Tofu and Herb Salad With Sesame

Tofu and Herb Salad With Sesame
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(225)
Notes
Read community notes

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. 

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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.

Ratings

4 out of 5
225 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

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!

Excellent dressing. I whipped the salad together quickly so couldnt get exact greens ingredients but did spring/kale mix, cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, basil and mint with the cucumbers. Was delicious and refreshing.

We really enjoyed this salad. I thought the silken tofu worked well to make it more substantial, and to temper the sourness of the dressing. Would definitely make again.

Five stars only cause it’s so easy. And for same reason will make again. It’s yummy, but nothing blow your mind...what will bring me back is the simplicity.

fantastic recipe we omitted the yoghurt, because of an allergy- still very good. I thought the tofu worked really well, actually

There are many different greens in a Japanese supermarket, and none of the greens mentioned here. So I had to replace watercress, parsley, cilantro, and mixed herbs with what looked fresh and tempting. This was not a difficult task. I also had to replace lime juice with lemon juice. The end result was spectacular and certainly yummy. I complemented the dish with soft poached eggs, which added a nice touch.

Fry tofu Tahini instead of grinding

Delicious and delicate. I pretty much followed the directions as written, only lazily using tahini instead of grinding sesame seeds. Next time I will grind them, as I think the flavor will be a bit better. This salad made an excellent protein rich light lunch. I plan to make it again with different herb combinations.

I swapped out the watercress for a mix of spinach, baby kale, and clover sprouts. Don't think the sprouts added much and probably wouldn't use again. For the mixed herbs, I chose basil and mint. They really complemented the cucumber and the dish as a whole. I would make this again, especially if I had some tofu sitting around waiting to find a home. However, I'm also going to try subbing it out for grilled shrimp or calamari come summer. Can't recommend the dressing highly enough.

It's rare that I have nothing good to say about a recipe, but this was pretty awful. We followed the recipe as written and used herbs fresh from the garden, and the result was still bad. The tofu turned to mush, and the dressing overpowered everything other ingredient. There was really no texture at all. We were hoping this would be a nice, meat-free summer dinner, but it was a huge disappointment.

I swapped out the watercress for a mix of spinach, baby kale, and clover sprouts. Don't think the sprouts added much and probably wouldn't use again. For the mixed herbs, I chose basil and mint. They really complemented the cucumber and the dish as a whole. I would make this again, especially if I had some tofu sitting around waiting to find a home. However, I'm also going to try subbing it out for grilled shrimp or calamari come summer. Can't recommend the dressing highly enough.

Delicious and delicate. I pretty much followed the directions as written, only lazily using tahini instead of grinding sesame seeds. Next time I will grind them, as I think the flavor will be a bit better. This salad made an excellent protein rich light lunch. I plan to make it again with different herb combinations.

Loved it! I think the salad itself needs a bit of salt and pepper as well, the dressing alone doesn't do it. The soft tofu worked well for me though..crumbled into chunks it may look like mozzarella to inexperienced plant-based eaters LOL

Dressing was great - you can easily use any other herb/ lettuce mix depending on what you have on hand.

Fantastic, hearty, no-cook dinner for sweltering summer nights! Used tahini and rice wine vinegar for the addictive sauce that even the toddler enjoyed. Out of black sesame seeds, but pickled red chilies were a very pretty and delicious garnish!

After the first criticism by my husband “Too much lemon “ I made it with less lemon juice and it was a success.

There are many different greens in a Japanese supermarket, and none of the greens mentioned here. So I had to replace watercress, parsley, cilantro, and mixed herbs with what looked fresh and tempting. This was not a difficult task. I also had to replace lime juice with lemon juice. The end result was spectacular and certainly yummy. I complemented the dish with soft poached eggs, which added a nice touch.

I was skeptical, but tried it anyway. Glad I did. I had some fresh leafy carrot tops so I subbed those in and added basil, mint, cilantro and parsley. Used tahini in the dressing instead of the sesame seeds. Added the zest from the lime for extra liminess. Delicious compliment to the miso chicken and broth.

Fry tofu Tahini instead of grinding

I have used tofu in my salads when as a substitute for fresh mozzarella, which I dearly love but causes tremendous sinus headaches, I toss extra-firm tofu with a fresh spring-mix(sold by the plastic bin), drizzle olive oil, coarse salt and red pepper flakes.

fantastic recipe we omitted the yoghurt, because of an allergy- still very good. I thought the tofu worked really well, actually

Five stars only cause it’s so easy. And for same reason will make again. It’s yummy, but nothing blow your mind...what will bring me back is the simplicity.

Very pretty presentation and I loved this tahini-like dressing with the chili pepper zing! I decided to use firm tofu which I dipped in a tamari /agave sauce and then baked. The mint and spicy jalapeño can take over....

I agree with the users who say that silken tofu doesn't really work in a salad.

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