This is such a good way of using tofu when you are craving something lighter. Don’t get me wrong, I love sticky, fried tofu covered in teriyaki sauce, with a big bowl of noodles. But when the weather is hot, and I cannot even look at the gas hob, this recipe is just perfect. Spicy tofu salad wraps are my take on classic Chinese San Chon Boy, lettuce wraps, although it is a very loose interpretation. Tofu is marinated with gochujang, soy, garlic, ginger, which makes it extremely flavoursome. I serve it with quick pickled carrots and cucumbers, so there’s a bit of Vietnamese Bahn-me influence here. Let’s make them now!
Finally tofu with a real flavour
Let’s get this straight. Tofu doesn’t really have a taste. I mean it, none, really. It is bland, with a strange texture for some. When not prepared in the right way, it can be one of your worst culinary experiences ever. But here’s the thing, when done right, it is one of the most delicious things on the earth. Now, you hear people often saying: ‘ I love tofu’- that’s because they had it cooked in a pretty amazing way. And that’s the whole secret about tofu. It takes all the flavours and is so versatile. The longer you marinate it, the better, quick fry or bake, and it will be just heavenly. Because tofu is so bland, you cannot be shy with spices here, so be bold when it comes to adding extra chilli. You will fall in love with these spicy tofu salad wraps.
If you want to know more about baking tofu, watch this video!
Which tofu will be best for the spicy tofu salad boats?
This recipe will work perfectly fine with most of the tofu types, apart from the silken one. If you get a really hard one, it may require a bit more work to crumble it, if it’s medium or soft, simply press and get rid of the excess water. We are aiming for tofu that would resemble ground meat, so a bit of texture is just great. To marinade tofu simply slice it and submerge in a liquid, turning a couple of times. This marinade will be great not just for salad bowls, but will work great as a bbq tofu, tofu for sandwiches, topping for sushi rice bowls or banh-me. Baked tofu will last in a fridge for around 5 days, so make more- this way you will blitz something amazing in no time!
Does it take long to make spicy tofu salad wrap
This is such a quick and easy dish to prepare, especially if you plan ahead and bake tofu the night before. All there is to do, quickly pickle the veg, and you are done! Food, just like life, tastes best when it’s balanced. One of my most favourite in the world, crunchy pickled vegetables, add freshness, zing and break through the spiciness of gochujang. It takes only a few minutes to prepare them, so the spicy tofu salad wrap can come together in no time. You can use a combination of carrots, cucumbers, radishes, they all work well. Rice vinegar combined with some brown sugar, ginger and fresh chilli makes a perfect pickling liquid. Gem lettuce is perfect to hold it all together.
What will you need to make this salad wrap?
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