Vegan Tofu Quinoa Salad (high Protein)

This vegan tofu quinoa salad is everything that a perfect meal should be! Delicious, comforting, easy to make in large batches and great for meal-prepping, packed with nourishing ingredients, can be eaten cold (without reheating), and very satiating!

Did I miss anything? We make this loaded tofu quinoa salad with kale on repeat, and we’ll never tire of it!

• Why we LOVE this quinoa salad
• Ingredients needed to make tofu quinoa salad
• How to make tofu quinoa salad (step by step overview)
• Storage instructions
• Add-ins and recipe variations
• Commonly asked questions
• Nutrition in this power salad

Why we LOVE this quinoa salad

• I usually make a large batch of this quinoa salad and keep it in the fridge for the whole week. It’s one of my favorite meal prep recipes .
• Perfect for meal prepping , for packed lunches, or for make-ahead dinners.
• This salad contains several nutrient-dense ingredients . It’s a delicious power salad that is high in lots of nutrients, fiber, and protein, and keeps you full for longer.
• There’s no need to reheat this salad , because it can be eaten cold, OR hot. So, I can just enjoy this salad straight from the fridge.
• But you also have the option to heat it for a warm meal as well. So it’s a versatile recipe, perfect for summer OR winter.
• This tofu quinoa salad is vegan and gluten free , so it works for a range of dietary needs.
• Plus, you can add other sources of protein too, if you prefer.
• The super easy miso sesame dressing completes this salad, but you can easily change up the dressing too.
• The kale is cooked with TONS of flavor ! Even those who hate kale (i.e. kids) have eaten and LOVED this salad!

There’s another reason why I love this salad.

When I was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and was taking medication, I couldn’t eat any meat-based products for the duration of my treatment.

I survived much of that time eating tofu as my primary protein source, and this salad was a lifesaver. It kept my energy levels up even on days that I could only eat little.

Ingredients needed to make tofu quinoa salad

For the salad

• Quinoa – I use tricolor quinoa, but you can use white, red, or black quinoa (or any combination).
• Tofu – I usually use medium firm tofu, because I like tofu that isn’t too firm. But firm tofu also works.
• Kale – Any kind of kale. I use common green kale, since I know I’d be gently cooking it with garlic to add more flavor. But you can substitute it, or use raw kale as well.
• Fresh chili – I use long red peppers, as they have the right level of spice for me, AND they add color. But I provide substitutions below.
• Green onions / spring onions – For a subtle onion flavor and freshness.
• Peanuts – For crunch and flavor! Substitutions for peanut free options available below.
• Garlic and / or ginger and salt – For flavor.
• Cilantro – Chopped herbs add a lot of flavor and freshness.

Miso sesame dressing

You can make your own dressing or use ready-made as well. I have also had this salad with a simple lemon vinaigrette, or a garlic lemon dressing too. But I love this umami-rich, creamy but light miso sesame dressing the most.

• Miso paste – Main flavor component here. But there are substitutions you can make.
• Sesame oil – I prefer to use roasted sesame oil as the flavor is more robust and nuttier.
• Olive oil or vegetable oil – The base for the dressing.
• Garlic – Adds flavor and acts as an emulsifier as well.
• Rice vinegar or lime juice – To add acidity.
• Honey – To add sweetness.
• Water – To thin out the dressing, if needed.
• Roasted sesame seeds

Ingredients substitutions

The ingredients used here can be easily substituted. But, if main ingredients are changed, please note that the flavor profile and seasonings will also change and may need to be adjusted.

I do substitute or add other ingredients to this salad, depending on what I have at home. But I always use quinoa and tofu, because these ingredients contain a lot of protein and fiber and are very nourishing.

