No! I am not going to state the obvious. I will say that doing this supplement to the regular midweek newsletter of The Vegan Atlas honestly helps me with my own meal planning. I’m finding that (what with the heat I wasn’t going to talk about) the fewer trips to the store, the better. I hope you feel the same.
I’m usually pretty spur of the moment when it comes to meal ideas. In between supermarket runs a large farm market affords plenty of opportunity to be spontaneous, depending on what produce looks great.
Let’s dive in with this week’s recipes. Plus, at the very end, a small and special perk.
Cool Cucumber and Kale Salad with Hot and Spicy Tofu
If you enjoy salads that are both hot and cold, you'll love this cool and refreshing cucumber and kale salad, topped with sriracha-sautéed tofu.
Featuring cool greens and raw vegetables layered with warm protein, it's a dish that can be enjoyed year-round. The sizzling tofu contrasts deliciously with the slaw-style salad.
Complete the meal: As a main-dish salad, you can serve this with fresh bread or sautéed potatoes or sweet potatoes. For a bigger meal, serve with soup or a pasta dish.
This recipe makes about 4 servings. For more tips and the printable recipe card, here’s the full post.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE TOFU
14-ounce tub extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon high-heat oil (like safflower)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave
1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha, or to taste
FOR THE SALAD
4 to 5 leaves curly kale
1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 head romaine lettuce, thinly shredded
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
A few sprigs cilantro or parsley, chopped, optional
Freshly ground pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the tofu into 6 slabs crosswise, then blot well between layers of paper towel or clean tea towel. Or, if you have a tofu press, press the tofu ahead of time before slicing. Either way, cut the slabs into small dice.
Heat the oil, soy sauce, and sriracha in a large skillet or stir-fry pan. Stir together, and when the mixture starts to bubble, add the tofu dice. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until most sides are nicely browned.
Stir in sriracha to taste. 1 teaspoon makes this mildly spicy, and you can go from there to your preferred level of heat. Remove from heat and cover.
For the salad, first strip the kale leaves off of the stems. Discard the stems, then cut the leaves into narrow ribbons. Put the kale into a mixing bowl.
Coat your palms with a little oil and massage the kale until it turns bright green and softens. This will take less than a minute.
Add the remaining salad ingredients to the bowl and stir together well. Arrange on a serving platter or in a shallow bowl.
If the tofu has cooled down at all, heat it up a bit. Arrange over the salad and serve at once.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Vegan Atlas to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.