This no-cook Gochujang Kimchi Tofu Salad is bursting with flavor, has a bit of heat, and is a great, protein-rich recipe to eat all through the Summer months. Nut-free, Gluten-free.
I love a tofu salad when I’m short on time and motivation, and that’s exactly how this recipe came to be! Staring into my fridge, wishing there were leftovers, I looked around at what stuff I could throw together – and quickly. A half empty jar of kimchi, some extra-firm tofu, and almost-finished bag of vegan cheese shreds, plus a few other things.
I’ve made some spicy, cold salads before, like my sesame sriracha potato salad, so I knew a gochujang/vegan mayo sauce base would obviously be delish. So, I went ahead and gave the tofu a light press, crumbled it by hand, added in some gochujang and vegan mayo, and stirred it up. Because gochugaru – the Korean ground chili pepper – is in both gochujang and kimchi, adding kimchi into this mix was a natural next step.
Substitutions + Tips:
- Extra-firm tofu – I love this tofu because the prep/pressing time is cut pretty short, and the texture is great for eating cold (not baking). You can use firm tofu if that’s what you have on hand, but make sure to press the moisture out of it for at least 10 minutes.
- Vegan mayo – my staple vegan mayo is Vegenaise.
- Gochujang – you can find vegan versions of this condiment at many supermarkets at this point, but just make sure to double check the ingredients list.
- Vegan kimchi – similar to gochujang, kimchi is pretty easy to find in most stores now, but watch out for fish sauce and shrimp paste! I usually end up buying Wildbrine Korean Kimchi.
- Vegan cheese shreds – I’ve used both cheddar-style and Chao “creamy” cheese grated for this and both were delicious.
- Serving suggestions – I loved eating this equally in lettuce cups as I did in a sandwich with thinly sliced cucumber. But, it’d probably great as a sushi roll filling as well!
Gochujang Kimchi Tofu Salad
This no-cook Gochujang Kimchi Tofu Salad is bursting with flavor, has some heat, and is a great, protein-rich recipe to eat all through the Summer months. Nut-free, Gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 14-ounce (397 g) extra-firm tofu
- 1/3 cup (75 g) vegan mayo
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (30 g) gochujang
- 1/2 cup (115 g) vegan kimchi, chopped if in large pieces
- 1/2 cup (40 g) vegan cheese shreds
- 2 tablespoons (8 g) green onions
- 1 teaspoon black toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Optional for serving
- Toasted bread
- Thinly sliced cucumbers
- Butter lettuce
Instructions
- Remove tofu from its package, wrap it in a kitchen towel and rest stable, heavy items on top of it to press out some moisture. You can also use a tofu press (I love mine!).
- In a mixing bowl, break up the tofu block into smaller pieces, by hand. Then, place the mayo, and gochujang in a small bowl and whisk them to combine. Add the mixture into the tofu and mash it together with a fork, then stir with spatula until evenly coated.
- Add kimchi, shreds, green onions, sesame seeds, and garlic salt to the tofu and stir together until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings to preference, if needed. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve (I find that it tastes best after melding for a couple hours when I ate leftovers).
- Use as filling in four sandwiches paired with thinly sliced cucumber, or as lettuce cups for a refreshing snack. I've also used cucumber slices to eat it as a dip of sorts!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 246Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 11g
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