• Quinoa – White quinoa has the mildest flavor and is the cheapest to buy as well. So you can use this instead. As this is the main ingredient, I don’t recommend substituting it. HOWEVER, if it’s hard to find, you can supplement / substitute quinoa with wild rice or brown rice. The method of cooking these is vastly different, so make sure to follow proper cooking techniques.
• Tofu – This is a vegan quinoa salad and tofu is a great to add protein and texture. If you don’t like tofu, then you can use soya nuggets / chunks or curls. Rehydrate these with salted hot water first, then squeeze out the excess water. Rip the soya into smaller pieces and pan fry them until you see some crispy golden color and texture on the surface.
• Kale – Any other leafy greens such as Swiss chard, collard greens, spinach. You can also use broccoli florets or zucchini or cabbage too. If I use broccoli, zucchini, or cabbage, I like to char these on high heat or in the oven before adding them to the salad. You can also use any type of lettuce, but I won’t cook the lettuce and keep it raw.
• Peanuts – To keep this salad peanut free, you can add toasted chickpeas instead. Canned, drained chickpeas are toasted in a high heat oven with salt and spices until they look toasted.
• Miso – I use white miso paste which has a milder flavor, but you can also use red miso which has a stronger flavor! I like both. But when I don’t have miso at home, I’ve also used doenjang (Korean fermented soy bean paste), and have had wonderful results with it too!
• Red chili – I use long red chili peppers, which aren’t too spicy (for me). Birds eye chili will be too spicy for me personally. If you cannot find milder red chili, or do not want to add it, then you can substitute it with red jalapeno (with or without seeds), or bell pepper, or any kind of sweet pepper.
• Non vegan options – Instead of tofu, you can also use leftover rotisserie chicken, pan-fried chicken breast or even hard boiled eggs. I personally prefer to keep this salad vegan, however.

How to make tofu quinoa salad (step by step overview)

The key to this recipe is to build great flavor at each step , so that when the salad is assembled, there’s an explosion of flavor ! Unlike most salads, we’re not simply throwing stuff together here and relying on the dressing for flavor.

Finding something that I genuinely enjoyed eating when I was sick and everything made me nauseous was tricky, that’s why I wanted to add flavor at each step, so that this quinoa salad was beyond delicious!

The quinoa has added flavor, the tofu is soaked with flavor and pan-fried for extra texture, and the kale is quickly stir-fried with soy sauce (or coconut aminos) with garlic or ginger for more flavor as well.

Step 1 – Prepare quinoa

Some people find cooking quinoa intimidating, but I promise it’s not! I’ve shared a detailed recipe guide on how to cook quinoa for perfectly fluffy results, every time.

Washing quinoa is the main step that most people mess up, since this can be the difference between deliciously nutty quinoa and bitter quinoa.

Place the quinoa in a strainer (image 1) and wash it really well. Make sure to use your fingers to “rub” the quinoa together (image 2) . This will remove the saponins coating the quinoa – which is the reason for its bitterness.

Make sure to wash the quinoa until the water is running fairly clearly.

Step 2 – Cook quinoa

Place the washed quinoa in a pot (image 3) . For every cup of quinoa, add 1 ¾ cup of water. To the water, add a little salt and 1 – 2 cloves of garlic (image 4) . The garlic will infuse subtle garlic flavor to the quinoa as it cooks.

Cook the quinoa on medium heat. Stir the quinoa in the water first to make sure there are no quinoa lumps (image 5) . Then with the lid on, bring it to a boil (image 6) .

Lower the heat, so that the water is at a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes. Then remove the lid and let the quinoa cook for another 5 – 10 minutes until almost all the water has evaporated.

Then place the lid back on and remove the pot from the heat. Keep it covered for about 5 – 10 minutes (image 7) . Fluff it up and let it cool down while you get the rest of the salad ready (image 8) .

Step 3 –  Prepare the tofu

While the quinoa is cooking, remove the tofu from the package and drain all the liquid. For extra flavor absorption, you can press the tofu to remove extra water, OR boil the tofu in salted water. I personally don’t do this for this salad.

