We decided to make this for a light lunch: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12372-vietnamese-inspired-cabbage-salad-with-tofu?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share
Our modifications: first, we halved the amount of cabbage (to 3 cups shredded) and the salad dressing. At the same time, we maintained the original amounts of extra firm tofu, carrot, and peanut.
Second, for the extra firm tofu, we followed a method from SkinnyTaste to reduce excess water: as a first step, we placed the block b/w two paper towels on a rimmed cutting board, then placed a heavier cutting board on top (to further press down on the tofu and squeeze out water). We left the tofu in that press while prepping the salad dressing and shredding the cabbage and carrot. Then rather than frying in slabs, we went ahead and cubed the tofu (3/4” cubes), dried them off one last time with a new paper towel, and then pan-fried them in a preheated nonstick pan with 1 Tbsp canola oil. We made sure to sear most sides of the tofu cubes, and then we placed them altogether in a mixing bowl with the soy – fish sauce mixture (rather than brushing each piece individually). Once the tofu cubes were coated, we removed them from the bowl and discarded the excess sauce (to avoid saturating the tofu).
Third, for the salad dressing, instead of peanut oil, we used 1 part roasted sesame oil to 2 parts canola oil. We also found the amount of jalapeno insufficient for heat; we may double it in the future.
Finally, as garnish we used not only freshly roasted peanut halves (we didn’t chop them) but also 2 Tbsp fried shallots and 1 tsp minced parsley (we skipped the cilantro). This was delicious and refreshing, and we found the higher ratio of tofu to cabbage worked for our household. (Oct. 2025)
Cooking Adventures 