Isa Moskowitz's Rice Noodle Salad With Grapefruit-Rooster Sauce Vinaigrette, AKA: My New Favorite Salad!

My favorite vegan chef EVER, Isa Moskowitz posted this recipe last week on her Facebook page and on the PPK (Post-Punk Kitchen) and as soon as I read it, I headed out to our local corner market and grabbed what I didn't have already. I forgot a few things but improvised with what I had in the kitchen and it was still ah-mazing!

This salad is perfect for the warmer weather and the dressing is seriously the shit! Next time, I'm making at least a double batch and keeping some in the fridge. Anything with Sriracha (Rooster Sauce) is a-ok with me and this dressing's got bite!

Anyhoo, here is the original recipe and below is basically the same thing with some minor tweaks to make up for missing ingredients.

Oh, and if you are not familiar with Isa or the PPK, GET FAMILIAR! I'm telling you, she is the BEST!

Ingredients:

For the tofu:
8 oz super-firm tofu, sliced into thick matchsticks
3 tablespoons gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

For the dressing:
1-2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
3/4 cup fresh red grapefruit juice (juice from 1 grapefruit)
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons Sriracha
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the salad:
8 oz pad thai rice noodles (I also used ramen noodles once. Just as good.)
2 Persian mini cucumbers, thinly sliced (My bodega had these! And organic ones! If you can't find them, regular cucumbers work too, just cut them into half-moons.)
1 red grapefruit, cut into segments then halved (I had a hard time making this pretty. Practice...)
Black sesame seeds
1/4 cup finely sliced fresh mint
1/2 jalapeño, diced (optional)

1/2 avocado, diced (optional, but recommended)

First, boil water for the noodles. While water is boiling prepare the tofu, prep veggies, and make dressing.

Prepare the tofu:
Preheat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat.
Measure the tamari, sesame oil and liquid smoke out onto a dinner plate. Dredge the tofu pieces into the mixture and toss to coat.
Spray pan with a little canola oil. Cook tofu, flipping often, until lightly to medium browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Prepare the noodles:
Once water has come to a boil, prepare rice noodles according to package directions, being careful not to overcook. Once noodles are tender, transfer to a colander and run under cold water to cool completely. Set aside.

Make the dressing:
Simply add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until very smooth. Keep chilled until ready to use.

Assemble the salad:
Toss together noodles, cucumbers, grapefruit segments, jalapeño, avocado and tofu. Coat with dressing, using your hands to mix (this way, you don’t break the tofu or smush the grapefruit). Garnish each individual serving with sesame seeds and mint. Serve cold!

You can add more Sriracha if heat is your thang! It's mine but this was plenty spicy for me as is! If you don't do spicy, you could skip the jalapeños and reduce the amount of Sriracha in the dressing too.

Let me know what you think. I'm in LOVE!

I almost forgot! This dressing would work just as well with oranges or tangerines, replacing the segments in the salad with whichever citrus fruit you pick too! Mmmmm!