Extra Crispy Yuba Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette
when you want a big bowl of ice-cold crunchies for dinner
Hello!
I hope all my east coast and Canadian friends survived the past smoky week. I grew up in LA, so I’ve got some experience dealing with the hazy wildfire skies, but last week was a whole other game. I don’t have a car in NY, so there’s nowhere to hide. Just taking the dogs to the vet required walking 20 minutes each way. We did bust out the masks, but my asthma and allergies still flared up for a few days. I’m really appreciating the clear skies, classic pollen allergies, and only mildly polluted air.
But on a positive note, looks like it’s finally summer! I’ve determined this because a. the farmers market is in full swing, b. I’m always at least a little sweaty, and c. Clementine, our English bulldog, wants to nap and drool all day. It’s time to eat big bowls of cold, crunchy salads.
This Extra Crispy Yuba Salad is one of my favorite things to dig into when it’s hot out. Yuba is tofu skin. When soy milk is boiled, just like when boiling whole milk or allowing a pudding to cool, the proteins on the surface form a skin that can be peeled off. With regular old cow’s milk, this skin is quite thin and fragile, but because of the extra protein in soy milk, you end up with a thick, chewy skin that’s perfect for soaking up saucy stews and braises, tossing like a noodle, or crisping up into a chip.
Yuba can be found fresh or dried, as thick or thin sheets, or bundled into small knots and coils. It’s traditionally used in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Yuba makes a fantastic meat alternative thanks to its mild flavor, chewy texture, and ability to soak up sauces. I always have some form of yuba in my freezer and pantry for a protein source that practically lasts forever. (Note that fresh yuba does go bad very quickly when stored refrigerated.)
There is so much you can do with yuba, but my go-to move is to crisp it up. Once tossed in oil and roasted, yuba becomes light and crunchy, just like deep-fried chicken skin or salmon skin! As someone who often wants to eat a bag of potato chips for dinner, crispy yuba gives me the same satisfaction but, you know, with nutrition.
Although I have been known to crisp up some yuba, toss it with nutritional yeast and salt, and call that dinner, mixing up all those crispy bits in a big cold salad really levels up the whole thing. The texture reminds me of the fried wonton strips in that old, problematically named, Wolfgang Puck Chinois Chicken Salad. No, there’s nothing Chinese about it, but I hate to admit it is freaking delicious. This salad has similar flavors of soy, sesame, and honey, hopefully without the controversy.
NOTES:
This salad is all about that refreshing crunch, so feel free to swap out the Asian pear, radish, celery, and iceberg for whatever watery and crisp veggies you’ve got. Try using a tart apple, jicama, or a couple of firm plums instead of the Asian pear. Swap the iceberg for a big head of Romaine. Instead of radishes and celery give cucumber, daikon, fennel, or endive a try. As long as you end up with about a heaping six cups (just fill up that mixing bowl!) of chopped/shredded veggies, you’re good to go.
Yuba is sold in packages of various sizes. Luckily, you don’t have to be too precise in this recipe, so if you’ve got an 8 or 12-ounce package, go ahead and use the whole thing. My favorite yuba is by Hodo Foods. I always keep packs of it in the freezer. They easily thaw in a bowl of cold water or overnight in the fridge.
Swap the honey for orange marmalade and make this dish totally vegan!
If all you have is seasoned rice wine vinegar, reduce the honey (or marmalade) to 1 ½ tablespoons, and note that you likely won’t need to add any kosher salt.
Extra Crispy Yuba Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette
Serves 1 to 2 | active time: 40 minutes | total time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
for the crispy yuba:
1 10-ounce package yuba
1 tablespoon neutral oil
kosher salt
for the vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons honey or marmalade
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
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