It’s been forever! I feel strange typing this, and yet, it’s so good to be back. Life has been nothing short of crazy these last few months–hence, my recent silence. To make a long story short, we purchased a house and made countless small (and some not-so-small) updates to said house, I started a part-time job as a nurse practitioner, and the girls have grown faster than weeds. I love creating and sharing recipes, but in the end, my family always comes first. And, this summer, that’s what happened. With so many commitments, I just couldn’t keep up with this here bloggity blog. I’ve written up a post schedule, and I’m hoping to serve you up a new vegan recipe every Thursday night. That’s the hope.
Anyways, so I’ve been making this kale salad for months now–taking it to church potlucks, taking it to work parties, feeding it to my family. Jonathan and I can practically gobble up the whole thing in one sitting between the two of us. It’s insane. Suffice it to say, I think you’ll love it too.
Without further adieu, I (along with every other food blogger on the web) bring you kale. Ha! I think you’ll love it, though.
My husband Jonathan grew up in Thailand. When we started dating (and subsequently hitting nearly every Thai restaurant in town), I not only fell in love with my now-husband (obvs), but I also fell in love with the rich flavors and aromas of Thai food. The chillies, kaffir lime, ginger, garlic, and galangal–all sprinkled with peanutty goodness–left me swooning. (Side note: If Jonathan was trying to win me over with Thai food, it totally worked.) Obviously, I’m not Thai, and my Thai friends would probably feel misrepresented by the fact that I call this a “Thai” salad…because, okay, it’s not really Thai.
But it does incorporate all of my favorite Thai flavors into one delectable salad that will make your heart (oh, and taste buds) giddy.
Thai Peanut Kale Salad with Crispy Tofu
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger or crushed in your garlic press
- salt to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons water if needed
For the Crispy Tofu:
- 14 oz tofu or 1 block extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Salad
- 1 bunch kale
- 1/4 red bell pepper julienned
- 1/2 cup match-stick cut carrots
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 2 stems green onion finely chopped
- 1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts coursely chopped
Instructions
- Assemble your dressing first by combining all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blending until smooth.
- At this point, if your dressing seems a bit thick, you may want to add a few teaspoons of water. If you hate drying off your freshly washed kale (like I do), you may consider leaving your dressing thick until it combines with the water droplets on your kale, which typically makes the perfect consistency for me.
- Place dressing (or processor dish) in the fridge while you prepare the rest of your salad.
- Chop your tofu unto 1 inch cubes.
- Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet on medium to medium-high heat, then add tofu cubes to the skillet.
- Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of salt over the tofu cubes.
- Turn tofu periodically to make sure all sides are golden--cooking for about 6-8 minutes.
- Remove tofu from heat and set aside.
- Wash kale, then tear kale leaves off of the stems and into bite-sized pieces.
- Place kale into a medium serving bowl and top with your chopped bell pepper, and carrots.
- Next, drizzle your dressing over your prepared veggies and gently toss.
- Top salad with crispy tofu, cilantro, green onion, and chopped peanuts.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
We tried this recipe tonight for dinner and it was a huge hit! My husband requested that we make it again this week. Thank you Lindsay for sharing this fantastic recipe.
Aww, thanks Nicole!! I miss you!! :)
Thanks for sharing Lindsay! This looks like a recipe my husband will really love! Look forward to trying it!
I hope you enjoy it as much as we have, Lori :)
Hey Lindsay. Since my hubby isn’t wild about raw kale, I adapted this yummy looking recipe a bit. Sauteed some regular onions, slightly steamed kale, carrots, and pepper, then added a similar dressing (just a pinch of sugar, more garlic/pwd ginger, no cilantro) and cooked rice blend (wild rice and several different kinds of brown rice). Talk about yummy! He requested I do it again. Love the dressing. And I got to try it in a way he would enjoy too :-)
Just found your website, just wanted to thank you. We know how to eat typical salads to stay healthy, but you get burnt out really fast on them. My wife and I are thin, and look healthy, but have both been diagnosed with high cholesterol, so we decided it was time to find some healthy alternatives that were also tasty. This website has been a godsend. Please keep it up! :)
This is our 2nd night in a row eating this as our supper. Yumminess is right! Thanks Lindsay!
Amazing recipe! I substituted almond butter and sliced almonds instead of the peanut ingredients. It still tastes great! And now my peanut-sensitive family members can eat it too!
I’ve been looking for a Thai peanut sauce for my stir fry recipe that’s as good as what one of my favorite restaurants used to make…I FOUND IT!!! Store bought bottled stuff is not up to par and is so weak in comparison to this. I’m ecstatic I found this blog post!! I had the kale salad as pictured for my dinner tonight and it was heavenly and I will be using this sauce for my Thai Peanut stir fry tomorrow and I can hardly wait! Yum , Yum and YUMMMMMM!!!!!!
Yay! So glad you loved it, Karen. Let me know how it turns out stir fried. :)
Excellent peanut sauce — made a somewhat different buddha bowl with rice vermicelli. I’d had trouble with the noodles B4 but I contacted the manufacturer — they gave me a different way to cook it — added veggies and your peanut sauce and it was wonderful.
Don’t know if you’re still doing this but as a newer vegan I’m really appreciating that you did. A nurse practictioner plus taking care of little children are huge jobs — enjoy every day knowing your recipes have made people happy!
Thanks so much, Penny! I’m so so glad that you enjoyed this recipe. :)