A crunchy tofu salad with crispy noodles, edamame, and a sweet, spicy sesame dressing. High-protein, ready in 25 minutes, great for lunch or dinner.
Crunchy Tofu Salad At A Glance
- ⏱ Ready In: 25 minutes
- 🍽 Serves: 4 as a side, 2 as a main
- 🌱 Diet: Vegetarian (easily vegan with a soy sauce swap), high protein
- 💪 Nutrition Highlights: High in plant-based protein and fibre from tofu and edamame
- 🥕 Main Ingredients: Firm tofu, shredded slaw mix, crispy noodles, edamame, sesame dressing
- 🔥 Flavor Profile: Sweet, salty, tangy, and a little spicy, with a roasted sesame edge
- 🧊 Meal-Prep Friendly: Salad and dressing keep 2 days separately in the fridge; assembled, it softens fast
- Best Served With: A cold drink and not much else. This one’s a full meal on its own
This crunchy Asian tofu salad is my current hyper-fixation lunch meal. Sticky sweet chili soy tofu, with a big handful of fried crunchy noodles, loads of crunchy slaw veg and edamame for extra protein, all coated in a sweet, salty and spicy dressing.
Half of this recipe is store-bought shortcuts, by the way. The slaw mix, the crunchy noodles, and the sesame dressing base are all straight from a packet/bottle, which is exactly why it comes together so fast. And of course, the dressing features a spoonful of garlicky chilli crisp because apparently that’s non-negotiable in my kitchen now.
My partner’s exact words while eating it were, “I really like this one, Irey, so many textures and flavors going on, and it tastes so healthy and delicious,” which, coming from him, means it’s a keeper, as he is my most honest critic. This one’s staying in the rotation.
👩🍳 You might also like these recipes:
→ Asian Cucumber Tofu Salad
→ Tofu Rice Bowl With Crunchy Salad
→ Crispy Baked Tofu With Honey Garlic Chili Glaze
→ Tofu Poke Bowl With Miso Glaze & Sweet Spicy Mayo Sauce
→ Napa Cabbage Salad With Honey Lime & Ginger Dressing
→ Shrimp Poke Bowl with Sriracha Lime Mayo Sauce
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this crunchy Asian tofu salad recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
For the tofu:
- Firm tofu. Holds its shape in the pan and crisps up properly. Pat-dry it well, or it’ll steam instead of fry.
- Light soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce. This is the sticky glaze that goes on right at the end.
For the salad:
- Shredded slaw mix. I used a store-bought Four Seasons Slaw mix from our local supermarket, but any bagged slaw or shredded cabbage works.
- Cucumber and red bell pepper (capsicum) for crunch and color. You can use other veggies here like cherry tomatoes, radish, shredded carrot, and so on. Check what your slaw mix already has.
- Wonton strips or fried crunchy noodles. This is the textural centerpiece. Corn chips work in a pinch.
- Edamame beans, shelled, for extra protein and fiber. I use frozen ones that I briefly boil and cool under running water.
- Fresh cilantro (coriander). Don’t skip it, it cuts through the richness of the dressing. If you hate cilantro, go for mint or Thai basil.
For the dressing:
- Lime juice, light soy sauce, and fish sauce. This is the salty-sour base. Swap fish sauce for extra soy sauce if you want this vegetarian.
- Toasted sesame oil and roasted sesame dressing (store-bought). I use Kewpie, it’s got that deep, nutty flavor that’s hard to replicate from scratch.
- Honey and fresh garlic, for sweetness and a bit of bite.
- Chilli crisp. I love a milder, garlicky one, but you take what you’ve got and adjust for your preferred heat.
Shortcuts That Make This Easy
A few things I don’t bother making from scratch:
- The slaw mix. A bag of pre-shredded slaw does all the chopping for you. I used Four Seasons Slaw Mix from Woolworths, but any bagged coleslaw or Asian slaw mix works.
- The crunchy noodles. Fried wonton strips or packaged crispy noodles (I used Chang’s) give you that crunch without deep frying anything yourself.
- The dressing base. A good store-bought roasted sesame dressing, like Kewpie, does most of the heavy lifting here. I just doctor it up with lime, honey, garlic, and chili crisp so it tastes like it took more effort than it did. Sometimes, I will get two different dressings, like a sesame one and a soy sauce-based one, and mix them.
None of these shortcuts are cheating. They just mean this comes together in about 15 minutes of actual hands-on work.
How To Make Crunchy Tofu Salad
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step notes for how to make this one.
- Slice the tofu into thick slices, pat dry with paper towel, then dice into cubes.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat with a light spray of oil.
- Add the tofu flat side down and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until golden, then flip.
- After another minute, drizzle over the soy sauce and sweet chili sauce and toss to coat evenly. Remove from heat.
- While the tofu cooks, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a bowl.
- Build the salad: slaw mix first, then the rest of the vegetables, most of the crunchy noodles, and the tofu.
- Pour the dressing over and toss through.
- Divide between bowls, top with the remaining noodles and extra chilli crisp if you like it hot.
Watch The Video
Recipe Tips
- Pat the tofu really dry before it hits the pan. That’s what gets you the crispy edges instead of a soggy center.
- Add the crispy noodles right before serving, not before. They go soft fast once the dressing’s on.
- No fish sauce on hand? Extra soy sauce works, though you’ll lose a bit of depth.
- Lean on the shortcuts. Bagged slaw, packaged crunchy noodles, and a store bought sesame dressing base cut a lot of prep time without cutting flavor.
- Leftovers: keep everything separate (tofu, veg, noodles, dressing) and combine just before eating. Dressed and assembled, it won’t hold past a couple of hours.
Serving Suggestions
This one’s filling enough to eat on its own for lunch, but if you’re serving it for dinner, a bowl of steamed rice or rice noodles on the side rounds it out nicely. It also works well next to grilled chicken or salmon if you want to bulk it up for a crowd.
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Ingredients
For the dressing
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, or ½ large lime 15 ml
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce 10 ml
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce (or extra soy sauce for a vegetarian version) 10 ml
- 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil 5 ml
- 2 teaspoons honey 10 ml
- 1 garlic clove minced or grated
- 1.5 tablespoons roasted sesame dressing, store bought (I used Kewpie brand) 23 ml
- 2 teaspoons chili crisp. I go for a milder, garlicky one 10 ml
For the pan-fried tofu
- 9 oz firm tofu, cut into cubes 250 grams
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 15 ml
- 1.5 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (Thai-style) 23 ml
- Olive oil spray about 8 sprays
For the salad
- 14 oz shredded slaw mix. I used Four Seasons Slaw Mix from Woolworths 400 grams
- ½ cup sliced or diced cucumber 75 grams
- ½ cup thinly sliced or diced red bell pepper (capsicum) 75 grams
- 2 oz wonton strips or fried crunchy noodles. I used Chang's 50 grams
- ¼ cup shelled edamame beans 35 grams
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh coriander/cilantro 8 grams
Instructions
- Slice the tofu into thick slices and pat dry with paper towel, then dice into cubes.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat and spray with cooking oil (about 8 to 10 sprays). If you don't have spray oil, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil spread around the pan, just enough to stop sticking.
- Add the tofu, flat side down, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until golden and crispy, then flip. After another minute, drizzle over the soy sauce and sweet chili sauce and toss through to coat evenly. Remove from heat and set aside.
- While the tofu cooks, combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk.
- To build the salad, start with the slaw mix, then add the remaining salad ingredients, most of the crunchy noodles, and the pan-fried tofu.
- Pour the dressing over and toss through. Divide between bowls, topping with the remaining noodles and extra chilli crisp if you like it spicy.
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