Cut the tofu into small cubes. About 1 cm cubes is my preferred size so that I have small bite-sized pieces. Place the tofu in a bowl and pour soy sauce over it and toss to mix. Set it aside until the quinoa is cooked.

Step 4 – Cook the tofu

In a large nonstick pan, heat some oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, place the tofu in the pan (make sure to drain off the excess liquid / soy sauce).

I like to cook the tofu in batches if the pan isn’t big enough. Cook the tofu, while flipping or tossing them every few minutes until the tofu has at least 2 sides that are golden brown in color (image 9) . Set aside.

Step 5 – Cook the kale

Remove the center stem of the kale leaves. I only remove the thicker parts and leave the thinner, tender center stem. Wash and dry the kale leaves (I use a salad spinner for this).

Bunch up the kale leaves and cut it into strips (image 10) .

In the same pan as the one you cooked tofu in, add the kale, along with some minced garlic and / or ginger, with a little salt or soy sauce.

Place a lid and turn on the heat to medium high heat. When the kale starts to wilt a little, remove the lid and mix the leaves up to coat with the garlic and salt.

Remove the kale while it’s still bright green and only a little wilted (image 11) . The residual heat will continue to cook the kale. Drizzle a little sesame oil and mix.

Step 6 – Mix the salad

Chop up the roasted peanuts, red chili peppers, and green onion (image 12) . I also like to add some cilantro, but you can use Thai basil or parsley too. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa, crisp tofu, sesame kale, and all the other chopped / sliced ingredients. Toss to mix well. I don’t add any extra salt here because the dressing also adds salt.

Step 7 – Make the dressing

Add the oil (both vegetable oil and sesame oil) into a bowl. Add the miso paste and honey into the same bowl. Whisk well to mix the miso well.

It’s important that the miso paste is smooth and not lumpy. Optionally, you can add some pepper to make it just a little spicy.

Add the rest of the ingredients (image 19) and whisk really well until it looks creamy and thick. Taste and season with salt or soy sauce / coconut aminos. If you want to thin out the dressing, add a little bit of water to get the consistency you like.

I like to coarsely grind the roasted sesame seeds (image 20) before adding it to my dressing (image 21) , but you can add whole sesame seeds as well.

Add more acidity / sweetness to your liking. I like my salad dressing to be more acidic, so make sure to adjust the dressing to your taste as well. Store the dressing in a glass jar and in the fridge until you need it (image 22) , or you can also use it right away.

Step 8 – Add the dressing

Since my tofu quinoa salad and the miso dressing are vegan, I have no issues mixing all the ingredients of the salad AND the dressing together and leaving it in the fridge.

However, if your salad contains raw kale leaves / leafy greens or lettuce that can get soggy when stored in a salad, you can keep the raw leafy greens separate from the rest of the “wet” ingredients in the salad.

Drizzle half of the dressing into the quinoa salad and mix well (image 23) . Add more to taste, if needed. Serve right away, or store it in the fridge for a few hours so that the dressing flavor gets absorbed very well by this high protein quinoa tofu salad!

I really love eating this salad with some kind of pickle on the side. Sometimes, I’ll even add a half boiled egg, or leftover meat that might be in the fridge too!

Storage instructions

This salad will keep in the fridge for 5 days . It’s also super freezer-friendly, and will last in the freezer for about 1 month .

If you freeze this, let it completely thaw out in the fridge before eating. The kale does wilt more in the fridge and freezer, but the nutrient profile does not change.

Following better food handling practices, I prefer to divide the quinoa salad into 1 or 2 serving portion sizes, and store each portion in separate containers. This way, I don’t repeatedly remove the salad from the fridge and risk contamination.

