Banh Mi Salad

Step 1

Squish the tofu between 2 heavy plates for 10 minutes, to drain some of the liquid. This helps it soak up more soy sauce and it will be crispier when you fry it. Pat it dry and slice it into 16 pieces.

Step 2

Toss the tofu into a freezer bag with the soy sauce or tamari and let it marinate for 20 minutes, or up to a day.

Step 3

Shred the carrots and daikon radish, if using a box grater or food processor. Daikon is traditional and it's fantastic, but they can be hard to find so don't feel like you can't make this without it. You should end up with approximately 2 cups of shredded carrot and 1 cup of shredded daikon. Add them to a bowl with the sugar and vinegar and toss. Leave them for 20 minutes to lightly pickle. You can leave them longer as well.

Step 4

Heat a large pan on medium heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Remove the tofu from the soy sauce and place 8 slices in the pan face-down. They will splatter a bit as the soy sauce hits the hot oil so be careful and once you have them in the pan, cover it with a lid or a splatter guard. Let them fry until light brown on one side, then flip and fry them on the other. Once they are golden brown to your satisfaction remove them onto a plate. If you want to dab up any excess oil, lay a paper towel on the plate and place the slices on top.

Step 5

Add the second tablespoon of oil to the pan and fry the other 8 slices.

Step 6

While the tofu cools, add the cabbage, cucumber, and jalapeño if using. Drain the lightly pickled carrots and daikon and add them to the bowl. In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise and sriracha. This is your dressing.

Step 7

Add the dressing to the bowl and mix until everything is lightly coated. Split into 4 portions and top each with 4 pieces of fried tofu, cilantro to taste and wedge of lime.

Step 8

Squeeze the lime juice overtop and enjoy!