Bread Box

Spicy Tofu Salad

Posted by Crumb, Ink. Lillian Yin, RD on

Spring is here in rainy Vancouver – yes, that means we’ve had a stretch of beautiful sun! In other words, no time for lengthy cooking sessions… I’m out on the mountains and soaking up the sun. It just so happens to be the midst of Nutrition Month.

So I’m here to introduce you to a spice – the Szechuan Peppercorn, or ‘Chinese Coriander’. It is commonly used in Chinese, Tibetan, Nepali and Indian cuisine. The pepper’s unique aroma and flavour is neither hot nor pungent like black, white or chilli peppers. Instead, it is endowed with lemony overtones and creates a tingly, numbing sensation in the mouth. In Chinese cuisine, recipes call for toasting the small pods in heated oil to capture the aromatic flavours and removing the strong peppercorns from the actual recipe as they can be very gritty in texture. Also would like to hype up all the different ways you could use tofu. A lean source of protein; it can be found as a milk beverage, pressed as tofu cubes and in so many other forms. A less commonly known form is ‘tofu noodles’: tofu curds pressed and cut into long strands.

Here’s a quick and easy one for you – to discovering culture and flavours!

Spicy Tofu Salad

MAKES: 3 Portions (Approximately 4 cups)
PREPARATION TIME:  7 MINUTES. COOK TIME: 3 MINUTES.
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EQUIPMENT: PAN, OVEN, MEASURING SPOON, CUTTING BOARD AND KNIFE

Ingredients

  • 270g Soya Bean Curd Strips 
  • 2 Carrots, Thinly Sliced 
  • 2 Celery Stalks, Thinly Sliced 
  • 2 Stalks Green Onion, Thinly Sliced at a Diagonal Angle
  • 1 Tbsp Dark Vinegar 
  • 1 Tsp Soya Sauce
  • 1/2 Tsp Chilli Oil 
  • 1/2 Tsp Szechuan Peppercorn 
  • 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil  

Method

  1. Heat sesame oil in a pan with Szechuan peppercorn until bubbling. Allow to sizzle for 30 seconds and remove from heat. using a slated spoon or fork, remove Szechuan peppercorn from oil. 
  2. Mix vinegar, soya sauce and chilli oil into peppercorn infused sesame oil. 
  3. Meanwhile run soybean curd through hot water to rinse. Drain and set aside. 
  4. Mix sliced carrots and celery into soyabean curd strips and mix. Keep in fridge until serving. 
  5. When ready to serve, drizzle dressing and toss until mixed. 

Nutritional Facts

Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories: 150 kcal
Fat: 13 g
Carbohydrates: 7.5 g
Fiber: 1.5 g
(Net Carbohydrate: 6 g)
Protein: 13 g

A source of:

Fat
Potassium
Vitamin A
Calcium
Protein

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