Add-ins and recipe variations

• Can I add meat instead of tofu? Yes, you can! But the storage time will be a little shorter . I would only keep it in the fridge for about 3 days, and any extra salad can be stored in the freezer. You can also use hard boiled eggs in the salad.
• Vegan tofu substitutions – You can use chickpeas or lentils instead of tofu for this salad. Another vegetarian / vegan option is to use soya puffs / nuggets or curls. You can also use seitan, but this contains gluten, and the salad will no longer be gluten free in that case.
• Roasted vegetable quinoa salad – To add more veggies, I like to cut up vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, squash, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, carrots, or sweet potatoes, and roast them in the oven until they are soft and slightly caramelized. Adding these roasted vegetables to the quinoa salad yields more nutrition, flavor, and color!

Commonly asked questions

What to serve with quinoa salad?

I almost always eat this on its own for lunch. This is so helpful when I’m busy and just need a quick but nutritious meal to get me through the day. To make it even more substantial, I like to add some brown rice, wild rice, or purple rice. This added starch helps to make it more filling as well. I also love to add potatoes or sweet potatoes instead of rice as a source of resistant starches as well. But, it can also be a great pairing with any kind of roast dinner, with roasted vegetables on the side.

How long does the quinoa salad last in the fridge?

I have stored this in the fridge for up to 5 days. But I keep it vegan, AND separate the salad into smaller portions, so that I’m not taking the whole container in and out of the fridge repeatedly.

Can I freeze quinoa salad?

You can! Leafy greens such as kale will become more wilted in the fridge or freezer. But since the kale is briefly cooked before adding it to the salad here, it will already be partially wilted. The tofu can also change texture slightly, but I have had no issues with the overall texture and taste of the salad at all, after freezing and thawing. I would however, only add the dressing before eating it if I’m serving this to guests. It is possible to freeze the dressing as well. However, when the salad ingredients thaw, it draws out some moisture from vegetables and tofu, making the dressing more watery.

Nutrition in this power salad

Quinoa

Quinoa is a plant-based complete protein. It contains fiber, and many other nutrients. It contains antioxidants, potassium, vitamin B, magnesium, iron, and folic acid.

Tofu

Another source of protein! It’s made with soy, and also contains vitamin B, calcium, and magnesium.

Tofu might be mild in flavor or “bland”, but I LOVE it! I love how tofu is a blank canvas for so many different flavors as it soaks up anything it’s cooked with, or served with.

It’s even great for dessert – like this high protein silken tofu chocolate mousse !

Kale

Like other leafy greens, kale contains fiber, antioxidants, minerals like potassium, and vitamins like vitamin A, C, K and others.

Recipe

My Favorite Tofu Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

To cook quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa I use tri color quinoa, but you can use any type
• 1 ¾ cup water
• ½ tsp salt optional
• 2 garlic cloves for a subtle garlic flavor, add more for a stronger flavor

Quinoa salad ingredients

• 340 g medium firm tofu you can also use firm tofu or extra firm tofu, 1 package
• 1½ tbsp soy sauce for the tofu, use GF soy sauce to keep it gluten free
• 1 bunch kale
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce for the kale, use GF soy sauce to keep it gluten free
• ⅓ cup roasted peanuts
• 2 long red chili pepper or 1 bell pepper (non-spicy option)
• 1 small bunch cilantro about ½ cup, roughly chopped
• 3 scallions

Miso sesame dressing

• 2 tbsp miso paste you can use white (milder flavor) or red (deeper flavor) miso, use a GF miso brand to keep this gluten free
• ¼ cup vegetable oil or olive oil
• 2 tbsp roasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp honey use more if needed
• 1 inch piece of ginger sliced and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or lime juice (use more if needed)
• Salt or soy sauce to taste use GF soy sauce to keep it gluten free
• 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Quinoa

