Tofu and Herb Salad With Sesame

Published Jan. 8, 2020

Tofu and Herb Salad With Sesame
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(227)
Comments
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Tender sweet herbs are the foundation of this lovely, delicate salad that’s dressed with a creamy yogurt sauce flavored with sesame, lime juice, ginger and green chile for kick. Feel free to use any combination of the herbs mentioned in the recipe, though you could also incorporate large leaves of butter lettuce. Topped with cool cubes of soft tofu, this dish is a very flavorful and refreshing first course or light lunch. 

Featured in: A January Dinner Party That Doesn’t Deprive

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • ¼cup white sesame seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
  • 3tablespoons lime juice
  • 1teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1teaspoon finely chopped green chile
  • 2teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1teaspoon soy sauce
  • ¾cup plain yogurt (not Greek-style)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2cups watercress sprigs
  • 1cup Italian parsley leaves
  • ½cup cilantro sprigs
  • 1cup mixed herbs, such as whole tarragon leaves, whole or torn mint or basil leaves, chervil sprigs, snipped dill and slivered shiso
  • 2cups thinly sliced cucumber (from 1 large cucumber)
  • 1(14-ounce) package silken or soft tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Black or white sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

125 calories; 8 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 422 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the sauce: In a small bowl, put ground sesame seeds, lime, ginger, chile, sesame oil and soy sauce. Add yogurt and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. (If necessary, thin with a little water.) Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    On individual plates, arrange watercress, parsley and cilantro, then the mixed herbs. Scatter cucumber slices here and there. Top with the tofu cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Drizzle sauce over each plate, and garnish with sesame seeds, if desired.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
227 user ratings
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Comments

A solid 10. Modified based on what I had-butter lettuce instead of watercress. 2x parsley as no cilantro. Lots of mint & basil (it’s a salad so need to measure). Think I could have used tahini instead of roasting & grinding sesame seeds for same taste in less time. Baked tofu cubes to try (unsuccessfully) to disguise from spouse. So I happily ate his tofu!

Everyone thought this was interesting but no one actually liked it. I don't think the silken tofu really works in a salad.

Silken tofu is actually better for soups- For salads, I would prefer fried tofu. The combination with the herbs and sesame is a great idea. Thank you!

These are all the flavors I normally love, but it was too sour for my taste. The limes overpowered everything in the dressing.

I used Greek yogurt bc it’s all I had and lo and behold, the dressing was too sour. Added about 1 teaspoon of honey and it did the trick to balance the flavors!

I made this for lunch. I used frisée instead of water cress and doubled the silken tofu to add more protein. I boiled the tofu in some salted water to make it a bit firmer before cutting it into cubes. My herbs of choice were dill, tarragon, and Thai basil. It was delicious.

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