Sesame Spinach Tofu Salad 芝麻菠菜豆腐沙拉
I developed this recipe for a Jewish non profit organization focused on breast cancer and ovarian cancer. I was invited to teach three recipes to their members, a lot of them are cancer patients, in a webinar. There are so many different kind of cancer treatments and each one of them does various damage to our bodies. I know, because my mom had many of them and all those memories of watching her fighting cancers were my major inspiration in my recipe development this time.
One thing we always made sure when preparing my mom’s food was that we never ate anything raw, because she didn’t really have a good immune system at that time and a lot of the good bacterias in her body were destroyed. Hence for this recipe, I cooked the greens and blanched the tofu. It is totally fine to use raw greens and cold tofu directly if raw food is not part of your dietary concerns.
Spinach is rich in iron and fiber while tofu is a great source of protein. The sesame tahini dressing is also a star here. It’s a very versatile ingredient that I use a lot in many different recipes. It goes very well with many dishes, greens, fish, and even noodles. It’s very creamy and flavorful. I love to use it on my summer salads.
Sesame with Tofu Salad 芝麻菠菜涼拌豆腐
Salad Ingredients
Spinach, 1 bunch, 200g, cut into desired length
Silken tofu, 1 block, about 1 lb
White sesame seeds, 1 tsp, toasted
Dressing Ingredients
Tahini, 40g
Natural peanut butter, 40g
Cold water, 50ml
Soy sauce, 1 tsp
Rice vinegar, ½ tsp
Sesame oil, 1 tsp
Maple syrup, ½ tsp
Salt, ⅛ tsp
Instructions
Heat the oil in a frying pan, once hot, add in the spinach and turn off the heat after 5-10 seconds. Stir the spinach constantly and use the residual heat from the pan to cook them through. Remove from the pan and transfer to a serving platter. Move the spinach towards the sides and create a well in the center.
Blanch the tofu for about 2-3 minute. Remove from the pot and cut into 1” cubes. Transfer to the serving plate and place the tofu in the center of the plate. Cover the plate and leave in the fridge to chill.
Combine all dressing ingredients together, mix well and set aside.
When ready to serve, drizzle on the sesame dressing. Sprinkle on some white sesame seeds. Serve with more dressing on the side.