• Wash the quinoa in room temperature water, while agitating it. Wash it 3 - 4 times, until the water runs fairly clear and isn’t frothy. 1 cup quinoa
• Drain the water from the quinoa using a sieve.
• Place the quinoa in a saucepan, along with the water, salt, and garlic. 1 ¾ cup water, ½ tsp salt, 2 garlic cloves
• With the lid closed, place the saucepan on the stove on high heat to bring the water to a boil.
• Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the quinoa for about 10 minutes with the lid ajar to let excess moisture evaporate.
• After 10 minutes, if there is a visible amount of water present in the pot, remove the lid and cook the quinoa for about 5 minutes uncovered to allow some of the water to evaporate.
• Place the lid back on and cook for a further 2 - 5 minutes (2 minutes for white quinoa, and longer for red or black quinoa).
• Turn off the heat and keep the lid on the pot for about 5 minutes to allow the quinoa to absorb all the water and rest.
• Fluff up the quinoa and set it aside for later.

Tofu

• Remove the tofu from the package and drain the excess water in the package. 340 g medium firm tofu
• Pat dry the tofu and cut it into small cubes (about 1 cm small cubes). Place the cut up tofu in a bowl.
• Drizzle the soya sauce over the tofu and toss to combine. Let it sit for about 30 minutes (or overnight), only if you have time. Or you can move to the next step immediately. 1½ tbsp soy sauce
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium / medium high heat with a drizzle of oil.
• When the pan is hot, place the tofu (without any liquid) in the pan. Make sure the tofu is in a single layer without over-crowding, so that the tofu pieces can become crisp. Cook in two batches if necessary.
• Cook the tofu until at least 2 sides are golden brown and crisp. Place the tofu on a plate.

Kale

• Strip the kale leaves from the hard stems. Wash and pat dry. 1 bunch kale
• Layer the leaves on top of each other and cut into 1 - 1 ½ inch thick strips.
• Heat the same pan that you cooked the tofu in, over medium high heat.
• When the pan is hot, add the kale and garlic to the pan. There will be a lot of kale, but it’ll reduce as it cooks. 2 garlic cloves
• Sprinkle a little soy sauce ( 1 - 2 tsp) or a little salt, along with the sesame oil, and mix it in carefully with the kale. 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp soy sauce
• The kale will turn bright green and start to wilt. Once the kale is bright green in color and only partially wilted, remove from the heat.

Other ingredients

• Chop the roasted peanuts, cilantro, and red chili pepper (or red bell pepper). ⅓ cup roasted peanuts, 2 long red chili pepper, 1 small bunch cilantro
• Slice the green onions. 3 scallions

Assembly

• Add the quinoa, crispy tofu, sauteed kale, peanuts, cilantro, red chili, and green onion in a large bowl. Toss to mix everything together.
• Refrigerate until the dressing is ready, or needed.
• When the dressing is ready, drizzle half of the dressing into the salad. Mix well and taste. Add more if you like.
• Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for a few hours to allow the flavors to absorb and to serve the salad chilled.

Miso sesame dressing

• Finely chop the ginger and set aside. 1 inch piece of ginger
• Add the vegetable and sesame oil to a medium-sized bowl. ¼ cup vegetable oil, 2 tbsp roasted sesame oil
• To the oil, add the miso and honey. Whisk really well to make the miso paste very smooth, and to form a creamy, smooth paste. 2 tbsp miso paste, 1 tbsp honey
• Add the ginger and rice wine vinegar and whisk well to combine. The dressing will be fairly thick, so you can add a little water to thin it out if you like. 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• Taste and add more soy sauce or salt to season to your taste. Add more rice wine vinegar or lime juice to add more acidity. Salt or soy sauce to taste
• OPTIONAL - Coarsely grind the roasted sesame seeds before adding to the dressing. Or keep them whole. 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
• Add the sesame seeds and stir them in.
• Keep the dressing in a glass jar if you need to store it, or use it immediately.

Notes

Gluten free note

Related recipe

Nutrition

Recipe from The Flavor Bender by Dini Kodippili

My Favorite Tofu Quinoa Salad https://www.theflavorbender.com/vegan-tofu-quinoa-salad/