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.
How the spicy crispy tofu is made:
In a large bowl, mix together the tamari, extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Tear the tofu into approximately 1 cm pieces directly into the bowl and toss to coat.
Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
To the bowl with the marinated tofu add in the nutritional yeast and cornstarch. Toss everything together until there are no white patches left. Spread the tofu out onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping half way through.
While the tofu is baking, prepare the Vegan Ranch Dressing. Add add of the ingredients into a small blender or the container of an immersion blender and blend well. Store in an air tight jar in the fridge until ready to use.
Remove the tofu from the oven and let it cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Add the crispy tofu to a large bowl and pour the buffalo sauce over, mixing until all of the tofu is covered. Serve immediately over a bed of romaine and topped with the vegan ranch dressing and TVP bacon bits.
Enjoy!
Looking for more fresh salads? Try my Deconstructed falafel salad, my Southwest quinoa salad with zesty ranch or my Crunchy Asian salad!
Spicy Crispy Tofu
Crispy tofu baked and then covered in a buffalo sauce.
4
servings30
minutes30
minutes195
kcal1
hourKeep the screen of your device on
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
So delicious. Instead of baking, I did it in the air fryer for about 12 minutes, and the tofu was crispy and delicious. This will be on our weekly menu