Five-Spice Tofu and Mixed Vegetable Salad
1 min readBring this tasty northern-style cold salad (liang cai) to your next picnic or potluck.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Chinese chili paste, or to taste
1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon peanut oil
8 ounces packaged flavored baked five-spice tofu or Baked Five-Spice Seasoned Tofu or packaged smoked tofu, cut into thin strips
1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), julienned
1 medium cucumber (about 8 ounces), seeded and julienned
1 medium red bell pepper (about 6 ounces), cut into thin strips
2 stalks Chinese celery or regular celery (cut regular celery lengthwise in half), cut into thin 2-inch lengths
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, chili paste, sugar, salt, and pepper; set aside. In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu, zucchini, cucumber, red bell pepper, celery, and scallions and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until vegetables are just softened. Remove from heat and add the dressing, tossing well to combine. Let cool to room temperature before tossing again and serving at room temperature. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours or up to 1 day and serve chilled, or return to room temperature.
{PER SERVING} Calories 148 • Protein 7g • Total Fat 10g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 11g • Dietary Fiber 4g • Sodium 477mg
