Spicy Buffalo Ranch Salad

The perfect summer time meal! A large salad topped with crispy, spicy tofu, tangy ranch dressing and crunchy bacon bits and it’s all vegan and gluten free!

This salad was inspired by Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Ranch Salad with Buffalo Tempeh. It starts with spicy crispy tofu, then is topped with my vegan ranch dressing and smokey, crunchy TVP bacon bits.

Making all parts of this recipe ahead of time allows dinner to come together quickly. I usually make the dressing a few hours ahead of time so that the flavors have time marry. Making the TVP bacon bits ahead of time improves their crunchiness as they cool down.

Find the recipe for the Spicy Crispy Tofu below. For the ranch dressing follow this link: Vegan Ranch Dressing. For the TVP bacon bits follow this link: Smokey, Crunchy TVP bacon bits.

A note on some of the ingredients

Extra firm tofu: Extra firm tofu does not have as much water content as other types of tofu. This will help it to crisp up nicely. The tofu does not have to be pressed. For best results tear the tofu into 1 cm pieces instead of slicing it. The ragged edges will give the tofu more texture.

Light tamari sauce: I almost always buy light tamari sauce because the taste is a little mellower than regular tamari. It is also lower in sodium than regular tamari. If substituting regular tamari or gluten-free soy sauce and reduce the salt in the recipe.

Cornstarch: The cornstarch is the key ingredient for helping the tofu crisp up. Substitutions can be potato or tapioca starch however I have not tested the recipe using these ingredients.

Hot sauce: I prefer to use Frank’s Hot Sauce for this recipe but any buffalo style hot sauce would work. The brand of sauce and the amount used will determine how spicy the tofu ends up.

Spicy Crispy Tofu

Recipe by Jessica

0.0 from 0 votes

Crispy tofu baked and then covered in a buffalo sauce.

Course: DinnerDifficulty: Beginner

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Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

195

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

• 1 package extra firm tofu (350g)

• 2 tbsp light tamari sauce

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 3 tbsp cornstarch

• 1/3 cup buffalo hot sauce

Directions

• In a medium bowl mix together the oil, tamari, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, salt, paprika and pepper. Tear the tofu into 1 cm pieces and add to the marinade. Toss to ensure that the tofu is all coated. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• To the tofu add the nutritional yeast and cornstarch and mix well until no dry patches are left.
• Add the tofu to the pan and bake for 30 minutes, tossing it half way through.
• Once cooked let the tofu cool for 3 to 5 minutes on the pan. Then transfer the tofu to a large bowl and pour the hot sauce over top. Toss until the tofu is thoroughly coated and serve.

Notes

• I prefer to use light tamari sauce for the flavor and because it is lower in sodium. If you use regular tamari sauce I recommend cutting back on the amount of salt.
• Nutritional information is a rough estimate.
• Ensure all ingredients are gluten free if required.

Nutrition Facts

• Total number of serves: 4
• Calories: 195kcal
• Carbohydrates: 9.8g
• Protein: 15.6g
• Fat: 11.7g
• Saturated Fat: 1.5g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 1337.4mg
• Potassium: 212.3mg
• Fiber: 0.4g
• Sugar: 1.1g

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