Korean Tofu Salad
on Feb 23, 2020, Updated Dec 24, 2024
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The flavors of Korean cooking are front and center in this easy tofu salad recipe. It’s an amazing balance of spicy and sweet and savory.
Pan-seared tofu is the star of this salad, with a vibrant glazy dressing made from gochujang chile paste, sesame, mirin, and garlic. An amazing balance of spicy and sweet and savory, and the texture of the tofu is so appealing.
Try this Korean Tofu Salad alongside white rice, vegetable stir-fried rice, or kimchi fried rice. Some kimchi Brussels sprouts would be great on the side as well.
Table of Contents
Korean Tofu Salad: The flavors of Korean cooking are front and center in this recipe. It’s an amazing balance of spicy and sweet and savory.
This recipe is an adaptation of one from a very appealing book called Korean Food Made Simple by Judy Joo (Joo has a Cooking Channel Show by the same name). It’s vegetarian, and if you use agave instead of honey, it is even vegan.
This is a main dish salad in that it has quite a bit of protein from the tofu, but if you want, you can divide it amongst 4 plates and serve it as a first course or a side. Or you can be like me and eat the whole thing over two days.
Ingredients
- Tofu – Make sure to get firm or extra-firm for the best results. Read more about pressing tofu to get the best texture. You could also use crispy fried tofu here.
- Mirin – Mirin is a Japanese rice wine that imparts sweet, tangy, and umami flavors.
- Gochujang – A Korean hot pepper paste that consists of red chili pepper, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt.
- Honey – For sweetness and a glaze-like quality in the dressing
- Soy sauce – For saltiness and umami.
- Toasted sesame oil – Adds a nutty flavor.
- Vegetable oil
- Scallions – Scallions (or green onions) are a staple ingredient in a lot of Asian cooking, and it adds a fresh and mellow onion-y flavor.
- Garlic
- Mixed greens – This acts as a fresh base for the salad.
Toasting Sesame Seeds
To toast sesame seeds, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat and stir and toss for a few minutes, until they start to smell fragrant and turn light brown. Watch carefully so that they don’t burn.
How to Make Korean Tofu Salad
- Prepare the tofu: Press the tofu between two plates for about 30 minutes to allow the liquid to drain out, and then slice the tofu.
- Make the sauce: Stir together the mirin, gochujang (chile paste), honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, scallions, garlic, and sesame seeds, and set the dressing aside.
- Cook the tofu: Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Gently slide the tofu into the skillet and fry until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Lightly season with salt.
- Assemble: Combine the greens with 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Divide the salad among four plates and top each with 6 slices of tofu. Spoon additional dressing over the tofu. Serve immediately.
What to Serve With Korean Tofu Salad
More Korean Recipes
- Spicy Greens with Gochujang Dressing
- Sesame Asparagus and Shiitake Mushrooms
- Korean Pork Chops
- Korean Mushrooms
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Korean Tofu Salad
Ingredients
- 14 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu (drained)
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chile paste; see Note)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 2 scallions (thinly sliced on an angle)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (see Note)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- 8 cups mixed greens (such as baby spinach and baby romaine)
Instructions
- Place the tofu on a flat plate and place another flat plate on the top. Place a heavy weight, like a large can of tomatoes, on the top plate and let the tofu sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes until some of the liquid has been pressed out onto the bottom plate. Drain off the liquid. Slice the tofu crosswise, then slice each rectangular block into 12 slices in the other direction so you have 24 square-ish pieces in all.
- While the tofu is being pressed, in a small bowl, stir together the mirin, gochujang (chile paste), honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil until blended. Stir in the scallions, garlic, and sesame seeds, and set the dressing aside.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Working in batches, if needed, gently slide the tofu into the skillet and fry until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Lightly season with salt.
- In a large bowl, combine the greens with 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Divide the salad among four plates and top each with 6 slices of tofu. Spoon additional dressing over the tofu. Serve immediately.
