If you’re looking for a break from meat after weight loss surgery you’re going to love this Thai Peanut Tofu Salad. It’s quick, easy and satisfying.
By itself, tofu is rather bland, which is why you need to “dress” it up with some flavor. I chose to use a Thai Peanut dressing to make this dish more flavorful. Instead of preparing the dressing from scratch, I kept it easy and bought a premade sauce to keep meal prep simple.
How to Marinate Tofu
With any stir fry recipe you want to make sure to buy ‘Extra Firm Tofu.” Most of the water has been removed which makes it dense and easy to use in stir frys. It breaks less often than tofu with softer textures.
To marinate the tofu you want to take it one step further. Remove the tofu from the packaging and place on a plate. Then place another plate on top to help further remove the water from the tofu. I added a book to the top of my plate to make it even heavier to remove the water.
Next, cut the tofu into small cubes and place in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup Thai Peanut sauce and coat the tofu. Then cover and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to marinate. Then it’s ready to cook.
Stir fry it in a non-stick pan for 10 minutes with a little sesame oil.
How to Make Thai Peanut Tofu Salad Bariatric Friendly
Since protein is so important after weight loss surgery, you want to make sure at least half of your salad is tofu. Ideally this would be around 1/2 cup of tofu per portion. Its about 12 g of protein. This will help you meet your protein goals.
Next add the the cabbage slaw mixture. Depending on how much food your new stomach can handle will determine how much cabbage slaw mixture to add. Typically anywhere from 1/3-1 cup of coleslaw mixture could be used per portion.
Lastly, add your dressing. I used apple cider vinegar as a lower calorie option, but you could use more Thai Peanut Sauce dressing. Just be aware of the amount.
Need More Carbs
Everyone has different carb goals. If you need to add some more carbs you can add mango to this meal for a sweet taste, or a little more dressing.
Bariatric Diet Modifications
Pureed:
- Not recommended
Soft:
- Only eat the marinated tofu
Regular:
- Serve as is. Consider adding mango and/or avocado to boost nutrition.
Thai Peanut Tofu Salad
A light and satisfying meal to enjoy after weight loss surgery.
- Prep Time: 50
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients
1 lb extra firm tofu
1/4 cup Thai Peanut Sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 cup coleslaw mix
1/3 cup chopped green onion
Apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Remove tofu from package and press it to remove liquid. You can use a tofu press for this or place tofu on a plate and then place another plate on top of the tofu and place a book on top of the plate to weigh it down. Press it for 20 minutes.
- Next, cut the tofu into cubes and place in a bowl. Toss with the peanut sauce. Place in fridge and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Once done marinating, remove from fridge and heat sesame oil in a frying pan. Add tofu to pan and stir fry for about 10 minutes or until all sides are golden brown. Remove from hit.
- Portion out tofu into 3-4 meal prep containers. Then add about 1/2 cup of the coleslaw mix to each container and garnish with green onions. Drizzle apple cider vinegar on top a s a dressing.
Notes
Pureed:
- Not recommended
Soft:
- Only eat the marinated tofu
Regular:
- Serve as is. Consider adding mango and/or avocado to boost nutrition.
