Blanched Tomato Salad

Photo: Blanched Tomato Salad
Hot summers demand cool and creamy salads. Asian flavors add a twist to a traditional caprese salad.
Yield
4 Servings
Vegan
Nut-Free
Appetizers and Sides
Salads
Ingredients

Salad

  • 2 cups cherry or small heirloom tomatoes, stems removed
  • 1 (12.3-ounce) box silken firm tofu, drained
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing

  • 2 Tablespoons sliced green onion
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • ¼ cup whole basil leaves
  • Sesame seeds or gomasio
Instructions
  1. To blanch tomatoes: Cut a small shallow “X” at the bottom of each tomato creating 4 corners which will make it easier to peel the skins off later. Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set it near your stove-top. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in your tomatoes. The boiling water will help separate the skins. Gently stir. Cooking times differ but ranges from 15-30 seconds. When you can see the skins start to peel away, use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer tomatoes to the prepared ice bath. This will shock the tomatoes and stop them from cooking. Let tomatoes cool for a few minutes. Remove from ice water and peel away the skin using the 4 corners you sliced earlier. Discard skins and set peeled tomatoes aside.
  2. Slice tofu block in 3 slabs. Handle gently as silken tofu breaks easily. Using a 2-2½” ring mold or an empty clean spice jar, cut 4-5 rounds out of each tofu slab. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  3. Prepare Dressing: In a very large bowl, whisk together green onions, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, olive oil and toasted sesame oil until sugar dissolves.
  4. Add blanched tomatoes to Dressing and toss to coat.
  5. Stack 2 tofu rounds in the center of 4 serving plates. Spoon tomatoes evenly among plates. Drizzle any remaining dressing over each salad.
  6. Garnish with sliced basil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy!