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.
Servings 4
Author Becky Striepe
Ingredients
For the Maple-Balsamic Tofu
1blockextra firm tofupressed and cut into 1" cubes
1cupbalsamic vinegar
½cupmaple syrup
2tablespoonsolive oil(Optional. Use an extra tablespoon each of vinegar and maple syrup, for an oil-free version.)
For the Strawberry Spinach Salad
8cupsbaby spinach
1cupsliced strawberries
½cuproasted 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.