Grilled Smoked Tofu Tomato Salad
This grilled smoked tofu tomato salad is a quick summer recipe that bursts with flavor and has a semi-sweet, smoky taste. Warm cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, olives, and slices of grilled smoked tofu come together in just a few minutes for a light vegan meal or side.
I dream about having my own garden, with flowers, fruits, vegetables, and shaded places where I can read. Bliss! Until that dream comes true, I visit my boyfriend’s parents as much as possible and enjoy spending time in their lovely garden. That’s what I did last week, and I ate the best tomatoes ever: juicy, super-sweet, absolutely perfect. I stayed outside all day, reading and occasionally playing on my computer, which is exactly what I call relaxation. I wish I could show you how good those tomatoes taste in this salad.
What you’ll need
This salad is made with simple, natural ingredients, and that simplicity is the whole point. A few notes on what goes in the pan:
- Cherry tomatoes — I use a mix of red and orange cherry tomatoes for color and a sweeter bite. The sweeter and riper they are, the better this salad turns out, since a quick cook concentrates their natural sugar.
- Smoked tofu — this is where the smoky flavor comes from, so reach for a firm, pre-smoked block. It holds its shape on the pan and grills up nicely without falling apart.
- Sweet corn and olives — the corn adds little pops of sweetness while the sliced olives bring a salty, briny contrast. Together they balance the warm tomatoes.
- Extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, and ground pepper — a small amount of good oil to cook in, then salt and pepper to taste. That’s all the seasoning this needs.
How to get it right
Heat the olive oil in a large pan, cut the tomatoes in half, and lay them in cut-side down. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid, and let them cook for about 2 minutes. You want them warm and just softened, not collapsed into sauce, so keep the time short and pull them off the heat while they still hold their shape. Move them to a bowl, then grill the sliced smoked tofu in the same pan for about 1 minute per side until the edges turn golden. Finally, scatter the olives and sweet corn over the tomatoes, top with the warm tofu, and serve right away while everything is still warm.
Why the quick cook works
Covering the tomatoes for those two minutes traps steam, so they warm through and release their juices without browning or breaking down. Grilling the tofu separately in the same pan lets it pick up direct heat and color while soaking up a little of the tomato-scented oil left behind. Layering everything warm at the end, rather than tossing it cold, is what gives this salad its semi-sweet, smoky character.
What to serve it with
Warm and light, this salad works as a quick lunch on its own or as a side next to something more substantial. If you want to build a full summer spread, it sits well alongside another fresh plate like my summer salad recipe or a crisp spinach salad. Since smoked tofu is the star here, it also pairs naturally with other tofu dishes from the blog, like this baked pasta tart with smoked tofu when you want something heartier on the table.
Make-ahead and storage
This one is at its best served warm, straight from the pan, so I’d make it fresh whenever you can. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days and gently reheat in a pan before serving, or enjoy them cold like a regular tomato salad. You can also prep ahead by slicing the tofu and halving the tomatoes earlier in the day, then doing the quick cook right before eating. For more smoked tofu inspiration, browse my roundup of brilliant tofu recipes, and if you love quick summer plates, my summer salad recipe is another good one to keep on rotation.
If you make this grilled smoked tofu tomato salad, I’d love to know how it turned out, so please rate the recipe below and leave a comment telling me whether you went all red or mixed in orange cherry tomatoes like I did. Any tweaks you tried are always welcome too!
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Grilled Smoked Tofu Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 5 red cherry tomatoes
- 5 orange cherry tomatoes
- 4 Tbsps sweet corn
- 3 Tbsps olives sliced
- 80 g smoked tofu sliced
- ½ Tbsp extravirgin olive oil
- sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan.
- Cut tomatoes in half and put them in the heated pan.
- Add salt and ground pepper.
- Cover with a lid and let them cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and put tomatoes in a bowl.
- Slice smoked tofu and grill it in the pan for 1 minute on each side.
- Add olives and sweet corn over the tomatoes in in the bowl. Top with sliced tofu and serve warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Every ingredient is plant-based: cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, olives, smoked tofu, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. There is no dairy, egg, or honey, so it is fully vegan and naturally vegetarian.
Smoked tofu is firm tofu that has been smoked to give it a deeper, savory flavor and a sturdier texture. You can usually find it in the refrigerated or health-food section near regular tofu. It is what gives this salad its signature smoky taste, so it is worth seeking out rather than substituting plain tofu.
You can, but warming the cherry tomatoes for a couple of minutes is what concentrates their sweetness and brings out the semi-sweet, smoky character of the dish. If you skip the quick cook, you will get a fresh raw tomato salad instead, which is still tasty but lighter in flavor.
Keep the cooking time short, around two minutes with the lid on, and pull them off the heat while they still hold their shape. The goal is warm, just-softened tomatoes that release some juice, not a sauce. Halving them and cooking cut-side down helps them warm evenly.
It is meant to be served warm, right after you layer the grilled tofu over the tomatoes, corn, and olives. That is when the smoky and semi-sweet flavors are at their best. Leftovers can be eaten cold the next day or gently reheated in a pan.
The ingredients listed in the recipe are naturally gluten-free, since tomatoes, corn, olives, olive oil, and seasonings contain no gluten. Smoked tofu is typically gluten-free as well, but always check the label of your specific brand to be sure, as processing can vary.
I was never a tofu fan, but somehow I decided to give it another try and made your recipe. I don’t regret a bit! It’s so tasty and filling! I never thought tofu can be so delicious. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! Happy to hear you liked the recipe!