Fresh greens, sweet corn, crispy cucumbers, pepitas, and sesame roasted tofu tossed in a spicy cashew dressing. This salad has all your good greens, fiber, protein, and fat, and will leave you so satisfied.
This is a copy cat recipe of the popular salad chain Sweet Green’s Thai salad. I had it recently during a trip back to Chicago, and had been craving it since. There’s no Sweet Green in Portland, so I decided to recreate it! It was surprisingly simple and delicious, and I foresee it being in my regular rotation. If you find yourself in a salad rut, this one is for you.
In case you don’t have cashew butter on hand, try using tahini instead. As someone who makes a million tahini sauces a month, I enjoyed using cashew butter here, but it can be a little pricey. I like to get it affordably at Trader Joe’s.
Whole leaves of basil and cilantro pack a lot of flavor in this salad, but if you prefer your herbs finely chopped, go for it!
If you try this recipe, let me know what you think by commenting below or tagging me in your photos on Instagram, @namasteandchow!
Spicy Cashew Salad with Roasted Sesame Tofu
Spicy Cashew Dressing:
1/4 c cashew butter
1.5 T sriracha
3 T water
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp of tofu marinade (optional, but delicious)
Roasted Sesame Tofu:
1 brick extra firm tofu, pressed
3 T sesame oil
1/4 c soy sauce
1 tsp agave
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
For the salad:
1/3 c corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
1/2 T butter
1 c shredded cabbage
1/2 c basil leaves
1/2 c cilantro leaves
2 T pepitas
1 large head of romaine, chopped
3 c arugula
1/2 english cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 lime
Method:
1. Make the tofu: In sealable bowl mix together sesame oil, soy sauce, agave, garlic, and ginger. Cut the pressed tofu into 1 inch cubes and put it in the marinade bowl. Gently toss until all pieces are coated. Set aside and let marinate for at least one hour.
2. Once your tofu is about done marinating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Remove tofu from the marinade (don’t discard the marinade yet) and arrange it on the baking sheet. Roast for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through the cook time.
3. Make the dressing: While the tofu roasts, make your salad dressing. In a mixing glass or jar whisk together cashew butter, sriracha, water, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and optional tofu marinade. If the dressing seems too thick for your liking, add water by the tablespoon until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste and add salt if desired (mine was plenty salty from the cashew butter).
4. In a small skillet heat up vegan butter. Add corn and cook on medium-high heat for about 6 minutes, until pieces are cooked and nicely browned on the edges. Remove from heat.
5. Assemble your salad. In a large bowl add romaine, arugula, cabbage, cilantro, and basil. Mix it up a bit with your hands. Top with corn, cucumber, pepitas, and 3/4 of the tofu cubes. Pour the roughly 3/4 of dressing over top and then toss the salad until everything is well dressed and mixed. Add the rest of the tofu, a hefty squeeze lime juice on top, and add additional dressing if desired.
6. Serve and enjoy!