Asian Cabbage and Tofu Salad with Peanut Dressing

I use tofu in this salad and lightly pan fry it in grapeseed oil. I love the oil because it has a very mild flavor and a high smoke point (unlike olive oil) so it’s perfect to lightly and quickly pan fry something like tofu. If you’d rather bake the tofu or buy it pre-cooked, that’s fine too! While this salad is best eaten right away, I have had it for leftovers the next day and it’s held up just fine. The peanut dressing is dangerous stuff: it’s nice to make a little extra to have laying around to dip veggies or pita in for a late-night snack.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

4 cups napa cabbage, shredded

1o oz. package extra firm tofu

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced (1/2 cup)

1 large carrot, grated

4 green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

1 tsp. grape seed oil (to lightly pan fry tofu)

2 Tbsp. soy sauce, to marinate tofu (use gluten-free brand if this is a concern)

For Dressing:

3 Tbsp. smooth peanut butter

1 Tbsp. agave

3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. soy sauce (use gluten-free brand if this is a concern)

1 Tbsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. fresh ginger

t tsp. sesame seeds

Instructions

Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well combined.

Make the Salad: Slice tofu into long slices and lay flat in a bowl or shallow dish. Cover with simple marinade of soy sauce and let sit for at least 30 minutes. In a small sauce pan, heat grape seed oil and lightly pan fry tofu for about two minutes on each side. Place on paper towel to cool.

Once cool enough to handle, slice into thin strips. Next, toss the cabbage, bell pepper, carrots, sliced tofu, and green onions into a serving bowl and dress.