Kale and Quinoa Salad With Tofu and Miso
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:2 to 4 servings
- ½cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 2tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1½tablespoons white miso
- 1tablespoon mirin
- 2teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 6tablespoons grapeseed oil
- ½teaspoon sriracha, plus more for drizzling
- 1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned or grated
- 1small bunch curly kale, ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 4 packed cups)
- 1(14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into ¾-inch cubes
- Honey or maple syrup, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
439 calories; 29 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 18 grams polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 281 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with ¾ cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and cook over medium-low until the water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff it with a fork.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, miso, mirin, sesame oil, 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil and ½ teaspoon sriracha. Stir in the ginger.
- Step 3
Add the kale, massage it with the dressing and set aside to marinate. Spoon the cooked quinoa onto the kale and toss to coat.
- Step 4
In a nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil over medium. When the oil shimmers, cook the tofu, turning occasionally, until crisp on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil, then scatter it over the kale salad. Drizzle lightly with sriracha and honey and serve immediately.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Joyce
This is SO timely for me! I wanted to make tofu cubes last evening, and found a recipe for baked rather than fried. No oil, just cubes tossed in some tamari (I used low sodium) and nutritional yeast flakes. Bake separated cubes on baking sheet (on Silpat) on top oven rack for 20 minutes. Turn cubes onto other side, bake another 20 minutes. Crispy and very tasty!
REB
I never buy mirin, though I do a lot of pan-Asian cooking. To me, it is just syrup, despite claims of its having a rice, etc. base. Instead, I keep cooking grade sake in my cupboard and use it for the (mirin) liquid called for, plus a bit of sugar.
MJ
NO FAIL CRISPY LOW FAT TOFU: Thaw frozen tofu on counter during the day (I always have a few containers ther on hand) Preheat oven to 400F Press thawed tofu between your palms to release water Cut and Mix cubes w: 1T Tamari or Soy, 1T Olive Oil, 1T Corn Starch Place tofu on a half sheet pan covered in non-stick foil in a single layer Bake for 25-30 min, stirring halfway through if you think of it
Sarah
I don’t usually eat kale or tofu, but I want to eat this All The Time! This, for sure, is my new back pocket recipe.
Julia
This is my new salad obsession. I've made it twice and try to make it last as long as possible. Once it's gone, I'm craving it again. All the ingredients in the dressing work together with the rest of the salad ingredients for perfectly balanced bites. I made this exactly as the recipe is written both times and really wouldn't change a thing. (Which is odd for me as I consider recipes a jumping off point to adapt to my family's taste.). Thank you Corinne Trang!
Lina
Toss tofu cubes w/ half the amt of oil and roast in a hot oven along with a tray of squash or sweet potato
colette
Dry white wine is the opposite of mirin, which is syrupy and sweet. I’d use rice or champagne vinegar with sugar dissolved in it. But yes, you can find it at most groceries and it keeps well.
Tucky Tuckccd
Consider adding cashews. Watch the amount of oil in the dressing. Try following suggestion for baked tofu.
Lina
Add cubes of roasted butternut squash or sweet potato
NB
We made this per the recipe with the exception of baking the tofu (20 minutes at 400° after tossing with a little soy sauce, a little olive oil, and a little cornstarch) instead of frying it. It was delicious and a hit with adults and kids. This will go into permanent rotation at our house.
Kimmy B
This was fantastic, I did double the quinoa and increased the amount of kale by 50%; still found it well dressed with the dressing as written.
Julia
I used grape seed oil the first time and a neutral oil the second time I made it. The neutral oil tasted a little oily compared to the rest of the ingredients so the next time I'll stick to grape seed.
Mb
There is no reason to waste paper towel to drain the tofu. Simply place the block between two plates and place a weight on the top plate. Pour off the liquid periodically.
Andy
Delicious as is! For a heartier weeknight meal, we'd make at least double the quinoa. We were still hungry afterward.
Lolly O'Brien
Another good trick is to coat the tofu cubes, strips, what have you with cornstarch before cooking. Adds a nice crunchy layer.
Patricia Richards
One of the best kale salads ever. I made double the dressing, leaving out the neutral oil, marinated the tofu cubes for several hours and then baked them for 20 minutes. The tofu, marinated was fantastic.
Dawn
Following several other notes, I doubled the quinoa, added an extra couple handfuls of kale, used extra rice vinegar with a pinch of sugar instead of mirin, and air fried thawed/squeezed tofu with the suggested soy+oil+cornstarch coating. I didn’t feel any need to add the honey to this at the end, just a light drizzle of extra sriracha was perfect. Even the fact that I used a bag of chopped kale with the stems in couldn’t take away from how good this was.
Chelsey
I did not go into this recipe thinking that it was going to make a satisfying dinner. I usually find quinoa a little bland but this was anything but. Because I didn’t want to fry the tofu and nullify what would otherwise be a healthy meal, I prepared the tofu according to the “Miso broiled tofu” recipe also on NYT Cooking and combined it with this quinoa/kale as written- perfect.
Iris
Really satisfying and delicious! Followed recipe as stated. Will continue to make the miso ginger dressing for other salads as well. Yum!
Name CK Cooks
This was fantastic! Took other reviews advice and used about 1/2 the oil. Will make more honey Sri racha next time, but man, I’m already day dreaming about eating this again! May add a bit more acid next time, too.
Spatula 2000
This is in our regular rotation, love it! We also added a cup of blanched and sautéed Brussels sprouts and reduced the kale by a third.
Emily
This is one of my go-to recipes for a light weeknight dinner. It’s very flexible. I’ve used Tuscan (dinosaur) kale. Used shaoxing cooking wine or sake when I didn’t have mirin. Tonight I was out of toasted sesame oil so I put in a dollop of natural peanut butter instead. If the dressing is a bit thick add a splash of water. Oh, and I always use a drizzle of maple syrup (chili-infused or plain) instead of honey. Love this recipe!
Rachel
I made it with bulgar instead of quinoa, and microwaved the kale for a minute because I really don't like raw kale. Overcame my fear of frying tofu. Felt like a master chef. Can't wait to eat the rest for lunch tomorrow!
Michael
Put the tofu in the air fryer with some oil, soy sauce and cornstarch. This puppy is a delicious protein-powerhouse!
Mollie Sue
This is delicious. I double the dressing recipe and the amount of quinoa. For the veggies, I use one bag of chopped kale and one bag of Cruciferous crunch from Trader Joe's. I also bake the quinoa. Super simple! I eat it for lunch almost every day.
Meridith
Delicious. Made as written, subbing apple cider vinegar for the rice vinegar, because I realized when I started prepping that I didn’t have any. I don’t understand (and find it frustrating) when no one seems to make the recipe as written in all the notes I read here. It’s hard to get a feel for whether a recipe is for me. That said, this recipe is for me. I found it very delicious and a keeper.
sky
Delicious! I didn’t have white miso, but had Korean soybean paste. I used it 1/2 of what was instructed. I used spinach because that’s what I had instead of Kale. I didn’t splash honey at the end as I felt sweetness from the dressing was just enough. Definitely I’ll make it again next time with Kale!
Dad
400• oven 20 min Tbl soy sauce Tbl olive oil Tbl cornstarch
Misstippytail
I decided to pan fry onions with my sad looking kale and roast broccoli to make this a warm salad and it was delicious!
Kris
The dressing was so good! Wow. I did air fry the tofu and add some seasonings/cornstarch because we are particular about our tofu. Also upped the quinoa a bit. Tofu: Toss in 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp black pepper. Air fry for 10 minutes.
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