cucumber crunch salad with tofu

cucumber crunch salad with tofu

⏱️ 29 minutes prep, 15 minutes cook (44 minutes total)
📊 Hard
🍽️ American Cuisine

Instructions

Is it too hot to cook? Does the thought of even turning on the microwave feel like it might tip you too close to the surface of the sun? We are long overdue to talk about my favorite heat wave meal, one I’ve been holding out on you for five too many summers. As the president of Overthinkers Anonymous, I had my reasons. What if you’re not as obsessed with inhaling a pound of fridge-cold cucumbers as I am? What if the mere whiff of peanut sesame noodle dressing doesn’t make you want to climb into a vat of it? What if my favorite salad tofu — firm silken — isn’t your favorite salad tofu? What if you don’thavea favorite salad tofu? [Six question marks in a paragraph might be a record!] This starts with a reduced portion of thepeanut sesame noodle sauceI’ve been making since college, or 100 years ago [“did they have cars back then?”] according to my children. Whenever there’s leftovers, I happily toss them with any kind of raw vegetable, from grated carrots to shredded cabbage, but cucumbers are my go-to, especially topped with minced salted peanuts and scallion. It’s perfect. We could stop there. But when I want it to feel like even more of a full meal, I add tofu, and if you can find firm silken tofu, which has silken’s smooth texture but holds its shape when sliced, it’s a pillowy dream here. Together these thick batons of cool tofu + crisp cucumbers + a heavenly dressing that does all the lifting + a layer of crunchy, salty, spicy stuff are the only thing I can consider eating when it’s this hot out. Maybe you’ll be converted too. 6 months ago:Invisible Apple Cake1 year ago:Easy Basque CheesecakeandBlistered Peas-in-the-Pod2 years ago:Sliced Egg Sandwich3 years ago:Summer Ricotta with Grilled Vegetables4 years ago:Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches5 years ago:Smashed Potatoes with Sweet Corn Relish6 years ago:Chocolate Budino7 years ago:Garlic-Lime Steak and Noodle Salad8 years ago:Grilled Pepper and Torn Mozzarella Panzanella9 years ago:The Consummate Chocolate Chip Cookie, Revisited10 years ago:Crispy Frizzled Artichokes11 years ago:Coconut Brown Butter Cookies12 years ago:Rhubarb Cream Cheese Hand Pies13 years ago:Asparagus with Almonds and Yogurt Dressing14 years ago:Fudge Popsicles15 years ago:Spring Asparagus Pancetta Hash16 years ago:Grilled Shrimp CocktailandGraham Crackers17 years ago:S’more Pie18 years ago:Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Ingredients

Dressing4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter2 tablespoons soy sauce1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar1 1/2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or finely grated1 small garlic clove, minced or finely grated2 teaspoons toasted sesame oilHot sauce, chili paste, or chili crisp to tasteWater, if neededAssembly1 14- to 16-ounce package persian cucumbers (5 to 6)1 scallion3 tablespoons salted roasted peanuts, chopped small1 package firm or extra-firm silken tofu (usually a 10- to 12-ounce package)Toasted black and white sesame seeds (optional)

Cooking Tips

This is a riff on my favoritePeanut Sesame Noodlesso check it out if you’re looking for more of a big meal. This is just for you, or for you and a lucky friend if you’re feeling generous. If you cannot find firm silken tofu, you can use silken tofu here but don’t bother cutting it into batons. Simply halve it crosswise (into two thinner slabs) and arrange them on your serving plate. Drizzle with the reserved dressing and heap the dressed cucumbers (and crunchy toppings) over it. When you scoop up the salad, scoop up the tofu as well.