silken tofu (cold and spicy!)

This extra-delicate silken tofu recipe is one of our favorite summer dishes. We top it with a spicy soy dressing that is light and gingery.

It’s a cold dish with a delightful pop of sesame seeds, crunchy green onions, and the savory backbone of miso. This is also an IDEAL recipe for a big spoonful of your favorite chili crisp.

why I love it:

Silken tofu is way underused in our house. I reach for extra-firm tofu weekly for a simple protein our kids will eat. But silken tofu is a whole different animal!

Supremely delicate, jiggly, and so silky. This recipe is all about texture and contrast: cold and silky cubes, crunchy bits in the dressing, pops of vinegar, salty miso.

The sauce is thick enough to drape over the tender tofu cubes, yet light and refreshing.

The dish is so darn simple, too. I can’t think of a better summer meal to make when all you want to do is crawl into the freezer and hide from the sun. 

Whisk up a simple dressing, cube the tofu, and combine. Done!

what is silken tofu?

To start, tofu is soymilk that is boiled, curdled, and pressed to separate the curds and whey (like cheese). 

Water content determines the firmness of the tofu. The more it’s pressed, the firmer the tofu.

To make silken tofu, the soymilk mixture is coagulated but never curdled. No curds form, so silken tofu has a high liquid content and the texture is wobbly, delicate, and silky. 

There are variations of silken tofu: extra-firm, firm, soft, or fresh.

We want to use extra-firm or firm in this cold silken tofu recipe. Since curds never form in silken tofu, these firmness variations are determined by the amount of water used when the tofu is made. Extra-firm silken tofu is made with the smallest volume of water, so the final tofu can be cubed and retain its shape.

To make soft, firm, or extra-firm tofu, the soymilk is coagulated, curdled, and pressed (curds are separated from the whey). More pressing and removal of liquid produces firmer versions of tofu.

ingredients for this silken tofu recipe:

how to make this recipe:

1. Drain tofu on paper towels.
2. Make spicy soy dressing.
3. Cut tofu into cubes and gently transfer to a serving dish
4. Pour dressing over top and garnish with green onions.
5. Serve.

tips for working with silken tofu:

Handle the tofu as little as possible.

• The tofu is so delicate that you risk breaking it down with every move. I try to limit my actions with it to 3: drain, slice, and transfer to a serving bow. That’s it!

Let it drain on paper towels to wick away excess moisture.

• The wetter the silken tofu is, the more the liquid will seep out into the dish and dilute the dressing. Unlike firm tofu, which we can press with our hands (or pans), silken is so soft that gravity and time are the best ways to remove the liquid.
• Below is a detailed run-through of this process:

Eat within a few hours:

• I prefer NOT to marinate this tofu. The longer the tofu sits in the dressing, the more the salt in the dressing will pull out the liquid and dilute the dressing.
• If you want to prep this ahead, make the dressing and drain/ cube the tofu, and then store them in the refrigerator in separate containers. When you're ready to eat, pour on the dressing and enjoy!

step-by-step prep silken tofu:

1. Turn the tofu out of its package and onto a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Let it sit for 5 minutes to drain off excess liquid.
3. Flip it onto a paper towel-lined cutting board and let sit for another 5 minutes.
4. Slice into bite-sized cubes. Carefully transfer to a serving dish and proceed with recipe.

make this recipe your own:

• Spoonful of chili crisp
• Grate fresh garlic into the dressing
• Thinly sliced cucumber or radishes
• Fermented black beans
• Nori flakes
• Chopped peanuts
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Minced jalapeño peppers or quick pickled jalapeños
• Try it with a different dressing: creamy miso ginger dressing, spicy cashew dressing, or sesame ginger dressing

more recipes to try!

red coconut curry with tofu

miso salmon bowl

cold sesame peanut noodles

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