This tofu avocado salad is a no-cook, vegan, healthy recipe with a tangy Asian dressing that can be customized to your liking!
An Excuse Not to Cook!
This may surprise you to hear, but even us food bloggers get tired of cooking every now and then.
I find that this is especially true when it’s hot out, and I’m looking to avoid heating up the kitchen with the stove or oven.
Quick recipes like this tofu avocado salad are quick and easy, and require no cooking at all! Not to mention the fact that it’s healthy (with protein and healthy fats) and can easily be made totally vegan. I love it as a side dish, or as a light meal with steamed rice.
Customizing the Dressing
You can follow the recipe as written here. Or you can feel free to customize it according to your own taste preferences and what you have on hand.
Here’s how:
- Choose your “tangy” element of choice: I used Chinese black vinegar, but you could also use rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, lemon, lime, or yuzu.
- Change the “umami” element: Instead of (or in addition to) soy sauce, you can branch out with fish sauce, miso paste, oyster sauce, or Sha Cha sauce. Just be sure to stay mindful of your salt levels!
- Use different toppings: I just used scallions here, but you could also add toasted sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, roasted seaweed (laver), pork sung, chili oil, etc.
I hope you give this quick recipe a try! Enjoy!
Tofu Avocado Salad Recipe Instructions
Start by thinly slicing your silken tofu into small squares. Also cut your avocado in half. Thinly slice it crosswise so you get pieces similarly sized to the tofu slices.
Arrange alternating slices of silken tofu and avocado on a serving platter.
In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic and ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, white pepper, water, and salt to taste.
Mix well to combine.
Drizzle over the tofu and avocado slices.
Chop your scallions…
Sprinkle them on top of the dish, and serve!
Tofu Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 7 ounces silken tofu (200g, or about half a package)
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 cloves garlic (grated)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar (can substitute rice wine vinegar, lime juice, yuzu, etc.)
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons water
- salt (to taste; you may not need any)
- 1 scallion (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Start by thinly slicing your silken tofu into small squares. Also cut your avocado in half. Thinly slice it crosswise so you get pieces similarly sized to the tofu slices. Arrange alternating slices of silken tofu and avocado on a serving platter.
- In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic and ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, white pepper, water, and salt to taste. Mix well to combine, and drizzle over the tofu and avocado.
- Garnish with chopped scallions and serve.
nutrition facts
Wow! This was my first experience with silken tofu….its very delicate……I am not! I love the texture of the silken tofu and avocado together and that dressing really packs in a flavor punch that is the perfect contrast. I loved it! My plating needs improvement! Thanks for another winner!
Thank you for trying our recipes, much appreciated :-)
Simple to make but tastes complex. Pleasantly surprised
Best part is there is no cooking required :-)
Wonderful! So simple. An unexpected combination, but definitely a keeper! My first introduction to silken tofu, it made me think of flan. Perfectly paired with a ripe avocado and the sauce.
Thank you for trying the recipe, Paul, it’s pretty awesome, right?!?!? :-)
Love all the recipes I have seen…..but I am an Adventist. And not quite full vegetarian…we don’t eat much from the sea. So oyster sauce and other like stuff is out. Is there any substitute for this flavor?
You can omit it. You can also use our cold salad dressing for this salad.
You can find vegan/vegetarian “oyster” sauce made with mushrooms. It is really good.
I REALLY LOVED IT!! I have to be honest but at first I had doubts about Tofu and now I’m glad I tried it. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for trying the recipe, Leticia, and so glad you did too :-)
Such a surprising, refreshing dish that came together quickly. Perfect for a bright, delicious touch of spring with a bite after a long day when you can’t be bothered to spend more than 15 minutes on your meal. Served on a bed of rice–this recipe is a keeper.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Sophia, and thank you for trying the recipe.
I wish I could give this recipe 10 stars. I am so glad I overcame my initial doubt of this creative combination of Chinese dipping sauce, avocado and tofu. The resulting dish was devine and was gone in seconds.
I am going to add some booked brown rice next time to make it more substantial if needed.
Please keep sending us meatless, diary free recipes as more and more people are trying to have a healthier and cleaner diet.
You are so right about eating healthier as we are also trying to do the same :-)
This is just brilliant, thanks Judy! My wife keeps bringing home inexpensive, perfect avocados from Aldi. As time passes, they have often been turned into guacamole. Never again! The contrast between the two softnesses and textures—avocado and tofu—is exquisite.
So glad you liked it :-)
It was even better the second time. We added Noritamago Furikake rice seasoning and Katsuo (dried Bonito fish) as toppings. Yum.
Great additions!
I used the dressing to marinade the tofu for an hour or so before assembling, and I’m never using another tofu marinade!
Hehehe…glad you liked it :-)
I’m so excited to have found your blog Judy! I visited my local Asian market yesterday and found all of the ingredients I needed to try several recipes. This was my first because it just looked so simple and delicious, yet 2 ingredients I’ve never thought to combine. Wow! I’ve made it for lunch 2 days in a row and it will be in steady rotation for sure. I’ve got your soy sauce chicken and sautéed pea shoots on the menu for tonight and it smells divine. Chinese cooking has never been something I’ve excelled at, but I feel like you’ve given my everything I need to succeed in creating some beautiful and tasty dishes. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Excellent! Love that you love it :-)
This looks so good! We would love to share on Good Housekeeping magazine – just sent you an email!
Thanks Shanon! Responded to your email!