Food Literacy Students
Many college students would like to contribute to making more sustainable food choices, but don’t know where to start. Tofu is a known great vegan option to use as a protein source versus typical chicken/other meat. It is also less expensive than meat. However, tofu can be intimidating to try cooking if you’ve never had it before. This recipe is a great introduction to tofu in an everyday meal such as a salad, which also includes a variety of vegetables such as leafy greens, carrots, and bell peppers
Cost Breakdown
| Ingredients | Amount | Unit Cost of Ingredient | Recipe Cost of Ingredient |
| Tofu, cubed | 12 oz | $2.98/16 oz | $2.24 |
| Soy sauce, low sodium | 5 Tbsp | $1.58/15 oz | $0.26 |
| Garlic, minced | 1 Tbsp | $2.56/8 oz | $0.16 |
| Sesame oil | 1 tsp | $3.14/5 oz | $0.10 |
| Sesame seeds | 4 1/2 Tbsp | $1.98/2.2 oz | $1.94 |
| Canola oil | 2 Tbsp | $3.24/48 oz | $0.06 |
| White sugar | 2 tsp | $2.12/1 lb | $0.02 |
| Rice wine vinegar | 2 tsp | $2.00/12 oz | $0.06 |
| Spinach | 10 oz bag | $1.98/10 oz | $1.98 |
| Carrot, grated | 1 carrot | $0.98/16 oz | $0.16 |
| Avocado, sliced | 1 | $1.28/unit | $1.28 |
| Green onion, thinly sliced | 2 stalks | $0.88/bunch | $0.29 |
| Red Bell Pepper | 1/2 | $1.38/unit | $0.69 |
| Cucumber | 1/2 | $0.68/unit | $0.34 |
| Total Recipe Cost | $9.58 | ||
| Cost Per Serving (4 servings) | $2.39 |
About the Recipe
I was excited to try this recipe, as I have cooked tofu before for soups, but never thought to incorporate it into a salad. About half the ingredients are fresh produce, which were very easy to find in a grocery store, and all the other ingredients were fairly easy to find as well. The original recipe called for optional sriracha in the dressing, but I decided to omit it for the sake of cost and preference. I had vegetable oil on hand, so I substituted that for canola oil in the recipe for personal ease. Some ways to make this recipe more budget friendly include buying generic brands when possible, buying produce in season, and if desired, omitting certain ingredients to cater to personal preference. One of the best parts of this recipe is that it is using tofu in place of meat, which is more sustainable versus consuming meat. Another way to make this recipe more sustainable includes composting the vegetable scraps.
This meal was fairly simple to make. Chopping all the vegetables did take some time, but it wasn’t unmanageable. For the sake of this assignment, I prepared a mise en place for a picture, but when I make this recipe again, I would start pan frying the tofu first and then chop all of the vegetables so that they aren’t sitting out as long. Other than that small detail, I didn’t have any issues preparing this meal. Once the tofu was done and I blended the ingredients to make the sauce, I was able to easily throw everything together into one big salad bowl.
Overall, I really enjoyed this recipe. To serve, I used a bowl and put about two large handfuls of spinach in, then added the vegetables and tofu on top. To eat, I mixed everything together. I prepared this meal alone, so for the other three servings this recipe made I put the rest of the meal in another bowl for me to save as leftovers. In the future, I may omit the sesame seeds in the salad itself, but would keep them in the dressing. I recommend anyone wanting to try incorporating tofu and more vegetables into their meals to give this recipe a try.
Tofu, Avocado, and Spinach Salad
Description
This recipe is a hearty spinach salad with tofu and lots of fresh vegetables, seasoned with a sesame soy sauce dressing.
Ingredients
Tofu
Toasted Sesame and Soy Dressing
Spinach, Avocado, and Tofu Salad
Instructions
- Heat skillet over medium heat. Add sesame seeds and cook, stirring often until golden-brown and fragrant. Do not leave unattended.
- For optimal flavor, press tofu to draw out excess moisture.
- Combine marinade ingredients. Add cubed tofu. Stir to coat.
- Marinate for 1 hour (stirring halfway through). If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step.
- Baking Instructions: (Uses less oil, slower method) Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper Spread tofu out in a single layer with no pieces touching. Top with remaining marinade. Bake for 20 minutes (or until tofu is crisp on the outside and tender inside.)
- OR Skillet Instructions: (Uses more oil, faster method) Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium-high heat. Add marinated tofu cubes (reserving excess marinade) and cook, turning tofu as needed, until all sides are golden-brown and crisp on all sides. Stir in remaining marinade and cook until marinade cooks down and coats the tofu.
Chill tofu. - Set aside half of the sesame seeds. Combine remaining ingredients in a blender.
- Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Add remaining sesame seeds and stir. Chill in the refrigerator.
- In a large bowl, add 2 handfuls of spinach. Top with grated carrot, sliced cucumber, red bell pepper, avocado, and green onion.
- Add ¼ of the chilled marinated tofu. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with extra toasted sesame seeds.
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