Creamy Peanut Cabbage Slaw with Crispy Tofu
I only recently realized that this staple recipe of mine is NOT on my site. What?! I wrongly assumed that I had shared it here before, since I used to make it on the regular. Time to fix that!
In case you didn't know by now, I have a deep love affair with peanut butter. I just finished a 4.4lb tub of it (...I know) that I got at the end of June. The END OF JUNE. It only took me 2 MONTHS to finish that much peanut butter. I'm honestly not sure if that's absolutely disgusting or highly impressive, but now it's on the internet so you can judge me how you want. I'll just be over here ordering my next 4.4lbs.
Hahaha anyway, now that I've shared that tidbit with you, onto this slaw. I used to make this allll the time and I recently revisited the recipe, adding a few extra special touches. Firstly, we all know that any food drenched in a creamy, salty peanut butter sauce is a food you definitely want to consume, so this slaw is a great way to get tons of veggies in - I used two types of cabbage here, but I've also added shredded brussels sprouts and carrots in the past with delicious results.
Secondly, the addition of crispy tofu (my latest obsession - tutorial on my Instagram) is the perfect pair to this slaw and gives it a plant-based protein boost. And lastly, generously adding crunchy things like peanuts and coconut flakes takes the texture to the next level here. So satisfying!
Hope you love this one. It's great for meal prep (just keep the tofu separate) and as a crunchy side dish to get those veggies in!
Creamy Peanut Cabbage Slaw with Crispy Tofu
Ingredients
1/2 head of purple cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 bunch of Napa cabbage, finely shredded
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1/3 c. peanuts
1/4 c. large flaked coconut (toasted if desired)
For the peanut-lime sauce:
1/3 c. creamy natural peanut butter
1 small lime, peeled + chopped
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. minced ginger
2 tsp. honey or maple syrup
1 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
1-2 tsp. chili flakes or chili-garlic sauce (optional for spicier version)
Water or coconut milk, to thin
For the crispy tofu:
1 block extra-firm tofu, drained + pressed in a clean towel for 20 mins
1 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot starch
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and start by slicing your tofu evenly in half, placing both halves between a clean tea towel and placing something heavy overtop (like a cast iron pan) for 15-30 mins to drain excess water out of the tofu. (I have a tutorial for this in my Instagram story highlights!)
Meanwhile, place all of your slaw ingredients except the peanuts + coconut in a large bowl and mix.
Make your sauce by placing all ingredients except water/coconut milk in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding a bit of water or coconut milk to thin it to a pourable consistency.
Slice your drained tofu into cubes, place them in a bowl and drizzle with the tamari and sesame oil. Toss to evenly coat, then sprinkle on the cornstarch and toss again so all the cubes are covered. Spread on a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then flip the pieces and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the cubes are lightly browned and crispy.
Pour sauce on top of slaw and mix thoroughly to combine. Sprinkle with the peanuts and coconut flakes, then top with crispy tofu. Enjoy!
Serves 4
