Chopped Peanut Salad

Chef's tip: Use fresh tofu in place of frozen tofu to create a chewier texture similar to grilled chicken.

Tofu croutons

1 block (~13.5 oz) frozen tofu, thawed, drained & patted dry
1 tbsp less sodium soy sauce
2 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp pepper

Salad

4 cups dinosaur kale, chiffonade 
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
1 cup English cucumber, sliced
½ cup sweet bell pepper, small diced
⅓ cup green onion
¼ cup cilantro

Peanut dressing

2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp less sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp water
1-2 tsp lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp fresh ginger, minced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Thaw frozen tofu and slice in 4 pieces. With a paper towel, pat the tofu dry, removing as much excess liquid as possible without breaking the tofu. Cover the tofu with soy sauce and let it sit until all juice has been soaked up. Slice the tofu into small-medium cubes, cover with olive oil, garlic powder, and pepper, then on a parchment lined sheet tray, roast the tofu in the oven at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

While the tofu cooks, combine kale, cabbage, cucumber, bell pepper, green onion, and cilantro in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, water, lime juice, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes until smooth, then slowly whisk in olive oil until well combined. Dress the salad with the salad dressing and let sit for 5 minutes. Top with tofu croutons when serving.

Makes: 4 servings (dressing: 4 servings at 2 Tbsp.)

Nutrition per 1 ½ cup serving: 257 calories, 15.7 g total fat, 2.6 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 364 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 16 g protein