Watercress used to be easy to find at American supermarkets but nowadays, I mostly buy it at Chinese or Viet markets, or I grow it. The spicy greens are called rau cải xoong in Vietnamese; “xoong” halfway mimics cresson, French for watercress. Viet people make salad with watercress, favoring it for the salad portion of shaking beef, for example. We also drop handfuls of watercress into a pot of quick canh soup, where it releases its spicy, pungent flavor to flavor and perfume the broth.
Watercress can be hard to grow in warm areas, which is why I was surprised to see it at markets in Hawaii. On the islands, the cool weather leafy green is used in a wonderful salad with tofu. It's all dressed with a gingery sesame soy sauce vinaigrette. The salad is commonplace enough that Foodland market sells it in as a grab-and-go food. I bought it for our in-flight meal. The salad is called lauʻai tōfū lēkō, according to the Kamehameha Schools.
Gingery Sesame Vinaigrette: A Tropics Oriental Dressing Dupe
Once home, I found a tofu watercress salad recipe in chef Sheldon Simeon’s cookbook, Cook Real Hawai’i (2021, Clarkson Potter). He revealed that old school Hawaiian watercress salad is often dressed with Tropics brand of Sesame Oriental dressing. His dressing recipe mimics the commercial dressing. Foodland groceries dresses its tofu watercress salad with a similar dressing that has a bit more sesame and ginger. My recipe combines Simeon's recipe with notes of the flavors of Tropics and Foodland. A little xanthan gum binds the ingredients so you get the texture of a commercial dressing. With all the sesame bits, you want things to more or less stay in their place. I used xanthan to make Viet sriracha chile sauce too!
The gingery, sesame soy vinaigrette keeps for about a month so make a batch and keep it around. Whip up a spritely salad like a smart Hawaiian auntie or uncle!
Ginger Sesame Soy Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, to avoid separation)
- ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons grated ginger
- 3 tablespoons agave, mild honey, or sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons A-1 Steak sauce, worcestershire sauce, or Taiwanese black vinegar
- ¾ cup neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
Instructions
- Using a mortar and pestle, pound the sesame seeds to crush them. Scrape into a bowl, then add the xanthan gum, if using.
- Whisk in the vinegar to combine well. Then add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. If the ingredients separate, whisk in 1 or 2 pinches of xanthan gum. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 1 month. If needed, re-stir or whisk before using.
More tips from my Hawaii vacation are my newsletter, Pass the Fish Sauce. Ready to make the salad? Here's the recipe! Add your tips in comments.
Tofu Watercress Salad
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced sweet or red onion
- 1 14-ounce block extra-firm tofu
- ⅓ cup Ginger Sesame Soy Dressing (above), plus more to taste
- Kosher or fine sea salt
- Black pepper
- 6 to 7 ounces watercress, trimmed, washed and spun dry
- 6 to 8 cherry tomatoes, halved, or 1 small orange, peeled and segments halved crosswise
Instructions
- Prep the tofu: Cut the tofu into ¾-inch cubes. Transfer to a clean dishtowel or several layers of paper towel and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to drain a bit of water.
- Tame the onion: Meanwhile, rinse the onion for 20 to 30 seconds then set aside to drain well.
- Assemble and serve: Transfer the tofu and onion to a large mixing bowl. Toss with 1 or 2 pinches of salt, a few grinds of pepper, and 2 tablespoons dressing. Pile the watercress and tomato (or orange) on top. Season with 1 or 2 pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Pour about 2 tablespoons of dressing on, toss. Taste and if needed, toss with the remaining dressing.
- Divide among plates and serve immediately.
Tofu Watercress Salad Swaps and Add-Ins
My tofu watercress salad recipe is a vegan rendition but you can vary things according to taste and season. In Hawaii, the dressing, tofu, and watercress are the constant. But recognizing potential challenges on the mainland, I focus on the dressing and tofu. Some swaps for your consideration:
- No watercress? Combine soft and spicy arugula with chopped crisp romaine or iceberg for loft.
- Tofu: Panfry the tofu to firm up the exterior a bit, though leaving it as is allows the dressing to penetrate and turn the tofu creamy. Spongy tofu puffs would soak up dressing well but it will add calories!
- Seafood: Top with grilled, poached or canned salmon or other fish.
- Crunch: Add a small handful of bean sprouts, julienned carrot, sliced cucumber or radishes.
- Zip: Add freshly grated ginger to the tofu if you want that extra zing.
- Herbs: Throw a small handful of coarsely chopped cilantro, basil, or mint.
- Umami: 2 tablespoons of coarsely chopped dried shrimp would add savory sweetness (soak briefly to soften if they are super hard).
- Roasted addition: Along with the orange, add about 1 cup of roasted sweet potato or butternut squash (cook them as 1-inch cubes).
- Timing: Untossed, the salad can sit in the bowl for about 1 hour. Set in the fridge to keep chilled. The salad is perfect for a potluck.
Dani Lin says
Whenever my family would make tofu salad, it always included canned tuna. I never liked it and think your version sounds much better. I also love oriental dressing and thank you for creating a recipe with xanthan gum. I’m making that tonight!
Andrea Nguyen says
I read about adding tuna to Hawaiian tuna salad and figured that people just like to double up! Like you, I think the tofu is great on its own! Hope you enjoyed the recipe.