Asian Tofu Cucumber Salad with Soy-Honey Dressing

Your newest summer salad obsession

New salad alert!!! I always rotate hyper fixation salads and this salad is the new favorite on the block. If you’re into asian style salads, this is going to be your new favorite as well. It kinda tastes like the marinated cucumber salad from Din Tai Fung…but even better in my opinion. You can even customize it with whatever ingredients you’d like, like subbing tofu or chicken, shrimp, or salmon. My version of this salad comes with silky tofu, cucumbers, creamy avocado, and a sweet ‘n spicy soy-chili dressing that could moonlight as a marinade. This one is a 10/10.

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Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 1 block (14 oz) extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed. (You can also sub for shrimp, chicken, or salmon)

• 1 large cucumber, thinly sliced (or julienned)

• 2 ripe avocado, cubed

• 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced

• ½ cup shelled edamame (cooked and cooled)

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

• Optional: green onion for garnish

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp mirin

• 1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)

• 1–2 tsp chili crunch (adjust to taste- I used duck fat chili crunch)

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

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Instructions:

1. Prep the tofu:
   Pat the tofu dry and cut into bite-sized cubes. For extra texture, pan-fry in a little oil until golden on all sides, or air-fry at 400ºF for 10–12 minutes. Let cool.

2. Make the dressing:
   In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, honey, chili crunch, and sesame oil until smooth.

3. Assemble the salad:
   In a large bowl, combine cucumber, onion, edamame, and tofu. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to coat.

4. Add creamy contrast:
   Gently fold in avocado and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let sit for 10 minutes so the flavors soak in—or serve immediately for maximum crunch.