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Creamy carrot, cucumber, corn and tofu salad

This salad is inspired by curiosity. It is what I imagine Japanese kani salad to taste like, if it were vegetarian. Mine has no imitation crab of course, but I’ve used pan-fried extra firm tofu. I bring the taste of the ocean later with a liberal sprinkling of furikake (a vegan one); if you don’t have furikake, you could sprinkle over crushed nori snack sheets for a salty-sea finish.

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A bowl of salad with sliced tofu, carrots, cucumbers, corn, and herbs on a marble surface.

The creamy dressing is mayonnaise based, but is lightened by ponzu, a Japanese citrus dipping sauce of citrus juice (yuzu, lime or lemon), soy sauce, sugar or mirin, and dashi.

For superior flavour and comforting creaminess, can anything beat Kewpie? Like many others, I’m a devotee. However I do acknowledge it’s heavier than other brands. Feel free to substitute with your preferred brand; vegan mayonnaise is a good lighter option. You could lighten it up further by substituting half the mayo with greek or coconut yoghurt for extra tang.

Creamy carrot, cucumber, corn and tofu salad

Serves

Ingredients

extra virgin olive oil
425 g extra firm tofu, drained, patted dry, sliced into 1cm / ½-inch pieces
sea salt and white/black pepper
2 medium carrots (about 220g / 8 ounces), peeled and julienned
2 Persian / Lebanese cucumbers (about 220g/ 8 ounces), trimmed, seeds scooped out, julienned
150 g frozen or fresh corn kernels, thawed and run under hot water, drained
2 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
2 scallions, thinly sliced
vegan furikake, toasted sesame seeds, or crushed nori snack sheets, for topping

Creamy Soy-Ponzu dressing

80 g kewpie or other mayonnaise (vegan mayonnaise is great too)
1 garlic clove, finely grated (I use Microplane)
1 tablespoon ponzu* (see Tips and Variations below)
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Instructions

Heat a large skillet / frying pan on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. When hot, drizzle with olive oil and add the tofu slices (working in batches, if needed), season well with salt and pepper and cook until golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drizzle the top with more olive oil, and flip over and cook the other side until golden, another 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat until all the tofu is cooked. When the tofu is cool, slice into thin strips.
In a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, garlic, ponzu, and soy sauce and whisk until well combined. To the dressing, add the carrot, cucumber, corn, tofu strips, sesame seeds and scallions. Toss well to coat. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
To serve, top with furikake, toasted sesame seeds, or crushed nori snack sheets.

Tips and Variations

Ponzu can be purchased at Japanese supermarkets and is gluten free. It’s a wonderful all-purpose sauce that can be eaten with noodles, dumplings and hotpot.

Note for vegetarians/vegans, some brands of ponzu may contain bonito, so check the label to make sure it’s fish free. If you don’t have ponzu, I would simply replace it with an extra 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and 2 to 3 teaspoons of your chosen citrus (lime, lemon or citrus).