This Sesame-Crusted Tofu Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing is wonderful for either lunch or dinner! It’s a hearty vegetarian meal that can easily be made vegan by swapping out the honey in the dressing. This tofu salad recipe has so much flavor, even meat-lovers will enjoy it!
I love tofu and am always taken aback when I hear people dismissing it as something just for vegetarians. I recently read a great article from Food52 titled ‘In Defense of Tofu’ that sums up what a versatile ingredient it can be.
Well-pressed tofu that has been marinated and pan fried with a flavorful sauce is a wonderful, healthy, inexpensive way to enjoy dinner.
The key is to have well-pressed tofu, something that can be a bit of a pain.
I don’t do a lot of product reviews these days. I pretty much have everything I need in the kitchen so I turn down a lot of offers.
But once in awhile something comes along that I think is really cool. And if *I* think it’s cool, I hope that means you’ll find it interesting as well. When Ben from EZ Tofu Press contacted me about doing a review and giveaway I was immediately intrigued. This was a something I could really use.
Below is a phone picture taken last year demonstrating how I used to press the water out of tofu. I referred to it as “The Leaning Tower of Tofu.”
Occasionally dishes would come crashing down. Paper towels were wasted and the process could take over an hour. Compare that with this photo taken a few days ago where I used the EZ Tofu Press:
I think this is such a cool, sturdy gadget. It’s incredibly effective and I can’t believe I’d never used something like it in the past. The tofu is completely pressed in less than 15 minutes and no paper towels are wasted.
It’s dishwasher friendly, which I always appreciate. I used the pressed tofu to prepare a recipe for Sesame Crusted Tofu Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing which you’ll find below.
The pressed tofu really absorbed the marinade beautifully and the final results were exactly what I was hoping for; a crunchy sesame exterior with a dense, tasty tofu.
Can you make this dish without the EZ Tofu Press? Certainly, but this tool makes the entire process easier, faster and less wasteful.
Sesame Crusted Tofu Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
Marinated sesame tofu:
- 1 block extra firm tofu, packed in water
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
Spicy peanut dressing:
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon honey (use light agave nectar for vegan)
- 1 tablespoon water
Additional ingredients:
- 3-4 cups mixed salad greens
- 3-4 tablespoons roasted unsalted peanuts
- 3-4 tablespoons scallions, sliced thin
Instructions
- Press as much water out of the tofu as possible. Slice into square cubes.
- Add the garlic, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes and cubed tofu to a large plastic bag (do not add the sesame seeds or dressing ingredients). Seal and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.
- While the tofu is marinating, whisk together the spicy peanut dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Mix together the toasted and black sesame seeds in a small bowl. Dredge each piece of tofu in the sesame seeds (I only dredged two sides).
- Heat a large nonstick pan over medium low heat. You can add a small amount of oil or cooking spray but the sesame oil in the marinade should prevent sticking. Add the tofu and allow it to brown a bit before flipping sides. Periodically swirl the tofu around and keep an eye on the heat to make sure the sesame seeds don't burn. It should take several minutes per side.
- Serve the tofu over mixed greens. Top each salad plate with peanuts and scallions to taste (1-2 tablespoons each per salad is a good estimate).
- Drizzle spicy peanut dressing over salad and serve.
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
Disclaimer: I was compensated for creating a recipe to use with the EZ Tofu Press. As always, all opinions are my own!
This IS cool. I do the same thing when pressing tofu. The sesame crust sounds amazing!
Tofu stir fry
LOVE this! How did you know that I am OBSESSED with tofu? I just never get a chance to cook it now that Jason’s home!
Hi Jen! I love tofu and I was totally captivated by your beautiful tofu salad photo. I marinated two blocks of tofu according to your recipe and prepared the salad for dinner tonight. I tell you, it was absolutely amazing! The spicy peanut sauce and the fried marinated tofu with the toasted sesame seeds are so yummy I didn’t have to add peanuts and scallions on top. Well done both on the photography and recipe! Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed it to the fullest!
Thank you for the kind words and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This looks so yummy! I’m always on the lookout for new tofu recipes and I love sesame seeds :) I agree, I think people are missing out if they won’t try tofu!
Wow, this looks gorgeous! Sadly, I am allergic to sesame seeds but I’d love to try it anyway with a substitute :)
Thanks for sharing a link to my tofu recipe. Yours looks delicious! That peanut sauce… mmmmm.
This is a great recipe, thanks! I’m eating more tofu lately and you can make it taste like anything! Hurray!
I eat tofu all the time. How did I not know about the tofu press…or this amazing recipe. I cannot wait to make this for my family. We’re all tofu lovers!
oh my gawd! I can’t believe there is a contraption that does this!!! ?? crazy awesome. . I also spend way too long trying to do this with paper towels all the time . . you need to do a giveaway for this!!! thanks for the product review!
Tofu is such a versatile product – I love using it! This recipe looks great : )
Jen, I got so excited with this recipe that I bought the tofu press online and got it shipped all the way to Australia! And it was totes worth it: the press is great and your recipe is amazing! This was clearly the best thing I’ve cooked in a long time. The peanut sauce is to die for: I’m thinking about serving it with noodles. Thanks heaps for the recipe!