Thai Mango, Tofu, and Green Bean Salad

I'll admit, it's a little shameful I've had a copy of Vegan Eats World on my bookshelf since January  without any use. It's not for lack of great recipes in it, I just haven't been as prolific in trying out new recipes of late. But a few weeks ago I was searching through the index for a seaweed salad recipe (more to come on that later), when I spotted the Thai Shredded Mango Salad. It was one of those "I Must Make This ASAP" moments.

Thai Mango Salad: Packed with yummy, healthy ingredients and full of flavor.

Thai Mango, Tofu, and Green Bean Salad
Serves 4
Recipe adapted from Vegan Eats World's Thai Shredded Mango Salad

Ingredients:
Baked Tofu:

• 1 package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp veg oil
• 1 Tbsp agave or maple syrup
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• dash garlic powder
• dash cayenne pepper

Salad:

• 2 medium to large mangos, ripe (see notes below for alternate option)
• 1/4-1/2 lb raw green beans (see notes)
• ~1/2 cup ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped in half or quarters
• A few dashes red pepper flakes (between 1/2 to 1 tsp to taste)
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• 4 tsp light brown sugar or coconut palm sugar
• 1 Tbsp Thai thin soy sauce (see notes)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cashews
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• Optional additional garnish: zest of half of a lime

Steps:

1. Prepare the tofu: After drained, press with paper towels until water is removed, then place in between clean paper towels and let sit with book on top for about 15-20min. I like to slice the tofu in 4 long slices per half package (for those Wildwood double pack packages), or 8 slices per full pack. Meanwhile, whisk the marinade ingredients in a pyrex (~8x12) until well mixed, and preheat the oven to 425F. Once tofu has been pressed, place in the pyrex and flip to coat, then place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for about another 15-20 minutes, until all the marinade has been soaked up. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
2. Prepare the salad: remove the skin from the mango and slice into spears. Trim and chop the beans. In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, garlic, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes; then add the beans, mango, tomatoes, and cilantro and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the pepper and lime zest, add the cashews, and lightly toss.
3. Mix it in: When sufficiently cooled, slice the tofu in spears and add tot the salad. Serve immediately or allow to chill in the fridge for a few hours.

Notes:
This was delicious. Vibrant, fresh, and husband approved. I especially loved the baked tofu - this stuff was seriously good and would make a great meal on its own- as well as the fresh herbs and lively flavors. It was flavorful, new, and filling.

I got a little lazy and didn't feel like shredding the mango or the green beans; in the end, I think cutting the green beans much thinner and using less of them, as suggested in the book, would have been better. As is, the beans were a bit bulky and messed with the consistency of the dish. The book also suggested using one hard, unripe mango- for shredding- but I don't think that's as necessary if you don't mind the mango spears rather than the more traditional Thai shredded style. I looooove my ripe mango, as we know ;-)

As for the Thai thin soy sauce, my grocery store has a pretty good Asian aisle, so I was able to find it there (after about 10 minutes of nearly going blind staring and searching through different types of soy sauce)- but you may need to seek out a specialty store if you tend to just go to Safeway or Stop & Shop or the like. It does have a different, lighter flavor that I do think really adds to this dish, but you could always try it with a substitute.

Definitely a new fave! I mean, it has MANGO in it and all ;-)

Looking forward to trying out more recipes in Vegan Eats World!