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This Crunchy Asian Tofu Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette is everything a main dish salad should be. We’re talking two kinds of cabbage, shredded carrots, crisp cucumbers, juicy Mandarin oranges, toasted almonds, and savory baked tofu — all tossed in a bright, garlicky sesame vinaigrette that you’ll want to put on everything.
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This is not a side salad. This is a main dish with serious staying power, and it comes together faster than you’d think.
What makes it work is the contrast: tender baked tofu against crunchy toasted almonds, sweet Mandarin oranges against tangy sesame dressing, delicate Napa cabbage against bold purple. Every bite has something going on. My family — including my picky teenagers — goes back for seconds every single time.
The sesame vinaigrette is the real star here. Made with tamari, ginger, garlic, and a splash of Mandarin orange juice right from the can, it’s punchy and complex but takes about two minutes to shake together in a jar. Make extra — you’ll be drizzling it on everything else in your fridge.
A few things I love about this salad: it’s completely dairy-free and easily gluten-free with tamari, it works as a meal prep lunch (just store the dressing separately), and the ingredient list is flexible enough to work with whatever vegetables you have on hand.
This recipe comes from my friend Lisa Dawn Angerame’s cookbook Wait, That’s Vegan?! — a book I genuinely love and highly recommend. Lisa says it best herself: with well-seasoned tofu standing in for the chicken and all that crunch and bold flavor, it’s a salad that will fast become part of your regular rotation. She’s right. It became part of mine.
If you love this salad, you’ll want to try my Cucumber Edamame Salad next!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Cabbage ~ Napa cabbage has a mild, delicate flavor and a great crisp texture. Red cabbage has a bolder, earthier flavor.
Don’t like cabbage? Try romaine or kale instead. - Other vegetables ~ This recipe calls for carrots, cucumbers, and scallions.
Thinly sliced radishes, diced bell peppers, snow peas, or cilantro will all be great additions to this dish or substitutions for the veggies included in the recipe.
Pro tip: The quickest and easiest way to shred the cabbage and carrots is to use the shredding blade of a food processor. Of course, if you have good knife skills, a big chef’s knife works just as well. - Tofu ~ If you can’t do soy, use roasted chickpeas instead with the same seasonings.
- Nut-free ~ Allergic to nuts? Add some sesame seeds for crunch instead of the almonds.
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
There are quite a few steps to this recipe, but several of them can be done simultaneously so it all comes together quickly and easily.
- Press the tofu
- While the tofu is pressing, chop the cabbage, carrots, green onions, and cucumbers
- Toss the cubed tofu with seasonings and bake.
- While the tofu is baking, make the vinaigrette
- Throw the almonds in the oven at the halfway point for the tofu so they both finish at the same time.
- Toss all the ingredients together and drizzle with as much of the vinaigrette as you like.
More vegan main dish salad recipes:
And be sure to check out my Ultimate Guide to Making Salads for Dinner so you can create your own delicious recipes!
More vegan Asian-inspired recipes:
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Crunchy Asian Tofu Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) tamari
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of salt and a dash of pepper
- 7.5 ounces (213 g) extra firm tofu pressed for 10 minutes and cut into strips
Toasted Almonds
- ½ cup (72 g) blanched almonds
Sesame Vinaigrette
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Mandarin orange juice from a can of Mandarin oranges
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) tamari
- 1 teaspoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon dark maple syrup
Salad
- 2 cups (140 g) shredded Napa cabbage
- 1 cup (70 g) shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup (110 g) shredded carrot
- 4 scallions white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 2 Kirby cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1 can (10-ounces [283 g]) Mandarin oranges
Instructions
- To make the tofu, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C, or gas mark 4). Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Add the oil, tamari, garlic powder and ginger to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together and season with a little salt and pepper. Add the tofu to the bowl and toss to coat the tofu well. Arrange the tofu in a single layer on the sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes.
- At the halfway mark for the tofu, toast the almonds. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Arrange the almonds in a single layer. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the almonds have turned a few shades darker. Cool and coarsely chop.
- In the meantime, to make the vinaigrette, add the garlic and ginger to a glass jar with a lid or to a dressing bottle. Cover with the vinegar and Mandarin orange juice, and let sit for 15 minutes to macerate. Add the oil, tamari, mirin and maple syrup. Cover the container and shake well to combine. The dressing will separate, so shake well before using.
- To assemble the salad, add the cabbages, carrot, scallions and cucumbers to a big salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to combine. Top with mandarin oranges, baked tofu and toasted almonds. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
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