Hello. I’m thinking of adding tofu to my daily salad for some variety, and I’m wondering how folks here might recommend I dress it up? Baked? Fried? Marinated?
I really like the method in Samin Nosrats new book. It’s a 10 min marinate in liquid aminos then she recommends pan frying but I pop it into my breville smart oven set to air fry for about 10 mins on 400 and it’s a delightful skin on the outside and creamy inside but keeps its structure. I use firm tofu.
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If you want something super quick, just sprinkle furikake over it.
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I would recommend you season it and cook it some way with some type of sauce. Terikayki, soy sauce, other flavors.
For example, pat or drain dry, optional toss in flour or cornstarch and pan sear high to create crust add a mixture of sugar gochugaru, gochujang and sesame oil/seeds. Leave in fridge and put on salad as needed
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A Japanese dish: butadofu. A stir fry with pork, tofu, miso.
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Before anything, not all tofu is of equal quality. Meiji is my fav and it’s a local family-owned business. Most expensive, though. You can find it at Japanese supermarkets and fancy suprettes, like Cookbook.
Mapo Tofu is a great dish and can be made with/without meat.
If it is Meiji tofu, I like to keep it simple:
- soy sauce and chopped green onion
- sesame oil (make sure it’s an aromatic one) and salt
- warmed in dashi; you can get instant dashi teabags at Japanese supermarkets
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OP is asking for suggestions about jazzing up a salad.
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Pork stir fry over shredded cabbage and daikon radish coins.
I live in CA, many local restaurants offer cooked protein toppings for salads.
Bitadofu offers two proteins with a miso sauce as a dressing.
Indeed am, but an idea here or there that may not directly translate to a salad topping is also fine. 
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Then don’t get me started, because I have more tofu recipes than you can shake a stick at.
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Ooh, are there ones that you think keep particularly well in the fridge and don’t need re-heating (partner tries to go veg when possible, so more tofu ideas that can be “mass prepped” are great)???
Let’s hear em!
If you get the extra firm you can shred it. The baked tofu you get at the Chinese markets are easy just sliced it up since it’s already seasoned
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I don’t have an air fryer, so I bake it. I use Momofuku or Sun Noodle soup bases as my marinade. Banchans is also good.
Another great add to salads are Yuba Noodles. I get mine at Whole Foods from Hodo. They are so good with Kewpie sesame dressing.
Finally, I always buy Meiji Tofu and use a Tofu Press to get it super nice and firm for baking and crisping. I have this press. It’s amazing.
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Yep! I get the marinaded tofu from 99 Ranch in Torrance (the newer one). It’s a must when I make hot and sour soup.
Also Nijaya in Little Tokyo sells this amazing block of Agadashi Tofu. Just the fried Tofu. It’s one of my favorite adds to the Sun Noodles Miso Ramen Kit.
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I like firm tofu frozen and defrosted for a different, spongy, texture. I rarely see that at restaurants.
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For salads, I’d get firm or extra-firm, dice it or cut it into strips, and marinate it.
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