Tofu Caprese ~ Vegan Salad

Tofu Caprese

Soft, creamy silken tofu is a natural stand-in for fresh mozzarella in a plant-based caprese salad. It’s boosted with additional Asian flavours including malty black rice vinegar, zippy ginger and umami-rich soy sauce. If you happen to be shopping at an Asian supermarket, you could pick up spicy Thai basil for the garnish.
Ingredients:
Ginger-Soy Dressing
1/4 cup (60 mL) sunflower oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) black rice (Chinkiang) vinegar
2 tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar
1 tbsp (15 mL) tamari soy sauce
2 tsp (10 mL) packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) finely chopped ginger
Salad
2 lbs (905 g) mixed ripe tomatoes, cored
1 block (395 g) silken tofu
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Small basil leaves or micro basil to garnish

Directions:
For the ginger-soy dressing, whisk all ingredients in a mixing bowl until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a glass jar. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week. Shake well before using.

For the salad, cut large tomatoes into thick slices, cut medium tomatoes into wedges and cut small tomatoes in half. Arrange on a large, rimmed serving platter. Drain tofu and pat dry with paper towel. Cut in half lengthwise then cut each half crosswise into thick slices. Carefully arrange over tomatoes.

Shake dressing and pour generously over salad, saving rest for another use— it’s a terrific dip for dumplings. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with basil.   Serve with a chilled Riesling.                                                                                                           Serves 6 to 8