I don’t know when I stopped making salad every night, but it happened. That’s not to say I don’t eat salad anymore, I probably eat it more often than ever, I just eat it as a main dish instead. At least several times a week for lunch and at least once a week for dinner, I serve a main dish salad. What makes it a main dish? I’d say protein. And tofu is a perfect plant-based protein for salads.
A few weeks ago I attended an event hosted by House Foods organic tofu. Chef Melissa King did the cooking and also a cooking demo. I picked up a lot of good ideas. I loved her take on a Caprese salad and I’ve made my own versions of it several times. In one version I made a small bite style appetizer by placing diced tomatoes and tofu on large basil leaves and dressed them with coarse salt and extra virgin olive oil. In another, I was captivated by another recipe I found for Tomato-Peach Salad with Tofu Cream. But I wanted the salad to be a main dish, rather than a starter so I made some changes.
My version uses tofu in two ways, I used it as a creamy dressing and also in pieces. It’s a very light summery salad, perfect for lunch. The soft tofu is really nice with the juicy peaches and tomatoes. I shouldn’t have to say it, but this recipe relies on the best quality lucious and sweet produce. If nectarines taste better than peaches, by all means use them instead. The fresh basil, salt and pepper provide a nice balance to the sweetness of the the fruit.
Tomato Peach Tofu Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
14 ounce package silken tofu
1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 large heirloom tomatoes
2 large peaches
1 bunch fresh basil, about 20 leaves
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Cut the tofu into two halves. Place one piece in the blender with the sherry vinegar and soy sauce and blend until creamy. Taste for seasoning.
Take the other half of the tofu and slice it into about 20 pieces. Slice the tomatoes and peaches into thin wedges.
Spoon the creamy sauce into four plates top with slices of tomatoes, peaches, tofu and basil leaves. Drizzle each plate with a teaspoon of olive oil and finish with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.
Enijoy!
Disclamer: My thanks to Washington State Fruit Commission for the peaches and House Foods for the tofu.
