Creamy carrot, cucumber, corn and tofu salad
a name which doesn't really do the salad justice
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My book Tenderheart is available from Books are Magic, Kitchen, Arts and Letters, Book Larder, Bold Fork Books and also here or here.
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Subzero temperatures will not curb my enthusiasm for salad. This is usual for me. But what really excites me is that many of you share this sentiment. Given the popularity of my Really Good (aka addictive) cabbage, the unexpected hit recipe of this winter so far, there are plenty of others who also crave salad during the winter.
This week’s salad recipe was conceived due to a curiosity. I like to know all the salads of the world, but there are some that I’ve not tried, due to the fact they are meat-centric. Kani salad is one of them. A popular dish at Japanese American restaurants, kani salad features shredded imitation crab and crunchy vegetables in a citrusy mayonnaise-based dressing. According to the website Just One Cookbook, one of my favourite resources for Japanese cooking knowledge, this dish is called Kanikama Salad in Japan and is more popular as a home-cooked side dish rather than a restaurant offering.
After reading about kani salad, I set out to imagine my vegetarian version. Like the original, I sought maximum texture and simple creaminess with a tangy edge. Mine has no imitation crab of course, but I’ve used pan-fried extra firm tofu. Those who have made my salads before will already know my basic technique of pan-frying tofu and cutting them into strips, but for those who are new to this, the tofu preparation in this recipe is extremely easy and delicious and can be used in countless dishes (but particularly good for salads). I bring the taste of the ocean later with a liberal sprinkling of furikake (a vegan one); if you don’t have furikake, you could sprinkle over crushed nori snack sheets for a salty-sea finish.
The creamy dressing is mayonnaise based. There will be those who stop reading right here as I know mayonnaise is divisive. Personally I love it, but not always as the base of a salad dressing, where it can feel heavy. What saves this dressing from this common mayo affliction is ponzu, a Japanese citrus dipping sauce of citrus juice (such as yuzu, lime or lemon), soy sauce, sugar or mirin, and dashi. It’s a wonderful all-purpose sauce that can be eaten with noodles, dumplings and hotpot. Ponzu can be purchased at Japanese supermarkets and is gluten free. Note for vegetarians/vegans, some brands of ponzu may contain bonito, so check the label to make sure it’s fish free. If you don’t have ponzu, I would simply replace it with an extra 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and 2 to 3 teaspoons of your chosen citrus (lime, lemon or citrus).
For superior flavour and comforting creaminess, can anything beat Kewpie? Like many others, I’m a devotee. However I do acknowledge it’s heavier than other brands. Feel free to substitute with your preferred brand; vegan mayonnaise is a good lighter option. You could lighten it up further by substituting half the mayo with greek or coconut yoghurt for extra tang.
Weeknight wonders for this week, all NYT Cooking recipes have gift links:
Monday: Lemongrass tofu and broccoli is wonderful with a bowl of rice.
Tuesday: Can’t tell you how good this Grilled Eggplant, Herby Lentils and Turmeric Tahini is…you’ll have to try it for yourself.
Wednesday: Pick up a jar of curry simmer sauce (this is my absolute favourite) and makes this very quick, very green, very nutritious curry.
Thursday: Everyone seems to be boiling tofu on social media right now! No, it’s not a NEW technique, but it is DELICIOUS. I used it in my clean and light sesame tofu and broccoli recipe in TENDERHEART. If you haven’t tried, recipe is here.
Friday: Friday night treat with tortellini soup
🥦 My cookbook, Tenderheart is for cooking vegetables, all year round. Pick up your copy here. It is also mostly vegan (or vegan-izable) and gluten-free adaptable.
Creamy carrot, cucumber, corn and tofu salad
© By Hetty Lui McKinnon for To Vegetables, With Love.
Serves 4
extra virgin olive oil
1 x 14 - 16 ounce package extra firm tofu, drained, patted dry, sliced into 1cm / ½-inch pieces
sea salt and white/black pepper
2 medium carrots (about 220g / 8 ounces), peeled and julienned
2 Persian / Lebanese cucumbers (about 220g/ 8 ounces), trimmed, seeds scooped out, julienned
1 cup (150g) frozen (or fresh) corn kernels, thawed and run under hot water, drained
2 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
2 scallions, thinly sliced
vegan furikake, toasted sesame seeds, or crushed nori snack sheets, for topping
Creamy Soy-Ponzu dressing
1/3 cup (80g) kewpie or other mayonnaise (vegan mayonnaise is great too)
1 garlic clove, finely grated (I use Microplane)
1 tablespoon ponzu* (see head note)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Heat a large skillet / frying pan on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. When hot, drizzle with olive oil and add the tofu slices (working in batches, if needed), season well with salt and pepper and cook until golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drizzle the top with more olive oil, and flip over and cook the other side until golden, another 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat until all the tofu is cooked. When the tofu is cool, slice into thin strips.
In a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, garlic, ponzu, and soy sauce and whisk until well combined. To the dressing, add the carrot, cucumber, corn, tofu strips, sesame seeds and scallions. Toss well to coat. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
To serve, top with furikake, toasted sesame seeds, or crushed nori snack sheets.
Io Vegetables, With Love is dedicated to vegetables and it is a joy to bring you a new recipe every week. Thank you to everyone who subscribes, especially to paid subscribers who make this work possible.
Because I love you I did not stop reading at mayo. But yes, mayo for me is a big mayno. I think this would still be incredible without it. Maybe some chinese mustard for me. Or just skip all together. (I know you recommend yogurt and such but I still don't even like that...I know I'm the worst.) Can't wait to make this. Thank you for making salads good!!
Made it for lunch. Big hit. We had really fresh carrots and cucumbers, as well as an avocado about to turn brown, so added that for extra creaminess. Had sweet corn from the farmers market as well (we're in NZ, middle of summer😉). Homemade vegan mayonnaise as well (we use Superiority Burger's recipe with emulsified grape seed oil with mustard and chickpeas/aquafaba).