Crispy BBQ Tofu Salad with Herby Ranch Dressing

Current obsession - tofu.  We can’t get enough of the stuff these days, and we are LOVING experimenting cooking with tofu in all the ways.  Blending it, shredding it, breading it, and in this case crisping it up with some BBQ sauce + calling it chicken.  This Crispy BBQ Tofu Salad with Herby Ranch Dressing hits the spot.  Whether you’re craving a loaded, crispy green salad is the vibe, a BBQ chicken pizza, or really just BBQ sauce in any form, this is the dinner to reach for.  The combo of crispy BBQ tofu + this herby dressing is total perfection.  Perfectly saucy + flavorful, yet so healthy and loaded with so many good for you veggies.  We are obsessed with this one!

 
 

Crispy tofu in BBQ sauce is basically chicken

The need to know information here is that crisping up tofu in the oven is so easy.  Forget frying it in oil - that’s for messy people. Dry it out, dice it up, toss is with some BBQ sauce + a sprinkle of cornstarch, and convection it up.  I’m sure you can use an air fryer.  We have a convection feature on our oven that works so well in getting food like this super crispy, and it did just that.  The final product looks + tastes like crispy pieces of chicken.  The tofu just eats up all the flavor of the BBQ sauce so the end result is a flavorful, crunchy, and chicken nugget adjacent item. And it’s just fun to eat!  We couldn’t stop snacking on the stuff straight out of the pan.

No fuss greens

The salad is simple - a green salad with what are our favorite things for a BBQ style salad.  Avocado, cucumbers, tomato - that’s pretty much our trifecta.  We added in some chickpeas + pepperoncinis simply because we had them on hand, and it was a great combo.

Make this dressing + put it on everything

 
 

This dressing is a dream!  I’ve used it in the past for a big pasta salad when we had a bunch of people over, and thanks to this dressing it got rave reviews! I listened to the people, and I’ve made this dressing for pasta + green salads many times since. It’s a favorite!  It’s light, flavorful, and perfectly green.  I use all my favorite herbs - basil, dill, chives, parsley - and one jalapeño to get the poppy color.  You can play with the ratios + reach for whatever herbs are on hand, or amp up one of the herbs if something looks particularly good at the grocery store (something I do regularly).  Point being you can play around with it, and as long as you have about 2 1/4 cups of fresh herbs, you’ll be in good shape.  The base is a combo of mayo + yogurt, and you truly don’t use much of either because the dress is straight herbs.

The consistency is super nice.  Not very thick, but just right for coating the lettuce + other salad components so that the end result of a perfectly dressed salad.

A fun, light, and fresh way to enjoy a casual weeknight salad + dip the toe into the water of tofu.

 
 

For the tofu

  • 1 block of firm tofu, cut in half + pressed to remove moisture

  • 2 tbsp BBQ sauce

  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire

  • 1 tbsp corn starch

  • 1-2 tsp EVOO

  • salt + pepper

For the dressing

  • 1/2 c. mayo

  • 1/2 c. Greek yogurt

  • 1/2 c. basil

  • 1/2 c. parsley

  • 1/4 c dill

  • 2 tbsp chives

  • 1 jalapeno

  • 1 garlic clove

  • pinch of salt + pepper

For the salad

  • a head of romaine lettuce, washed, cored, and chopped

  • 1 tomato, chopped

  • about 1 c. of sliced cucumbers (about half a cucumber)

  • 1/2 c. Monterey jack cheese, cute into small cubes

  • 1 c. chickpeas

  • 1 avocado, sliced

  • 1/4 c. sliced pepperoncinis

  • everything seasoning

For the tofu - Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the tofu with the BBQ sauce, Worcestershire, cornstarch, and EVOO. Add in a pinch of salt + pepper. Spread the tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake with the convection feature on for 30 minutes. Toss the tofu half way through. The tofu should be crispy + browned when you take it out from the oven.

For the dressing - Start by adding all of the dressing ingredients to a food processor. Puree until the dressing is smooth + vibrantly green. Transfer to an airtight container until you’re ready to assemble the salads.

For the salads - Add the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, cheese, and chickpeas to a large bowl, and add in 3-4 tbsp of the dressing. Toss the veggies so they’re all coated in the dressing, adding a bit more dressing if desired. To assemble the salads, place the dressed veggies in a bowl, nestle slices of avocado on the side, and sprinkle pepperoncinis on top of the salad. Drizzle a bit more dressing over the top. Finish the salad by topping it with the tofu pieces, a sprinkle of the everything seasoning, and enjoy.

Lesley ZehnerComment