Easy Japanese Tofu Salad with Seaweed

5 from 4 votes

This Japanese tofu salad with seaweed is a healthy and delicious side dish that's perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. Enjoy it with a homemade ginger and soy sauce dressing to add a burst of flavor to the salad!

Japanese tofu and seaweed salad in a bowl

If you want to try a new recipe with tofu, this tofu salad with seaweed is a great place to start. Tofu's neutral flavor allows it to soak up the dressing's flavors, while seaweed adds texture and important nutrients such as calcium.

With its flavorful homemade ginger dressing and nutritious ingredients, this salad is the perfect way to satisfy your cravings while keeping you feeling great!

This recipe is for you if:

You love tofu and Japanese food.
You want to make tofu salad.
You are looking for easy tofu salad recipe.

All right, let me show you how to make this healthy salad. If you want to check the recipe, please jump to the recipe card below. Let's get started!

Jump to:

About this Recipe
📋 Ingredients
Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients
🔪Instructions
Variations of Vegetables
Variations of Dressings
FAQ
Thanks For Stopping By!
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

About this Recipe

Japanese tofu salad recipe
Healthy salad recipe
Homemade ginger dressing
Variations of ingredients and dressing

📋 Ingredients

Here are the ingredients (amounts are in the recipe card below).

Tofu: You can choose either firm or silken tofu. I use firm tofu in this recipe. Find more in the next section.
Seaweed Mix: You can buy a package with mixed dried seaweed. I will explain this in the following section.
Green vegetables: I like adding leafy greens, such as lettuce, sprouts, and spinach, but you can add any fresh vegetables.
Dressing: A blend of ginger, vinegar, oil, sugar, and soy sauce. Also, you can try it with this miso, creamy sesame dressing, or your favorite dressing. You can find more dressing variations below.

Tofu

You can find two types at a store - silken and firm.

Silken tofu (Kinu) has a soft and delicate texture that is due to its high water content, which makes it easy to break apart. On the other hand, firm tofu (Momen) has a denser texture and a slightly richer taste.

Both are great for a salad. However, firm tofu or extra-firm tofu would be a better choice as it holds its shape better and provides a nice texture to the dish. If your tofu contains too much water, then you can press tofu to remove the excess water and achieve a firmer texture.

Seaweed Mix

We have a wide variety of seaweed to choose from in Japan, such as wakame, hijiki, nori, and kombu. You can find them in various dishes, from savory miso soup to seasoned rice.

Seaweed contains many minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, etc., plus it has high amounts of dietary fiber, which helps keep your digestive system functioning properly.

This seaweed mix is the perfect addition to any salad. It's super healthy and comes with several different types of dried seaweed in a variety of colors, brightening up your lunch or dinner even more!

This package includes 7 different seaweeds, and here's the picture! These are great for not just salads but also miso soup. You can find seaweed mix at your local Asian grocery stores or online.

Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients

If you live in the US, you can find Japanese ingredients in the list below.

Japanese market: Mitsuwa Marketplace, Marukai
Asian market
Whole Foods Market
Health food stores
Online stores: Instacart, Walmart, Amazon

🔪Instructions

Let me walk you through how to make it step by step. You can also watch this video.

How to make Japanese tofu and seaweed salad

Soak seaweed for 10 minutes and drain
Cut tofu and green vegetables (Drain tofu and no need to press it)
Make the ginger dressing (Blend all the dressing ingredients in a bottle by shaking)
Serve (Vegetables, tofu, seaweed, and dressing on the top)

I'm ready to dig in! Quick, easy, and delicious tofu salad are here. I can't wait for you to try it out with me!

Variations of Vegetables

Add colorful and crunchy vegetables to enjoy the salad more! Here are some variations:

Green onion
Red bell pepper
Red cabbage
Red onion
Romaine lettuce
Cucumber
Cherry tomatoes
Edamame

Variations of Dressings

The tofu and seaweed salad would pair well with many different dressings to add more flavor and texture. Here are some additional dressing suggestions:

Sesame Dressing: Whisk together sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, maple syrup, sesame seeds, and mayonnaise.
Creamy Avocado Dressing: Blend together avocado, lime juice, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.
Miso Dressing: Whisk together miso paste, rice vinegar, honey, and olive oil.
Creamy Peanut Dressing: Whisk together peanut butter, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and water.

FAQ

Which tofu is for a salad? Firm or silken?

Both the firm and silken tofu are great for a salad. However, firm tofu or extra-firm tofu would be a better choice as it holds its shape better and provides a nice texture to the dish. If your tofu contains too much water, then you can press tofu to remove the extra water and achieve a firmer texture.

Can I eat raw tofu?

Yes! Japanese tofu salad is a raw tofu dish.
If you're a fan of tofu, we have the perfect Japanese appetizer called "Hiyayakko." It is made with raw tofu and topped with your choice of toppings like shredded nori or chopped scallion to give it extra flavor-it's also seasoned with soy sauce!

Thanks For Stopping By!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog♡ . If you’ve tried this recipe (or any other recipe on the blog), please give it a star rating below!

Also, feel free to leave comments if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!

Chef JA Cooks is a Japanese food blog that shares simple and healthy Japanese home cooking recipes, including vegan and vegetarian. From traditional Japanese recipes to modern recipes with step-by-step instructions.

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