Most recipes serve multiple people. In Me, Myself, and Dinner, each dish serves one and only one. That's you! Because whether you live solo (almost 30% of Americans do) or are enjoying a night to yourself, sitting down to a meal should be something to look forward to.
When the days are hot and sticky, the motivation to cook tends to drop precipitously. You want to do as little actual cooking as possible, yet still be fed something tasty and nourishing. Is that too much to ask? Not at all, especially where this dish is concerned. Inspired by delicious hot-weather dishes, Japanese hiyayakko and Sichuan liangban tofu, this cold tofu dish features a zesty dressing comprising soy sauce, chili crisp, and an abundance of scallions for freshness. I call for unseasoned rice vinegar here, but you can certainly use seasoned if that’s what you have (just skip the sugar in that case). The small amount of sugar rounds out the salty-spice of it all, while an additional couple tablespoons of water dilute the dressing enough to temper its power. You can enjoy this dish on its own like a salad, as a side with whatever else you have going on, or alongside cold soba or udon noodles topped with julienned cucumbers.
Read More: You Absolutely Can Eat an Entire Block of Tofu for Dinner
Recipe information
Total Time
5 minutes
Yield
1–2 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Rinse exterior of one 14–16-oz. package chilled silken tofu. Remove plastic from container; carefully drain off liquid. Slide a paring knife around edges of tofu to loosen and turn over onto a shallow bowl or a plate with a lip. Cut a bit off each of the 4 corners of tofu container with kitchen shears. Carefully remove to release tofu; discard.
Step 2
Stir 2 scallions, finely chopped, 2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. chili crisp, 1 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil, and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved.
Step 3
Carefully drain any excess water from bowl with tofu (it’s okay if a little still clings to it). Spoon dressing over tofu and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if desired.
