The combination of flavors in this dish is so good. It's just tofu and avocado topped with soy sauce and sesame oil. Sesame seeds and ichimi togarashi are optional, but makes it extra tasty.
Tofu and avocado, one of my favorite pairings
Tofu with avocado is one of my favorite simple lunches to make. It doesn't require actual cooking, just assembling! The dish is eaten chilled, and really wonderful on a warm day.
Tofu with Avocado
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All you do is get a block of tofu. Slice it as thin as you can and arrange it on a plate. Do the same for an avocado half. Place the avocado on top of the tofu. Then drizzle sesame oil and soy sauce over the avocado and tofu. So simple, very delicious.
I also like to sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and ichimi togarashi on top, but those are optional. And then you just eat!
Hot Sesame Oil Tofu
This dish is similar to another one of my go-to dishes, Hot Sesame Oil Tofu.
The only difference between the two dishes is that this recipe uses avocado (the tofu-avocado pairing was inspired by Fuchsia Dunlop's Every Grain of Rice). Hot Sesame Oil Tofu has no avocado but uses heated sesame oil (that's the secret to making the tofu sizzle a bit). Aside from that, they are nearly the same dish.
A really good bite!
Do Tofu And Avocado Go Together?
Yes! It never occurred to me that tofu and avocado would be an odd pairing until I made this recipe for a mainland friend. They assumed texture-wise it would be mushy (not true) and bland (also not true).
The avocado is sliced not mashed. It's ripe, but still maintains that tender-firmness.
We use silky tofu which isn't mushy, but actually silky and so soft. I love how elegant silky tofu tastes and feels.
Both tofu and avocado pair well with sesame oil and soy sauce on their own. When they come together, it's double the bliss.
Doesn't have to be perfect looking, just tasty ^_^
How To Slice The Tofu
This recipe calls for a half a block of silken/soft tofu. Remove the tofu from the container. Cut it half crosswise on a cutting board. Put one half back in the container and save it for another recipe (several tofu recipe ideas below).
Then use one hand to hold the other tofu half in place, and the other hand to slice the tofu. The goal is twofold:
- Get the tofu sliced as thin as you can.
- Maintain the shape/structure of the tofu block.
After the tofu is sliced, slide your knife under the entire tofu block. Use one hand to hold the knife and the other to maintain the rectangular tofu block shape, and transport it onto a plate. Gently push the tofu so that it falls an at angle.
This not only makes the dish prettier, but also exposes more tofu surface area to catch all that sesame oil and soy sauce. Do the same thing with the avocado, and place it on top of the tofu.
Make sure you use silken/soft tofu for this recipe. Not firm tofu.
To drizzle/sprinkle on top: soy sauce, seasme oil, toasted sesame seeds, and ichimi togarashi
Substitutions and Adjustments
This recipe is easily tailored to your taste. Some ideas:
- Heat the same oil before drizzling (follow the method in this Hot Sesame Oil Tofu recipe).
- Sprinkle furikake on top.
- I use a 1:1 ratio of sesame oil and soy sauce, but you can increase or decrease the amount of either depending on personal preference.
Sesame Oil
Make sure you use toasted sesame oil. Don't get it mixed up with not-toasted sesame oil. There are several brands available but we've been using Kadoya sesame oil for as long as I can remember.
My Sesame Oil Pick:
We go through so much roasted sesame oil at home, I purchase by the 56 ounce container from Costco Hawaii! This 11 ounce bottle however, is much more practical for everyday use. I love the smell and taste of sesame oil. Kadoya is a popular brand and reliable favorite. You can find it at most Asian markets and online. If you're in Hawaii, you can also buy it at Costco and Longs Drugs (which is secretly CVS).
Roasted Sesame Oil
Ichimi Togarashi
Ichimi Togarashi is Japanese ground red chili pepper. We sprinkle it on top of many dishes like udon and oyakodon (recipe coming soon for this!)
Don't get this confused with shichimi togarashi which is a seven pepper blend (usually consisting of red chili peppers, orange peels, black and white toasted sesame seeds, Japanese peppers, nori, and ginger).
Tofu Recipes
We love tofu in Hawaii, and there are many tofu recipes on this blog. These are a few favorites:
Avocado Recipes
This recipes uses half of an avocado. What to do with that other avocado half? Oh, so many possibilities:
- Avocado Smoothie
- Add diced avocado to Tofu Poke
- Add diced avocado to (Ahi) Poke
- Simply sprinkle sugar right onto the avocado half and eat from the shell, with a spoon. Sugar on avocado is a popular snack/dessert in Hawaii.
Lunch for one, ready to eat!
Avocado Tofu Recipe
Recipe below ^_^
Avocado Tofu
The combination of flavors and textures in this easy dish is delicious. Thinly sliced tofu and avocado (a beautiful pair!) is topped with shoyu/soy sauce and sesame oil. Sesame seeds and ichimi togarashi are optional, but makes it extra tasty.
Ingredients
- 1 small block soft tofu (about 7 ounces)
- ½ of a ripe avocado
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon ichimi togarashi (optional)
Instructions
- Drain and slice the tofu thinly (try to keep the rectangular tofu shape intact while you're slicing). Arrange the tofu on a plate.
- Slice the avocado thinly and arrange it right on top of the tofu.
- Drizzle the sesame oil and soy sauce all over the avocado and tofu. Sprinkle sesame seeds and the shichimi togarashi on top. Eat and enjoy! I like this as a simple lunch by itself, or as a side dish when part of a larger dinner ^_^
Mahalo for Reading!