As the summer months are approaching, I can’t help but crave more refreshing flavors, chilled dishes. Its always easy to throw together a smoothie or salad (which don’t get me wrong I absolutely love), but there is something about cold Chinese salads that just hits the spot so differently. Unlike classic American salad that includes various types of raw greens topped with all sorts of nuts and proteins, Chinese chilled salads are much simpler and often uses cooked vegetables/proteins with a generous drizzle of soy sauce, sesame oil, and perhaps chili oil. Most traditional Chinese medicine promote a diet of warm, cooked vegetables therefore it is uncommon to find anything “raw”. Whether you call this a salad or really just a side dish for dinner, this is a delicious yet simple dish that I highly recommend trying.
Now before you turnaround and say “That egg looks disgusting or that sounds terrible? Let me provide some explanation of one of my favorite Chinese ingredient:
Chinese century egg is a Chinese delicacy that is made from eggs that been preserved in salt, wood ash and clay for several months resulting in reactions that alters the original look / color of the egg. The egg has a much creamier and salty flavor then a normal egg, so it adds so much more flavor and texture to any dish. You will often see it added in cooked vegetables and porridge. Its honestly one of my favorite things to eat.
Since moving to Houston, I have had much broader exposure to various Chinese dishes from Taiwan, Sichuan and other parts of China through friends from my religious congregation. I was recently introduced to this simple yet easy silken tofu and century egg salad from a friend. As much as I love tofu and century eggs, I had never considered this pairing before. But I fell in love with it after the first bite and knew I had to re-create it and share it with everyone. I wasn’t wrong, my whole family loved it. The best part of this is that it really takes less than 10 minutes to throw together.
You can enjoy this as a side dish or even as a salad on its own. It is high in protein, easy to meal prep and absolutely refreshing for the spring!
- 10 oz silken / extra soft tofu
- 2 century eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Salt, to taste
- Open and carefully drain the silken tofu.
- Carefully slice the tofu and arrange on a plate (you cut into smaller bite sized pieces if you like)
- Peel the century eggs and cut into bite sized pieces (similar in size to the tofu) and add to the tofu.
- Top with finely chopped cilantro and onions (the more the better!!)
- Drizzle over sesame oil and soy sauce. Taste and add additional soy sauce/ salt if needed.
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