Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 ounces of seitan (ground crumble style, like Upton's preferred) or extra-firm tofu, pressed & thinly sliced or soy crumbles or thinly sliced baked tofu. NOTE: We used Upton's Chorizo Seitan, which is what we had in the refrigerator. It makes for a spicy salad, just the way we like it. Use plain seitan, if you like less spice. Finely chop your seitan, if the ground crumbles aren't available or use ground soy crumbles.
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger NOTE: I'm tired of throwing out dried out ginger. Penzey's Dried, Sliced China Ginger Root worked well in this recipe. We ground it in the coffee grinder.
3 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sriracha sauce (aka Rooster Sauce) Note: use less if you prefer less heat
1 teaspoon of sugar (or substitute of your choice)
2 tablespoons seasoned or plain rice wine vinegar
3 cups of finely shredded cabbage (I used pre-shredded cabbage for convenience, my local store has freshly shredded cabbage)
1 large carrot, shredded (or use pre-shredded carrots for convenience)
1/2 English cucumber, peeled & chopped (I used 3/4 of a large regular cucumber)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (can chop or not)
1/4 cup minced green onions
1/2 baguette, cut in half, & sliced into 4 serving sizes
Preparation:
1. Note: If using tofu, wrap it in a clean dish towel, press it under heavy weights for 20 minutes & slice it thinly.
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth or water to keep the seitan, soy crumbles, or tofu from sticking. Add the seitan (I used Upton's Chorizo crumbles), or soy crumbles, or sliced tofu & cook until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes or less per side. Add small amounts of additional broth or water to deglaze the pan & prevent sticking, as needed.
4. Add the garlic & ginger and cook until fragrant, 1 minute longer. Splash with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce. Set aside & cool.
5. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce with the hoisin sauce, sriracha sauce, sugar, and vinegar, stirring well to blend. Set aside.
6. Spread the shredded cabbage of a large platter, sprinkle evenly with the carrot, cucumber, cilantro, and scallions. Arrange the seitan (or tofu or soy crumbles) on the top.
7. Serve with sliced baguettes & pass the dressing to spoon on top of the salad. We piled the salad on top of our baguettes, then spooned the dressing on top, & messily ate them by folding each baguette in half. Don't worry, you'll figure out a way to eat it. Just have plenty of napkins available.
8. Enjoy a truly unusual & healthy no-oil taste sensation.
