Tofu Caesar Salad

This makes a great dinner salad for 2!

I’ve been experimenting with Caesar-ish healthy dressings, and this one is my favorite. It lacks pretty much all the traditional ingredients of a Caesar salad, but the combination of lemon and Parmesan was enough to trick my brain into thinking, “Caesar salad!” while the miso/garlic combo was savory enough that I didn’t miss the anchovies or eggs.

I marinated the tofu first, and coated it with cornmeal and sesame seeds before baking to make it flavorful and crispy. I totally had a freak-out moment where I thought the tofu was all stuck to the baking sheet, but BF hit it with a spatula, and it came right off with a great crust on the bottom! We had intended to use only 3/4 of the tofu for the salad, but ended up eating the rest of it off the baking sheet because it was so addictive, so I’m just going to use a whole recipe next time.

I have always been intimidated by purchasing miso, but now I may never make tofu without it again! I used mellow white miso for this. It makes the tofu savory, and adds some depth to the dressing, without giving a distinct miso flavor. As a bonus, I didn’t have to handle anchovy paste to make this!

Tofu “Caesar” Salad

13-14 oz. torn romaine lettuce (2 hearts)
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 recipe crispy baked tofu (below)
Approx 1/2 recipe miso garlic Caesar dressing (below)

Directions:

Combine lettuce and tofu in large bowl. Add dressing and cheese to taste.

Crispy Baked Tofu Recipe

Ingredients:

– 1 package extra firm tofu, drained
– tofu marinade ( (I used white wine vinegar, miso, EVOO, garlic powder, & some white wine)
– 1/4 cup corn meal
– 2 tsp sesame seeds
– 1/2 tsp salt
– Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Cut tofu into small cubes.
2. Marinate tofu overnight.
3. Combine cornmeal, sesame seeds, and salt in a small bowl.
4. Grease a baking sheet. Dip tofu in cornmeal mixture until well-coated, then place on baking sheet.
6. Bake tofu for 35 minutes at 400, or until golden and crispy.
7. Carefully remove tofu cubes with a spatula. They will appear to be stuck, but they actually have a delicious crust on the bottom that you don’t want to leave behind!

Miso Garlic “Caesar” dressing recipe

Ingredients:

-1/3 c EVOO
– juice of 1 lemon
– 4 tbsp miso
– 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix well with a fork.