Miso sweet potato and tofu salad with quick pickled red onions

A longstanding MELA client favorite and has made tofu converts of the non believers.

Pro tip: make the dressing and pickled red onions ahead of time. Then all you need to do is roast the sweet potato and tofu together and it comes together pretty quickly (you can actually make the roasted tofu and sweet potatoes ahead of time too if you want this to come together in 5 minutes).

Miso sweet potato and tofu salad with quick pickled red onions
serves 2

Ingredients
for the sweet potatoes:
1 large sweet potato (or 2 small, cut into 1/4-inch quarter-moons)
1 tablespoon white (or mellow) miso*
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

for the tofu:
1 (14-ounce) package organic extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari (or coconut aminos*) 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch

for the salad:
1/2 red onion (thinly sliced)
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4-6 cups baby kale or mixed greens
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (toasted lightly for best flavor)
3-4 tablespoons Citrus miso ginger dressing

Directions

1. First, “press” the tofu for 30 minutes in advance if you have time (optional; see note).

2. Make the quick pickled red onions: add the thinly sliced red onions to a bowl or glass jar and pour vinegar to cover (if it doesn’t cover all the onions, just add water to cover). Set aside.

3. Next, make the tofu and sweet potatoes. Preheat oven to 425 F degrees and line two sheet pans with parchment paper for easier clean up. Dice the tofu into 1” cubes, add to one of the sheet pans and toss with the tamari, olive oil and arrowroot starch.

4. Add the sweet potatoes to the other sheet pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso and olive oil and toss with the sweet potatoes.

5. Place both sheet pans in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly for 5 minutes.

6. While the tofu and sweet potatoes roast, make the Citrus miso ginger dressing and toast pumpkin seeds in a skillet over low heat.

7. To assemble the salad: in a large bowl, combine greens, pickled red onions (start with half and add more to taste), pumpkin seeds, roasted sweet potatoes and ~2/3 of the tofu (reserve the remainder for leftovers). Toss with 2-3 tablespoons of the miso tahini dressing and divide between two plates. Enjoy immediately.

notes:
how to “press” tofu: while not necessary, pressing tofu helps remove excess moisture, allowing for crisper tofu. To press, wrap tofu block in a kitchen towel and place between two plates, placing something heavy (cast iron skillet, cookbooks) on the top plate to weigh it down. Allow to sit like this for 30 minutes before proceeding with recipe.