A little while ago I made a balsamic tofu salad and it was delicious. The only problem was that it wasn’t very photogenic so I only pasted it to my facebook page and not my blog because, well… I like pretty things.

But tonight I’ve had to overcome my vanity because I made a different version of the salad and it was just so tasty that I really wanted to share it! So here it is, food porn worthy or not. (To be fair, it’s much prettier than the last version!)

This may seem like a slightly random combination for a salad but trust me, it works! The amounts of everything I used are just a guideline – use as much or as little of each ingredient as you like, depending on how hungry you are!

Balsamic Tofu, Asparagus & Broccoli Salad

Serves 1 as a main

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (+ extra for drizzling if desired)
150g firm tofu, pressed*
6 broccoli florets
8 asparagus tips
50g baby spinach leaves
6 baby plum tomatoes, halved
1/4 hass avocado, sliced

Method

1. Mix oil and vinegar together in small bowl. Cut tofu in half lengthways so it’s around 2cm thick, then halve again widthways. Add tofu pieces to oil mix, making sure all sides get coated. Marinate for a minimum of 10 minutes (up to one hour for best results), turning every 5 minutes or so if not fully immersed. Pre-heat grill to high.

2. Put marinated tofu on foil-lined tray, sprinkle a little of the oil mix on top if required, then grill for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, blanch broccoli for 2 minutes, or until it turns bright green. Lightly coat broccoli and asparagus with leftover marinade.

3. Remove tray from oven and turn tofu. Add broccoli and asparagus to tray and grill for further 5 minutes, turning vegetables half-way through cooking time.

Spread spinach on a plate and top with tomato and avocado. Drizzle with balsamic if desired.

4. Once tofu and vegetables are starting to brown and crisp, remove from grill and add to salad. NB: I chopped tofu pieces in half again at this stage to spread over the salad more evenly. Eat while hot!

* I don’t own a tofu press as they are darn expensive so I just make do with items in my kitchen. I’ve tried several different methods but I find the most effective method is to use two chopping boards, some paper towel and canned goods:

Wrap the tofu between a few sheets of paper towel or a clean tea towel and place in between two chopping boards. Rest two large tins of whatever you have in your pantry on top (the heavier, the better – chickpeas, coconut milk and beans all work well)! Voila – tofu press!

Enjoy!