Thai-Inspired Tomato Salad

A gorgeous winter break in Thailand left me with a full camera roll and a craving for papaya salad. This is my down home reimagining of the classic. Plump tomatoes, cool cucumbers, and crisp celery build a wonderfully refreshing base. Mix in cashews and tofus to add crunch and protein. A simple marinade of fresh ginger, lime, and garlic brings a balance of salty, sweet, and sour to every bite. (Photo Source: Josie Braaten) — A gorgeous winter break in Thailand left me with a full camera roll and a craving for papaya salad. This is my down home reimagining of the classic. Plump tomatoes, cool cucumbers, and crisp celery build a wonderfully refreshing base. Mix in cashews and tofu to add crunch and protein. A simple marinade of fresh ginger, lime, and garlic brings a balance of salty, sweet, and sour to every bite. (Photo Source: Josie Braaten)

| Yield: 4 servings | Time: 30 minutes |

Ingredients

Salad mix

3 cups tomatoes (sliced)

1 ½ cups celery (angle sliced)

1 ½ cups cucumber (sliced)

1 cup roasted, salted cashews or peanuts (chopped)

½ cup green onion (sliced)

½ cup basil (torn)

½ cup cilantro (torn)

Optional: 14 oz firm tofu (cubed)

Marinade

2 T soy sauce (if low sodium, add ⅛ teaspoon salt)

1 ½ T rice vinegar

1 ½ T maple syrup

1 T canola oil

1 large clove garlic (minced)

1 T fresh ginger (grated)

1 tsp lime zest (grated)

½ - 1 tsp roasted red pepper flakes

Preparation

For the salad mix

In a medium serving bowl, gently combine the tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, and green onions. Be careful not to crush the tomatoes. Once combined, sprinkle in the cashews or peanuts and mix again.

If using tofu, prepare at this point. Slice the tofu block lengthwise into two slabs. Lay each slab face down on a clean dish towel. Fold the dish towel over so that both slabs are covered, and press down. Flip the slabs over and repeat until most of the moisture has seeped out of the tofu. Cut into cubes. Gently fold into the rest of the salad mixture, trying to avoid crumbling.

For the marinade

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and canola oil. Stir in the garlic, ginger, lime zest, and red pepper flakes. If using low-sodium soy sauce, add in the additional salt at this point.

To finish

Drizzle the marinade over the salad mix. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold to combine until all the pieces have been evenly coated. Cover lightly and set aside. Let marinade for approximately 15 minutes.

To serve

Scoop onto rimmed plates, and garnish with extra cilantro and basil. If desired, serve with rice noodles or homemade fried rice.

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