Tofu salad, light, high in protein, and super flavorful. It is an easy-to-make recipe made with simple ingredients in just 30 minutes.

This tofu salad is one of my go-to recipes whenever I feel like eating something light, easy, but delicious at the same time. It is so flavorful and easy to make it'll surely become a staple on your table!
As it is made with tofu, this wonderful salad is high in protein and you can customize it with your favorite ingredients. Go ahead and get creative! Feel free to use what you have on hand.
Ready to rock your plate with some epic vegan salads? How about diving into a creamy Vegan Potato Salad, a mouthwatering Vegan Pasta Salad, or a satisfying Chickpea Tuna Salad? These salads are loaded with flavor and guaranteed to satisfy your cravings.
How to make tofu salad
- Press the tofu (optional).
- Mix all the tofu marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl until well combined.
- Add the tofu cubes and let them marinate covered in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
- Drain the tofu but don’t discard the marinade.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and sautée the tofu over medium-high heat until golden brown.
- Pour the marinade liquid into a bowl with the cornstarch and mix until well combined. Incorporate the sauce into the skillet you had the tofu and cook until it thickens.
- To assemble the tofu salad, add the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, corn kernels, avocado, and sesame seeds to a large mixing bowl.
- Then incorporate the cooked marinated tofu, pour the dressing over the top, and toss it together.
- Serve your tofu salad immediately.
Ingredients and tips
- Firm tofu: firm or extra firm tofu work best for this tofu salad recipe. Soft or silken tofu is not a good choice as it will fall apart easily.
- Soy sauce or tamari: I used soy sauce, but tamari is a good gluten-free alternative. If you don't consume soy, coconut aminos is a great substitute. You could also add the same amount of water or vegetable stock and add more salt.
- Apple cider vinegar: you could also use white vinegar or lemon juice instead.
- Maple syrup: feel free to customize your recipe with your favorite type of sweetener. Agave syrup is the best alternative, though.
- Garlic powder.
- Onion powder.
- Oil: I used extra virgin olive oil, but any type is okay, such as sesame oil.
- Cornstarch: feel free to use any other type of starch instead. You could also omit it, but your sauce won’t have the same texture, it will be more watery.
- Romaine lettuce: any type of lettuce will do, or even other leafy greens.
- Cherry tomatoes: use any type of tomatoes you have on hand.
- Corn kernels.
- Avocado.
- Sesame seeds: this ingredient is completely optional.
- Tahini dressing: or any other dressing, like our vinaigrette or our poppy seed dressing.
How to marinate tofu for salad
Marinating tofu for salad is quite easy and simple and there're a lot of ways of doing so. However, to prepare my tofu for this tofu salad I used soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup, among other ingredients.
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📖 Recipe
Tofu Salad
Ingredients
For the marinated tofu:
- 14 oz firm tofu, cubed
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon oil, I used extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the tofu salad:
- 5 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup canned corn kernels, you can also use them frozen
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 2 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional
- 1 batch of tahini dressing
Instructions
- Press the tofu (just wrap the tofu in a clean towel and apply a steady weight to squeeze out the moisture). This step is optional, but your tofu will be tastier if you do.
- Mix all the tofu marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl (soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic powder, and onion powder) until well combined.Â
- Incorporate the tofu cubes and let them marinate covered in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. If you let them marinate for a longer period of time, they will have a more intense flavor.
- Drain the tofu but don’t discard the marinade. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and sautée the tofu over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the marinade liquid into a bowl with the cornstarch and mix until well combined. Pour the sauce into the skillet you had the tofu and cook until it thickens. Set aside.
- To assemble the tofu salad, add the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, corn kernels, and avocado, and sesame seeds to a large mixing bowl.
- Then add the cooked marinated tofu, pour the dressing over the top, and toss it together.Â
- Serve your tofu salad immediately.
- Best when fresh, keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days (dressing separate from the salad).
Notes
- Feel free to customize this tofu salad recipe with any type of vinegar, sweetener, or oil you want.
- I used soy sauce, but tamari is a good gluten-free alternative. If you don't consume soy, coconut aminos is a great substitute. You could also add the same amount of water or vegetable stock and add more salt.
- Any other dressing will do, like our vinaigrette or our poppy seed dressing.
- Of course, you could incorporate any veggies that you have on hand, such as chopped pepper, cucumber, or even carrot.
- Prep time and cook time don’t include marinating time.
Janice says
Hi! This is one of my all-time favorite salads. I use any veggies I have on hand and it always work! The dressing is out of this world 🙂
Linda says
I don’t understand why you thicken the tofu marinade. I don’t see the thickened marinade used in the finished salad. Did I miss that?
Iosune Robles says
We use it in step 6. Then, we add the thickened tofu to the salad 🙂
Gillian says
How much corn starch did you use it doesn’t say how much in the ingredients
Iosune Robles says
Hi! 1 tbsp cornstarch 🙂