Snap Pea, Tofu and Herb Salad With Spicy Peanut Sauce 

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published May 28, 2024

Snap Pea, Tofu and Herb Salad With Spicy Peanut Sauce 
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(375)
Notes
Read community notes

When the season gifts us sweet, juicy sugar snap (or snow) peas, use them raw in this textural salad. Slicing them in half diagonally not only unlocks their innate crispness, but also allows the inner peas to spill out, creating more texture. This salad is brazenly herb forward, and offers an excellent way to use up any leftover bundles in your fridge; mint, cilantro or basil can be used singularly or as a mix. The two-ingredient dressing is the simplest, and possibly tastiest, peanut sauce you’ll ever make: Peanut butter is whisked together with chile crisp and loosened with boiling water, which helps encourage it to emulsify, creating a smooth, creamy and intensely savory sauce. Looking for another shortcut? You can even skip pan-frying and use store-bought pre-baked firm tofu.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1(14- to 16-ounce) package of extra-firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into ½-inch slices
  • Salt and pepper
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼cup creamy peanut butter, stirred
  • 1tablespoon chile crisp (or more for more heat)
  • ¼cup boiling water
  • 12ounces sugar snap peas or snow peas, trimmed and sliced diagonally in half
  • 2scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 2cups mint, cilantro, basil or Thai basil (or a mix of all), large leaves torn
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

254 calories; 16 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 572 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

    Lay the tofu out on a cutting board and scatter with salt and pepper.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil then place the tofu, seasoned side down, onto the hot surface. Drizzle the top of the tofu with a little more oil and season with a little more salt and pepper. Cook until the bottom is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over and cook the other side until golden, another 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

  3. Step 3

    To a medium bowl, add the peanut butter and chile crisp. Pour in the boiling water and whisk to combine. If it is too thick, add more room temperature water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is smooth and pourable. Season with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    When the tofu is cool, slice lengthwise into thin strips.

  5. Step 5

    Place the sugar snap peas into a large bowl. Add the tofu, scallions and herbs. Drizzle over half of the peanut sauce and toss to coat. Taste, season well with salt and pepper, and toss again. To finish, drizzle with the remaining peanut sauce, olive oil and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
375 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Rita

Really delicious. I added a bit of butter lettuce, and used all the herbs - mint, basil, and cilantro. I arranged the veggies and tofu on a platter, drizzled with juice of half a lime, olive oil, and sea salt, and then drizzled the peanut sauced over the whole thing (rather than tossing). It looked pretty and tasted fresh and good. Next time I will chop up some roasted peanuts to scatter on top.

Bri

We LOVED this!! Delicious vegan summer main! I used a combo of sugar snap peas and snow peas because of what was available at the store. For herbs I did basil and mint. And after taste testing the sauce (and a quick check of the comments), I added lime juice and soy sauce, and garnished with chopped peanuts. Served with buckwheat soba noodles. A total hit! Will be making again!!

Dagmar

So good! A perfect summertime dinner, fresh and satisfying. The only change I made was adding a ½ teaspoon of brown sugar to the peanut sauce, because my peanut butter was unsweetened. Used cilantro and mint, but would make again using whatever herbs are in the crisper. This will be on repeat at ours all summer long!

Kathleen

Really easy and good. Made it with leftover chicken instead of tofu and added whole wheat spaghetti. I thought it needed a dash of rice vinegar, which really perked it up.

Tori

We served it with soba noodles to make it last a bit longer and doubled the sauce (+ more water because it was gloopy). Nice quick, summery meal. We'll make it again.

Lilly

I loved this!! I used TJ’s crunchy chile & onion oil and it was fab. Only had 8oz of snap peas, and I had half of this for lunch, which has 28g of vegetarian protein so yay! Next time I’m going to try that lime squeeze and maybe crunchy PB or peanuts for even more texture.

Stephanie

Swapped Almond butter for Peanut (my taste preference) and added 1/2 of a lime juice to the sauce. Added in a handful of green chard to the herb mix and served over rice. This is AWESOME!! Came together so quickly!

Dorothy

Truly delicious. We made the welcome addition of some sliced mini cucumber. Definitely brightened the dish, and added some body and cool freshness.

Bill G

Helps to thin the sauce to get good coverage. Think “dressing.” I also made more sauce/ dressing than the recipe calls for. Otherwise seemed sparse.

wendy

Added millet noodles, lime, peanuts, sesame seeds and a dash of soy! Wonderful ..oh and seared the peas a bit

Karen Cooper

Love this recipe. Make 1.5 to 2 times the peanut sauce, and I like it a bit thinner as well. Also, I like to use smoked or sri racha tofu or a mix.

Pennie

I don't remake thiings often, always trying something new..made this 3 times so far...I added some minced garlic and ginger to the sauce, t was yummy, and also adds medicinal value to it!!

Kathleen

Really easy and good. Made it with leftover chicken instead of tofu and added whole wheat spaghetti. I thought it needed a dash of rice vinegar, which really perked it up.

K

Also added chopped peanuts to the top! And sesame seeds to the tofu when cooking.

AF

Really great effort to deliciousness ratio. The dish may not be extraordinary, but on a hot night after a day at work it’s hard to beat for flavor, texture and speed. I serving it on top of cold soba noodles to round it out and that was really good. Vermicelli would also be great I think. Will definitely make again this summer.

Anne

Great for hot summer nights. Made with extra shortcut of already marinated sesame ginger tofu from the vegan section of supermarket, also added juice from half a lime filling the comments. Had all 3 herbs. Anyway, delicious.

Gene

Peanut sauce works well. Added maple syrup to sweeten. Sugar snaps were tough. Maybe snow peas would work better. Chop herbs fine for Lynda

Joyce

Yummmm! Delicious! Leave it to HLK for another wonderful recipe, easy and tasty beyond the effort. Baked the tofu until crispy, and added a bit of lime and left some of the snap peas undressed for added crunch. Placed all over quinoa. The dressing is brilliant, so tasty and easy! A new go-to dish for us.

Judy H-M

To make the dish more mild, I tend to start with 1/4 of the hotter spice and then I see if a small amount triggers the reflux. Often I can tolerate enough to give the dish flavor but not enough to trigger reflux,

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