This recipe is sponsored by EZ Tofu Press. All opinions are 100% my own.
This flavorful Strawberry Spinach Salad stars Sticky-sweet Maple-Balsamic Tofu. It's a perfect dish for entertaining but easy enough for a weeknight meal.
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Maple-Balsamic Tofu
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Maple-Balsamic Tofu is a perfect side or even main dish that's easy enough for a regular weeknight but fancy enough for a weekend brunch or a dinner party.
You make the tofu for this recipe using the method I created for my Twice-Baked BBQ Tofu. Baking your tofu twice makes it chewier and gives the tofu more time to soak up the flavor of the sauce without having to marinate.
Instead of BBQ sauce, you're using homemade, three-ingredient maple-balsamic sauce.
Maple-Balsamic Tofu with the EZ Tofu Press
Making this salad couldn't be easier. Simmer your 3-ingredient sauce on the stove. Press your tofu with your EZ Tofu Press to get out the extra liquid, then cube it up, toss in your sauce, and bake it twice.
Pressing the tofu is so important in this recipe. You want super firm tofu to top your Strawberry Spinach Salad, so make sure you don't skip this step.
Getting the water out of the tofu makes room for it to soak in that flavorful, 3-ingredient sauce (twice!). The result is toothsome, sweet-yet-savory tofu that pairs perfectly with succulent strawberries and earthy spinach.
Let's Cook!
While the total cooking time for this recipe is close to an hour and a half, you don't have to be there for a lot of this time. One of my favorite things about baking tofu is that it's very hands-off.
While it's in the oven, you don't have to do a thing.
Even cooler: you don't have to make a separate dressing for this salad recipe. Reserve that leftover maple-balsamic sauce for drizzling, if you feel like your salad needs it.
A good bit of the sauce clings to the tofu, so depending on how "dressing-y" you like your salads, you may not even need to add more.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Maple-Balsamic Tofu
Ingredients
For the Maple-Balsamic Tofu
- 1 block extra firm tofu - pressed and cut into 1" cubes
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - (Optional. Use an extra tablespoon each of vinegar and maple syrup, for an oil-free version.)
For the Strawberry Spinach Salad
- 8 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- ½ cup roasted pecans
Instructions
Make the Maple-Balsamic Tofu
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Balsamic Sauce: In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, and olive oil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- Toss the tofu cubes with the Balsamic Sauce in an 8"x8" glass baking pan. Remove the tofu cubes, leaving any excess sauce behind, and arrange the cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven. Do not turn the oven off.
- Put the baked cubes back into the glass pan and toss again in the reserved sauce. Stick the glass pan into the oven, and bake for another 30 minutes.
Make the Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Divide the spinach between four bowls. Top each bowl with ¼ cup strawberry slices.
- Use a slotted spoon to divide the tofu between your four bowls, reserving any leftover sauce from the pan. That leftover sauce is your dressing!
- Top each bowl with 2 tablespoons of pecans, and serve.
Sarah De la Cruz
Oh man! I love your BBQ Tofu so much—especially since it is so easy! Love that you use the same method with this salad! Can't wait to try!
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Sarah! I am glad that you love that technique as much as I do!
Katie
This is my perfect summer salad! I can't wait to make it. Thanks so much!!
Becky Striepe
Hooray! Enjoy it, Katie!
Dianne
I LOVE strawberries and balsamic vinegar together, so I bet this salad is amazing! I can't wait to try it!
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Dianne! It is such a classic flavor combo.