Recipe: Mendocino Farms-Inspired Chinese Tofu Salad
Mendocino Farms–Inspired Chinese Tofu Salad
with Chipotle Vinaigrette
Serves 4
For the salad
3 cups chopped romaine
2 cups finely shredded napa cabbage
1 cup finely chopped kale
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
4 scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup toasted cashews
1–1½ cups crispy wonton strips
1 block extra-firm tofu
For the tofu
Mendocino Farms describes theirs as organic marinated, baked tofu, so I’d keep this savory and fairly simple rather than making it heavily flavored.
14 oz extra-firm tofu, pressed
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp neutral or avocado oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp maple syrup or honey
½ tsp garlic powder
Cut tofu into bite-size cubes. Toss with the marinade and let sit for about 20–30 minutes.
Bake at 425°F for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden around the edges. You can also air-fry it at 400°F for about 12–15 minutes.
Copycat Chipotle Vinaigrette
Mendocino Farms doesn't appear to publish the actual dressing recipe, so this part is my copycat version. Their vinaigrette is fairly oil-forward—the restaurant's nutrition information lists about 25g of fat per 1.75-oz serving—so you want a smooth vinaigrette rather than a thick chipotle sauce.
½ cup avocado or neutral oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
1 tbsp adobo sauce
1½ tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 small garlic clove
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Blend everything until completely smooth and emulsified.
Taste it before serving. For a sweeter restaurant-style vinaigrette, add another teaspoon or two of honey. For more smoke/heat, add another teaspoon of adobo sauce.
Put it together
Combine the romaine, napa cabbage, kale, spinach, carrots, bean sprouts, scallions and cilantro. Toss with enough chipotle vinaigrette to lightly coat everything.
Divide among bowls and top generously with the warm baked tofu, toasted cashews and crispy wonton strips.
I would definitely keep the cashews and wontons—those are what give Mama Chen's salad that really good crunchy, salty contrast.
One optional addition: avocado. It isn't part of the standard Mama Chen's salad, but Mendocino Farms offers it as an add-on, and I think avocado + tofu + chipotle vinaigrette would be excellent.
Easy dinner shortcut: buy a bagged napa cabbage/kale slaw mix, shredded carrots, wonton strips and pre-pressed tofu. Then this becomes a ~20-minute dinner.
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh watermelon cubes (chilled)
½ cup fresh coconut water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
6-8 fresh mint leaves
1 cup ice cubes (optional)
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Love + Gratitude,
