Asian Tofu and Veggie Salad

-LW

Very loosely adapted from this recipe on Allrecipes:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tofu-salad/

This bright salad is great as a healthy light meal. I also like to bring it as a side dish for summer cookouts, as its cool crunchy texture makes a great balanced side for grilled meat. As a bonus, the tofu also makes it relatively filling for vegetarians, who often get neglected at outdoor cooking events.

This is a very flexible recipe. You can use whatever fresh veggies you have around, like bell peppers, radishes, edamame, carrots, etc. Just make sure you get the firmest tofu you can find and press the water out of it very well, or the tofu will crumble into bits instead of staying in cubes.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons grated ginger

I package extra-firm tofu (14 oz.)

1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half (the flatter snow peas would also work, but I might julienne them instead)

1 cup grated carrot

3 cups grated red cabbage (or coleslaw mix)

2 green onions, sliced

1 orange or yellow bell pepper, sliced and cut in thirds

1/3 c. cilantro, chopped

1/3 cup peanuts, chopped

Directions
Drain tofu, cut the block in half length-wise and wrap the pieces in a double layer of paper towels. Sandwich between two cutting boards and weigh down with something heavy like a book or pot. After 10 minutes, replace the paper towels and repeat. Dice tofu into 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, mix soy sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, and ginger together in a large bowl. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the dressing in a separate bowl.

Toss tofu with dressing in large bowl, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 min. to 1 hour.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and toss to combine. Season with reserved dressing to taste.