This vegan Asian salad combines crispy salt and pepper tofu with lots of crunchy veggies and sweet mandarin oranges with a blender-made ginger sesame dressing!
Table of Contents
This super easy asian chopped salad recipe uses my salt and pepper tofu, which you can cook in the oven or in the air fryer. It combines so well with the veggies and mandarin oranges!
To save you time, this recipe is using tri-color coleslaw as the salad base. No need to shred cabbage and carrots! Just open that bag and measure. Add in some sliced bell pepper and cucumber along with edamame, fresh basil, and mandarin oranges, and you are in for such a treat!
I love a salad that combines warm and cold elements, so this asian cabbage salad is best served immediately, while the tofu is still hot. If you are making this ahead, store the dressing, salad, and tofu separately, and warm up the tofu before you assemble and serve.
The other star of this salad is the super easy blender ginger sesame salad dressing. You literally just toss everything into the blender, puree, and pour.
✓ Ingredients and Variations
- tofu - Use firm or extra firm tofu, and press it gently to get out the excess water out before slicing.
- toasted sesame oil - To season the tofu and the ginger sesame dressing.
- olive oil - Helps the tofu crisp in the air fryer/oven.
- soy sauce - Use low-sodium soy sauce, because its flavor isn't as strong. You will need it for the tofu and for the dressing. Use gluten-free soy sauce, if needed.
- cornstarch and spices - The cornstarch helps the tofu get crispy. You also need salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to season the tofu.
- rice vinegar - This is the acid for your dressing. You can use lime juice instead, if you prefer, or a mix of rice vinegar and lime juice.
- maple syrup - To sweeten the dressing. You can use an equivalent amount of your liquid sweetener of choice instead, if you prefer.
- fresh ginger - For the dressing. If you don't want a gingery dressing, omit the ginger and just mix the other ingredients rather than blending.
- vegetables - For the salad, you'll need a bag of tri-color coleslaw, a bell pepper, a cucumber, green onion, sugar snap peas, and basil. You can use shredded cabbage or lettuce instead of the slaw. You can also replace the bell pepper and cucumber with other crunchy veggies of choice, like carrots or radishes. Or use more bell pepper and no cucumber or vice versa. Finely chopped red onion is fine to use in place of the green onion, if you prefer. You can replace the snap peas with snow peas or shelled, cooked edamame. If you don't have basil, you can omit it or replace with fresh cilantro.
- mandarin oranges - The recipe calls for canned mandarin oranges, but you can peel fresh instead. If you do that, slice the sections in half.
- sliced almonds - For crunch! For nut-free, use sunflower seeds or just omit the almonds. You can also use cashews, if you prefer.
🔪 How to Make Vegan Asian Salad
First, get the salt and pepper tofu cooking. If you're baking the tofu, preheat the oven to 400° F.
Mix together the oils and the teaspoon of soy sauce, then toss well with the tofu.
Mix together the cornstarch, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, then toss the tofu in the cornstarch mixture, coating well.
Arrange the tofu in a single layer on a lined baking sheet.
Bake at 400° F for 30 to 40 minutes until the tofu turns a beautiful, crispy, golden brown. (See the recipe card for air fryer directions.)
Meanwhile, prep your veggies and make the ginger sesame dressing.
Add all of the dressing ingredients, except the sesame seeds, to your blender, and puree until smooth.
Taste and adjust the flavor, adding more maple syrup or more rice vinegar, if needed. Stir in the sesame seeds.
In a large bowl, add all of the salad ingredients and the dressing.
Toss well to coat the veggies in the dressing.
Divide the salad mixture your salad bowls, and top with the warm salt and pepper tofu.
💡 Helpful Tips
- Get the tofu cooking first. While that bakes or air fries, you can prep and assemble the rest of the salad ingredients and make the dressing.
- Seeding the cucumber isn't required, but it does keep the salad from getting too soggy, if you're storing leftovers.
🫙 Storage Directions
You can make the salad and the tofu ahead, if you like. It's fine to store the salad tossed with the dressing, since cabbage won't wilt like lettuce does. Do store the tofu separately and reheat it in the oven or the air fryer before serving.
The salad will keep for two to three days. The tofu will keep for three to four days. The dressing on its own keeps for about a week in the refrigerator.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
This ginger sesame dressing is perfect, but you can also use peanut dressing, gochujang salad dressing, or store-bought sesame vinaigrette.
This salad is almost like an Asian slaw, using tri-color coleslaw as the base. If you do want to add lettuce, choose romaine, butter, iceberg, or Bibb lettuce.
📖 Recipe
🥗 Vegan Asian-Style Salad
Equipment
- Air Fryer - optional
Ingredients
For the Salt and Pepper Tofu
- 1 block extra firm tofu cut into 1" cubes
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Ginger Sesame Dressing
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or more to taste
- 1" piece fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds white, black, or a mix
For the Asian Salad
- 14 ounces tri-color coleslaw about 6.75 cups
- ⅔ cup canned mandarin oranges drained
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds omit or use sunflower seeds for nut-free
- ½ red bell pepper sliced into thin strips
- ½ cucumber seeded and sliced into half moons
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
Instructions
Make the salt and pepper tofu.
- Mix together the oils and the teaspoon of soy sauce, then toss well with the tofu. Mix together the cornstarch, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, then toss the tofu in the cornstarch mixture, coating well.
- Air Fryer: Arrange the tofu in your air fryer basket, spreading it out as much as possible. Air fry at 375° F for 10 minutes, then shake the basket well and air fry for 5 to 10 more minutes, or until the tofu turns a beautiful, crispy, golden brown.
- Oven: Arrange the tofu in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 400° F for 30 to 40 minutes until the tofu turns a beautiful, crispy, golden brown.
Meanwhile, make the ginger sesame dressing.
- Add all of the dressing ingredients, except the sesame seeds, to your blender, and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the flavor, adding more maple syrup or more rice vinegar, if needed. Stir in the sesame seeds.
Assemble the salad.
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients while the tofu finishes cooking.
- In a large bowl, toss together all of the salad ingredients and the dressing. Divide into your salad bowls, then top with the warm salt and pepper tofu. Serve immediately.
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