Tomato and Silken Tofu Caprese Salad

Caprese salad’s one of those dishes that’s done so often, and usually so indifferently, that it’s easy forget how fantastic the real thing, with mozzarella di bufala and fresh, ripe tomatoes, can be. This version substitutes silken tofu for the mozzarella, and while it’s not the same as making it with cheese, the tofu does the same job of providing a creamy counterpoint to the acid from the tomatoes and vinegar. And if you have really terrific tomatoes (like from your garden), the tofu’s great because it just gets out of the way and sort of amplifies the tomatoes’ own flavor.

This recipe is a take on a recipe in David Chang’s Momofuku cookbook for cherry tomatoes and silken tofu in a soy vinaigrette with shiso leaves. It’s Chang’s version of a caprese salad, and it’s delicious (and you can see photos of it being made here). Shiso’s not the easiest thing to find in most supermarkets, though, so I switched it back to a more traditional caprese-style salad.

The important thing here is the quality of your tomatoes – if they’re not great, the salad won’t be. Be sure to salt them first thing – you can let them sit for a while (up to 30 minutes), and they’ll only improve in flavor. And you’ll definitely want to serve this with some good bread to soak up all the juices.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe baseball-sized tomato
• 1/2 pound silken tofu
• Leaves from 1 sprig of basil, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Coarse sea salt (optional)

Method