Thai Salad with Seared Tofu and Peanut Dressing

This Thai salad with peanut dressing features savory seared tofu, which turns it into a complete meal. Ready in 40 minutes!

I’ve never been the type of person to throw lettuce and other raw veg in a bowl and call it a meal. (If you’re familiar with me and my recipes, you probably already know this). I just don’t like cold/raw food and am rarely satisfied by just salad. Unless it’s very hot out, of course, and even then, it’s not salad that I crave but something more substantial like sushi or peanut noodles.

Nevertheless, on a recent and particularly humid Sunday, Rene and I found ourselves at a new-to-us Thai restaurant here in Brooklyn. In an atypical turn of events, I ordered their “Thai Salad” instead of my usual pad see ew. It had lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, tofu, and peanut sauce. The salad was cold, refreshing, but still filling. Surprisingly, I thoroughly enjoyed the combo, so I made a note to recreate it at home and here we are.

What’s In This Salad

This salad has the typical “garden salad” base of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and fresh herbs. Then you’ve got spiced seared tofu and a rich peanut dressing on top.

The high protein content of tofu and peanut butter make this salad satisfying; the healthy fats from peanuts help in that department, too. I absolutely love the contrast of the cold vegetables with the warm, chewy tofu and creamy sauce. This dish kinda has gado-gado vibes and lends itself to endless interpretation (substitution ideas below).

Disclaimer: I’m far from an expert on Thai food, have never been to Thailand, and can’t find any evidence online that something like this is actually eaten there. So for my intents and purposes, this is just inspired by a single restaurant meal.

How to Make This Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing

The Tofu: Start by draining and pressing a block of extra firm tofu. (Pressing tofu before cooking – i.e. weighing it down for ~15 minutes to expel excess moisture – helps it get brown and crispy, and gives it a chewier texture.) Then slice it up, season it, and pan-fry until golden brown. The smoked paprika-garlic powder spice blend gives this tofu a savory, smoky flavor. (For more on searing tofu, watch my IGTV tutorial!)

The Sauce: While the tofu’s happening, make the peanut dressing by combining peanut butter with lemon/lime juice, soy sauce, Thai curry paste, a bit of sweetener, fresh garlic, and ginger. This all-purpose sauce is rich and nutty, tangy, and spicy thanks to the curry paste. A drop of maple syrup (or honey or date syrup) balances out the salty-tanginess and makes the sauce taste complete.

The Onion: If you don’t love the pungency of raw red onions, soak them in a bowl of cold water for ~10 minutes before adding to the salad.

The Vegetables: Once the tofu and sauce are ready, all that’s left is dividing the veg among bowls and adding the tofu and sauce on top.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Tofu: Since a lot of soy crops in the US are genetically modified, look for tofu that’s labeled organic and non-GMO (like Nasoya).
• Lettuce: Get whatever mild crunchy lettuce looks best at the store that day, whether it’s romaine, little gem, green/red leaf, etc. Stay away from kale and arugula for this Thai-inspired dish.
• Tomatoes: Vine, roma, and cherry tomatoes all work well here.
• Cucumbers: Kirby, Persian, or English cucumbers are all fair game.
• Other vegetables: Bell peppers, carrots, cabbage, or radishes would all be fun additions here.
• Peanut butter: Be sure to use natural peanut butter – the only ingredient should be peanuts (and maybe salt). Avoid peanut butter with any additives like oils, sugars, or emulsifiers.
• Thai curry paste: Sold in most supermarkets these days, this chili condiment adds heat, fragrance, and umami. If you don’t have any, you can skip it in this recipe and just add a splash of hot sauce if you want.

Make-Ahead Tips

Both the tofu and peanut dressing are meal-prepable; make them in advance and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Hold off on chopping the vegetables until day-of.

More recipes with tofu…

• Tofu “Fish” Tacos with Mushrooms and Guacamole
• Saag Paneer-Inspired Collard Greens and Tofu
• Meal Prep Tofu
• Vegan Nicoise Salad

If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with #TheNewBaguette and @thenewbaguette on Instagram.

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