In my attempts to eat healthier when not dining out, I have been trying to think of filling vegetarian dishes to make at home. Because of deadlines and pure laziness, 7 out of the last 8 meals I made at home was farfalle with cherry tomatoes and olives. And as much as I love pasta, and this oh-so-fragrant Palestinian olive oil Jacob brought back from his last trip to NYC, my stomach was crying out for a change.
I love that in China every market has no less than 5 or 6 kinds of tofu available, ranging from the silky soft kind you steam to extra extra firm bits meant for braising. For this Caramelized Tofu and Almond Salad Bowl, you can use either regular extra firm tofu blocks (the kind usually found in supermarkets in the States) or drier tofu skin squares (China or Chinatown.) Just cook the latter for a few minutes longer.
The caramelized sauce that results from sautéing the tofu in this recipe ends up being a delicious dressing for the salad. Vegetable-wise, I used a very basic mix of lettuce and shredded carrots, but you can also add mushrooms, sprouts, edamame, etc. for variety.
So easy, so filling.
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More Chinese tofu recipes to try:
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Caramelized Tofu and Almond Salad Bowl
Serves 2
A few handfuls of shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
1 handful shredded or julienned carrots
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
8 ounces (about half a block) extra firm tofu sliced into 1-inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
Salt to taste
Toss together lettuce and carrots (and other optional vegetables.) Divide into two bowls and set aside.
In a wok or large skillet, heat cooking oil. Sauté, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and water; bring mixture to simmer while stirring to break up the sugar pieces and avoid scorching. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced, and salt to taste. Remove tofu and sauce and divide between the two lettuce bowls. Top with chopped almonds and serve.
I really cannot wait to try this recipe. I love finding new things to do with tofu. Yum.
Wow… this recipe sounds fantastic! There is really nothing better than caramelized sugar :) I’m am going to have to try this someday… thanks for sharing it!
will definitely make this asap.
Love this combination. It’s so refreshing, and so easy. Are you referring to dou gan when you say the drier tofu skin squares? Or dou fu pi?
Cookingpanda, I used dou gan. Thanks for reminding me that I should be more diligent about putting in Chinese characters and pinyin. :)
Wow. That’s a really interesting way of making tofu that I’ve never heard of before, but it sounds delicious!
I found this post via tastespotting and decided to make it for dinner this evening. Delicious! This is going in my “save” folder– thanks for sharing!
Did you mean 3 teaspoons of brown sugar? I used 3 tablespoons as written and it was incredibly sweet- I had to douse it with with sriracha to counter balance haha.. Love the idea though!
The Kitchen Radio – Yes, thanks so much for pointing that out! Sorry about the mix-up…now fixed!