Cucumber Crunch Salad With Tofu
Is it too hot to cook? Does the thought of even turning on the microwave feel like it might tip you too close to the surface of the sun? We are long overdue to talk about my favorite heat wave meal, one I’ve been holding out on you for five too many summers. As the president of Overthinkers Anonymous, I had my reasons. What if you’re not as obsessed with inhaling a pound of fridge-cold cucumbers as I am? What if the mere whiff of peanut sesame noodle dressing doesn’t make you want to climb into a vat of it? What if my favorite salad tofu — firm silken — isn’t your favorite salad tofu? What if you don’t have a favorite salad tofu? [Six question marks in a paragraph might be a record!]
This starts with a reduced portion of the peanut sesame noodle sauce I’ve been making since college, or 100 years ago [“did they have cars back then?”] according to my children. Whenever there’s leftovers, I happily toss them with any kind of raw vegetable, from grated carrots to shredded cabbage, but cucumbers are my go-to, especially topped with minced salted peanuts and scallion. It’s perfect. We could stop there. But when I want it to feel like even more of a full meal, I add tofu, and if you can find firm silken tofu, which has silken’s smooth texture but holds its shape when sliced, it’s a pillowy dream here. Together these thick batons of cool tofu + crisp cucumbers + a heavenly dressing that does all the lifting + a layer of crunchy, salty, spicy stuff are the only thing I can consider eating when it’s hot out. Maybe you’ll be converted too.
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar
- 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or finely grated
- 1 small garlic clove, minced or finely grated
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- Hot sauce, chili paste, or chili crisp to taste
- Water, if needed
- 1 14- to 16-ounce package persian cucumbers (5 to 6)
- 1 scallion
- 3 tablespoons salted roasted peanuts, chopped small
- 1 package firm or extra-firm silken tofu (usually a 10- to 12-ounce package)
- Toasted black and white sesame seeds (optional)