Chilled Tofu with Scallions and Soy Sauce
I feel sorry for Tofu.
Because first of all, it was named “tofu.”
Can you think of a less sexy-sounding word than tofu?
I sure can’t.
And second of all, I feel sorry for tofu because it’s often written off as a tasteless health food for barefoot-in-the-grass hippie people.
But tofu is great.
…it is!!!
I eat this dish all the time in the summer and I swear it’s more refreshing than a popsicle on a hot day.
It’s simple, tasty, cold, and yes, it’s healthy!
Chilled Tofu with Scallions and Soy Sauce
Ingredients:
- 14oz block of soft or medium tofu (don’t use firm tofu here)
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp sriracha
Directions:
- Whisk to combine the scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Take a little taste and make any adjustments you want to suit your own tastes.
- Slice the tofu into squares and bathe the tofu in the asian dressing. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour so the tofu can absorb the flavors and also get super cold. Eat and enjoy! See? It’s good stuff!
All images and text ยฉ.
making this asap! I love finding a recipe and having all the ingredients already on hand!
YAY! I often eat a whole block of tofu by myself LOL. It’s simple but I just love it.
Haha. Okay, my first thought when this landed in my inbox: Ughhh tofu. Because I also think it’s tasteless hippie food — except for the buffalo tofu fingers that a local pizza places makes. Those are pretty tasty. But, soy sauce is one of my favorite things, and I can just imagine the salty, spicy flavor of this chilled dish. Sounds absolutely perfect for a hot summer night.
Definitely trying this out very soon; I love tofu, but it does present it’s challenges if you’re trying to interest the carnivores. This might just do it for my husband, though not my cat.
I have had tasteless tofu and I have had tofu prepared beautifully and full of flavor. It’s all about the sauce and preparation. Yours looks like it would be perfect.
Your photos and preparation have almost convinced me. ๐
By almost convince does that mean all sauce no tofu? ๐
I am making this ASAP too but don’t have a clue as to what the last ingredient is, sriracha, Help!
Hi Dottie, Sriracha is this stuff here. I’m sure you’ve seen it before and you should be able to get it at any grocery. If you want to do chile oil that would work too…I just think it’s needs a little heat and spice to make it more interesting.
Had to pin this one ‘cuz it looks so good … Happy Weekend ๐
I love tofu, cold, hot, fried, in soup. Such a great ingredient
Hello Joanne, I discovered your lovely blog through your guest post at Raymund’s blog
You have a wonderful space here and I look forward to following your upcoming posts.
I have to agree with you on tofu, I am ashamed to say I have never tried it before, everytime I reach for it in the supermarket I decide not to. I think I need to change that
Thanks so much! Haha tofu is scary at first, but I love the stuff when it’s done right! I think some people just need to get used to the texture, it can be strange when you first try it.
Tofu isn’t its only name, you know. In most Chinese dialects, the T is often pronounced as a D sound. ‘Dofu.’ Maybe not very sexy, either, but who cares?
Tofu is a wonderfully creamy delight that melts on your tongue, and will do wonders for your health. Moreso than the ignorant naysayers who refuse to try anything new.
Mm, mm, good. You make me crave tofu and that’s a tall order.
I love tofu … when I don’t make it. I have struggled with doing tofu right in my own kitchen for years! I love this super-easy take on making the stuff myself, and it sounds just absolutely delicious. Thanks!
I love Tufu, scallions and sesame seeds! I can just imagine the infused flavoring after chilling it all in the frig- BTW where can you get sriracha? Thanks for the recipe!
Yes, it’s delicious! Hm, I’ve seen sriracha at basically all the grocery stores in town, and I live in a small town. Have you checked the asian section? It’s got a rooster on it, here is the item on Amazon but you hopefully can find it in town.
Oh, also if you want to do chile oil you could do that instead of sriracha, though sriracha provides garlic and other flavors that chile oil doesn’t have. But the chile oil would give that nice heat.
I agree that tofu deserves more respect, and this recipe sounds wonderful to me!
Now this I can do today…oh it looks so good. I am crazy for tofu, it just absorbs everything.
Just made this for dinner…it was so delicious, I just happened to buy siracha sauce yesterday…heard Dr Oz rave about it….good stuff. I will be making this a lot.
Barry, I’m SO happy to hear this! Thanks for coming by to tell me. I love this tofu too…I’ve got some tofu in my fridge right now to make this, I just need to get some scallions. Happy cooking!
This kind of recipe makes me feel better just looking at it. What is it about scallions and rice vinegar that just makes me feel like my body is a temple (instead of a sugar and cheese holiday receptacle!). This would be a great contribution to this month’s Shine Supper Club–we’re getting back to sane eating (thank heavens!).
haha! It’s the opposite of when you stare at a piece of chocolate cake and feel like you gained five pounds, isn’t it? LOL. I’ll be sure to check out the supper club this month =)
Hi, Joanne! I’ve got to tell you, I’m a huge fan of tofu. I usually put it in cold soba salads, udon dishes and tucked away in other noodle pots, but I recently had it prepared in its simplest form. At Uncle, a momofuku-esque restaurant in Denver, they serve it chilled– and it was so delicious that I went online in search of a recipe. That’s when I found yours! I love the use of sriracha too. Please let me know if it’s okay to post a version of your creation on my blog, which would be properly credited and linked, of course! Thanks! -Batya
Hi Batya, I took a quick look at your blog, and your photos are so precious! You can post a version, just please make sure to rewrite the recipe completely in your own words and attribute by sharing a link back (but it already sounds like you know the protocol). Enjoy!
Thanks, Joanne! It’s up…and it was super tasty. Do you know if there is any tofu that’s smoother than soft tofu? Is that what silken is about? I hate to profess my lack of tofu-knowledge ๐ Thanks again!
I have some left over firm tofu in my fridge to use and would love to try this. You said not to use firm. What is the difference if I do? It looks very good!
Hi Jessica, you can certainly use the firm too, I just think the recipe is better suited for soft tofu. But go ahead and use the firm if that’s what you have and like =)
I make this recipe all the time and usually serve it with some steamed broccoli and rice. I’ve also switched to low sodium soy sauce and I actually like it more. And it doesn’t lack the soy sauce flavor at all. My roommate is Malaysian and she learned this from her mom. They would always wing it so I was so surprised to find your recipe online. It tastes almost exactly like when my roommate makes it! Thank you!
Hi Anna, I haven’t experimented much with low sodium soy sauce but it sounds like I should! Especially since the regular stuff is too salty sometimes. Thanks!
Thank you for this recipe, it is exactly what I was looking for.
Made this last night and it was wonderful! Thank you for an awesome recipe!
That’s fantastic, Danielle! So happy you enjoyed the tofu!
This recipe was AMAZING!! Thank-you- my only challenge will be not to eat it everyday. It satisfies all of the Asian-style flavors that I crave and enjoy so much.
YAY! Glad to hear it!
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