Today’s recipe of summer salad with silken tofu is a breeze to make and very refreshing to eat. The hotter it gets the less inclined I am to spend time in my kitchen and so this relentless (and completely unseasonal!! It’s only May…) heat we have been having lately compelled me to create this delicious no cook salad.
The idea behind this summer salad was to create something nourishing yet no cook and full of protein as I am weight training like it’s nobody’s business 🙂 . Okay, I did break my own rule of no cooking but cooking my broccoli for the total of two minutes, but you totally don’t have to. I included broccoli as they belong to the famously good for dark green cruciferous vegetables, they are rich in plant protein and I like them, but you can either eat them raw (just make sure to slice them very thinly) or if replace them with a no cook ingredient of choice. I would go for thinly shaved sweetheart cabbage or massaged and thinly chopped kale!
Aside from broccoli, this summer salad is jam packed with green, good for you veggies: hydrating cucumber, healthy fats avocado, protein rich edamame beans and fibre rich and deliciously sweet tasting sugar snap peas. This green medley gets topped with a slab of delicate silken tofu, which acts as a creamy ingredient, lashings of addictive peanut sauce, crunchy peanuts and savoury spring onions. I love this combination and it eats so well in the heat too! I hope you’ll enjoy and much as we have!
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
SILKEN TOFU: Silken tofu is creamy and custardy, which makes it a perfect match with crunchy vegetables that make up this summer salad. It is also a fantastic source of plant protein and can be eaten straight out of a packet – perfect for when a heatwave strikes. My favourite brand is Clearspring as it has a mild taste, but any brand you like the taste of will work.
PEANUT BUTTER: I used crunchy peanut butter to make the dressing more substantial and rich in plant protein. I used dark roast because that’s the type of peanut butter I enjoy the most. If you are allergic to peanuts, use almond butter or tahini if allergic to all nuts.
CHILLI OIL: I added a bit of chilli oil (known as chilli crisp in the US, I think) to the dressing for texture and flavour and drizzled some more on the salad as well. The chilli oil I used is rather mild (peanut RAYU from a company called WHITE MAUSU), but if yours is on the spicer side, tread carefully – adjust the amount to your level of tolerance.
BROCCOLI: Broccoli is a type of dark green cruciferous vegetables, which we are being told to eat every day so I like it include it often. It’s also packed with plant protein and I simply like it when prepared right. I tend to cook it briefly so that it’s tender but still has a bit of a resistance but you can also eat it raw if you would rather not put your stove on at all. If eating raw, be sure to slice your broccoli (whether you use tenderstem variety or regular) very thinly. You could also replace it with another no cook vegetable like thinly shaved sweetheart / hispi cabbage for example.
AVOCADO: Avocado is a source of healthy fats and adds delicious creaminess to this simple salad.
CUCUMBER: Cucumber is such a quintessentially summery vegetable, fresh and hydrating. I used four baby cucumbers for looks but regular cucumber is absolutely fine.
EDAMAME: Edamame (young soy beans) are of the plant foods that is richest in protein and they are delicious to eat so I include them in as many dishes as I can. You can buy them cooked in well stocked supermarkets these days, but if that’s proving difficult you could buy a pack of frozen edamame and cook them yourself. I like to cook a large portion in advance and add them to my food throughout the week. Once cooked, they keep for about 3-4 days.
SUGAR SNAP PEAS: Sugar snap peas are so great, they are fresh and sweet and remind me of being a kid and eating them straight from the plant. I love including them in salads like these. If you cannot find them, mangetout also known as snow peas would be a good replacement too. Just as sugar snap peas, mangetout can be eaten raw as well. I would recommend slicing them thinly for easier digestion.
PEANUTS: Every good dish needs a mixture of textures for a truly satisfying experience. While this summer has an abundance of textures, crunchy roasted peanuts add another level of texture for a perfect bite.
SPRING ONIONS: Spring onions or scallions add a note of subtle savouriness to this summer salad. I only used dark green parts of this vegetable, but you can include the entire thing if you prefer a headier oniony flavour.
DRESSING
- 60 g / 4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter (I like dark roast)
- 10 ml / 2 tsp soy sauce (or tamari if GF)
- 10 ml / 2 tsp maple syrup
- 10-15 ml / 2-3 tsp vinegar, I used black vinegar
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp chilli crisp / chilli oil* + more to drizzle
SUMMER SALAD
- 200 g / 7 oz tenderstem broccoli (optional)
- 150 g / 5 oz cooked edamame beans
- 1 small cucumber
- ½ ripe avocado
- 100 g / 3.5 oz sugar snap peas
- 300 g / 10.5 oz silken tofu (I like Clearspring)
- 30 g / large handful of toasted peanuts
- black sesame seeds, to decorate
- green tops of a couple spring onions / scallions, to decorate
- Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add a small splash of water (about 2 tbsp) while whisking to loosen the dressing up a bit.
- If using broccoli (you can eat tenderstem broccoli raw when sliced thinly or to replace it with a no cook ingredient like thinly sliced sweetheart cabbage) bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cut thick broccoli stems into half vertically and then cut all of the broccoli into 4 cm / 1.5 inch segments. Boil for 2 minutes, drain then plunge into cold water to preserve its vibrant colour.
- Cube cucumber and avocado, top and tail your sugar snap peas and cut into 3 on the diagonal, chop peanuts roughly and slice green spring onion tops thinly.
- Drain your silken tofu, then remove the packaging carefully. Gently wrap the tofu block in a piece of paper towel to get rid of excess moisture. Once blotted well, slice it into thick slices or cubes.
- Combine all of the veggies on a large plate or divide between individual plates. Top with sliced tofu, drizzle with peanut sauce and extra chilli oil if desired. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and spring onions, enjoy immediately.