Baked Tofu Banh Mi Salad

Ingredients

• •28 oz extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2″ – 1″ pieces
• •1 cup lite soy sauce
• •4 tbsp sesame oil
• •4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• •1 tbsp sugar
• •1 scallion, finely chopped
• •1/2 cup mayo
• •1/4 cup reserved tofu marinade (plus more if needed)
• •1 tbsp sriracha (or more/less to taste)
• •2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on an angle
• •2/3 English cucumber, halved, seeds scraped out and thinly sliced at an angle
• •1 bunch radishes, quartered
• •6 tbsp rice vinegar
• •2 tsp sea salt
• •1/2 tsp sugar
• •8 oz French bread, cut into 1″ cubes (needs to be stale, if bread is too fresh, leave cubes on the counter overnight to stale)
• •1/4 cup fresh cilantro, stems removed
• •2 tbsp black sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Steps

1. 1*Components can all be made ahead of time*
2. 2For tofu: Combine all tofu ingredients in a zip top bag and marinate 4-24 hours (ok, but really, if you’ve only got 30 minutes, that’s fine, too). Preheat oven to 350F. Drain tofu reserving the marinade. Place cubes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until tofu begins to brown in places where it’s exposed. Allow to cool.
3. 3For dressing: Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl, adding more marinade, if needed, to create a drizzleable consistency. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
4. 4For veggies: Combine all ingredients and “marinate” in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
5. 5To assemble salad: In a large bowl, layer half (each) of the bread, dressing, veggies, tofu and cilantro. Repeat. Top with sesame seeds. Toss just before serving.