Buffalo Tofu Salad
This Buffalo Tofu Salad is bursting with flavor, healthy ingredients, and a hint of heat. Vegan, gluten-free, quick and easy!
Okay, I’ll be honest, I’ve been eating this Buffalo Tofu Salad at least 2 times a week for the past few months. It’s addicting! Vegan, gluten-free, and it’s incredibly quick and easy to throw together – anyone can make it! No need to be intimidated by the breaded tofu – it’s actually really simple to make and the whole salad comes together in under 30 minutes.
I’m quite picky with my salads for being a vegan. It has to be really flavorful otherwise I’ll pass. If you aren’t a fan of salads, then this one’s for you because it’s incredibly tasty.
Filled with colorful veggies, seeds, and protein from the tofu and chickpeas, this salad is the perfect balanced meal. It also packs the heat (of course it can be adjusted to your liking) with this crispy and crunchy buffalo tofu. You can never go wrong with buffalo. Paired with creamy vegan ranch dressing, it’s the perfect balance of heat and cool.
Ingredients – Buffalo Tofu Salad
• Tofu – make sure you get extra firm! I find that Costco and Trader Joe’s have the best extra firm tofu.
• Breadcrumbs – I used Panko Gluten Free Breadcrumbs. Feel free to swap regular breadcrumbs if you are not gluten-free.
• Cornstarch
• Plant Milk – any plant milk will work. Oat milk is my favorite.
• Seasonings – salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and oregano.
• Salad – romaine lettuce, cucumber, carrot, red onion, chickpeas, avocado, vegan cheddar cheese shreds (I used Daiya – optional), pumpkin seeds (optional), hemp seeds (optional)
• Hot Sauce – I absolutely love Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, but feel free to swap for your favorite hot sauce.
• Vegan Ranch Dressing – I use Daiya Vegan Ranch Dressing or Follow Your Heart Vegan Ranch – they are my favorite of all the vegan options! They can be found at any major grocery store. You can also make your own, or if you aren’t vegan, use regular ranch dressing.
How to Make Buffalo Tofu Salad
Start by pressing and draining the tofu with paper towels or a kitchen towel. Prepare 3 bowls: one with cornstarch, one with plant milk and one with breadcrumbs and seasonings. Cut the tofu like a fillet (cutting it in half so it’s less thick). Then, you will have two wide and thin squares/rectangles. Cut the tofu into long thin strips, or however you’d like it to be cut (mini squares, rectangles, etc.). Generously coat each strip of tofu in the cornstarch, then in the plant milk, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs into the tofu with your hands to ensure they stick. Repeat with the rest of the tofu. Cook the tofu in an air fryer or oven for 20 minutes at 400F, flipping halfway through. Assemble the salads by layering chopped romaine lettuce, diced cucumber, shredded carrot, sliced red onion, handful of chickpeas, sliced avocado, and two tofu strips. Drizzle with ranch dressing and hot sauce and top with vegan cheddar cheese shreds, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds. Enjoy!
Buffalo Tofu Salad is the perfect meal prep (I do it all the time!). I like to make a big batch of the tofu and keep it in the refrigerator so whenever I need a quick, healthy, tasty lunch, I just grab two tofu sticks and prepare the salad ingredients!
All in all, this Buffalo Tofu Salad is a healthy meal option without sacrificing taste or flavor. I hope you all try and enjoy this salad! Please leave a comment sharing your thoughts!
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Buffalo Tofu Salad
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 14 oz package of extra firm tofu, (Costco and Trader Joe's have the most firm tofu)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs, use gluten-free if needed
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup non-dairy milk, any kind will work - I used oat milk
Salad
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, shredded or sliced
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 2 avocados, sliced
- vegan ranch dressing, I use Daiya or Follow Your Heart
- hot sauce, I use Frank's Red Hot
- vegan cheddar cheese shreds, I use Daiya
- pumpkin seeds , optional
- hemp seeds, optional
Instructions
- Preheat an air fryer (preferred) or oven to 400℉.
- Press and drain the tofu with paper towels or a kitchen towel. If you have extra firm tofu, you can skip this step.
- Prepare 3 bowls: - one with cornstarch - one with non-dairy milk- one with breadcrumbs mixed with nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper and oregano.
- Cut the tofu like a fillet (cutting it in half so it's less thick). Then, you will have two thin squares/rectangles. Cut the tofu into long thin strips (or however you'd like it to be cut: squares, rectangles, etc.).
- Generously dip and coat each strip of tofu in the cornstarch, then in the non-dairy milk, and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. Press the breadcrumbs into the tofu with your hands to ensure they stick. Repeat with the rest of the sliced tofu.
- Cook the tofu in the air fryer (preferred) or in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Assemble each salad by layering even amounts of chopped romaine lettuce, chickpeas, cucumber, carrot, red onion, avocado and two tofu strips.
- Drizzle the salads with ranch dressing and hot sauce.
- Top the salads with vegan cheddar cheese shreds, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
- This salad can easily be meal-prepped and stored in the fridge - just separate the dressing, salad, and tofu.
- To reheat the tofu, place it in the air fryer or oven for about 5-6 minutes at 400F. You can also enjoy it cold.
