often vegan.

But I only recently started making them at home.

And now that I have, they have become one of my favorite lunches.

What is silken tofu?

 

If you’ve ever eaten miso soup, the little cubes of tofu floating in the soup are usually silken tofu.

It’s creamy with a custard-like texture.

Unlike regular tofu, it hasn’t had any water pressed out.

And it’s sold in shelf-stable aseptic boxes.

My favorite brand is Mori-Nu Silken Tofu. 

The hermetically sealed boxes keep the tofu protected from spoiling. And they will last unopened in your pantry for a whole year.

Besides using silken tofu in this cold tofu salad recipe, it’s wonderful in desserts, smoothies, and sauces.

And you can also cook with it in recipes like Brown Rice Stir Fry or Tofu Scramble.

In addition, my friend Mel uses it to make an Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce, which is really creamy without using any nuts. 

Silken Tofu Salad ingredients

 

You will need the following ingredients for this recipe:

• Ume plum vinegar (umeboshi vinegar)
• Toasted sesame oil
• Mori-Nu Silken Tofu
• Cherry or grape tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Avocado
• Toasted sesame seeds

 Silken tofu comes in different textures: soft, firm, and extra firm.

For this easy tofu salad recipe, you can choose whichever texture you prefer.

I usually use firm or extra firm because it’s easier to cube, but this is purely for aesthetics rather than taste.

So when you open the box to remove the tofu, don’t worry if some of the tofu has crumbled.

It will still taste delicious even if it’s not cut into perfect cubes.

And if you’ve never tried ume plum vinegar (also known as umeboshi vinegar), you’re in for a treat.

It’s tangy and salty, and a little bit goes a long way.

Please note that if you are on a low-sodium diet, you can substitute rice wine vinegar in place of the ume plum vinegar.

Easy to make in minutes

 

To make this salad, all you need to do is combine the cubed tofu with cherry or grape tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado.

Then the simple two-ingredient dressing is drizzled on top, along with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

I recommend you eat this salad right away since it will get soggy if it’s made in advance.

Silken Tofu Salad is wonderful as a light lunch or as a starter with other Asian-inspired dishes.

Silken Tofu Salad Recipe

 

This recipe makes one serving as a meal.

Or you can divide it up and serve it as a refreshing starter.

It goes well with other Asian-inspired dishes such as Coconut Jasmine Rice and Marinated Asparagus Spears.

And even though Silken Tofu Salad features Japanese ingredients and flavors, it’s a wonderful choice as part of a plant-based Mediterranean diet.

After all, tofu is made from crushed soybeans, and beans are a staple of the Mediterranean diet.

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!