Shira-Ae, a tofu salad for all seasons

this voluptuous, umami wonder embodies soybean power

The esteemed Japanese food expert and cooking teacher Elizabeth Andoh attended last Sunday’s cooking class. She beamed in from Tokyo, where it was 6 a.m.! We keep in touch via email and her newsletter but it had been nearly fifteen years since she took me on a tofu tour in Tokyo.

That outing happened during a September heatwave. Her feet were bugging her and I had plantar fasciitis. We took frequent sit-down breaks. Elizabeth gifted me a light Japanese kerchief, instructing me to wet it down and place at my nape to keep me coolish, like many locals did. (Neck coolers were not yet popular back then.)

We visited one of her local tofu shops, tasted incredible inari zushi (stuffed tofu pockets) from depachika department store vendors, and finally, took shelter in her home kitchen studio to try different kinds of tofu she had gathered for me. In the air conditioned comfort of her abode, she diplomatically lobbied for a short list of Japanese classics to be included in Asian Tofu, which came out in 2012.

Seeing Elizabeth on Zoom last week reminded me of our time in Tokyo, and how she nudged me toward shira aé. The beloved tofu salad was on her wish list for my book research, which included Asian icons alongside some modern creations.

That day at her home, she basically gave me an assignment. So I tried shira aé in Tokyo and Kyoto, researched recipes in Elizabeth’s books and other works, and cooked.

A unusual Japanese sauce-dressing-salad

I initially didn’t understand shira aé but eventually came to appreciate it, even more so today as I’m looking for ways to help people easily slide tofu into their healthy eating routines.

When I first tried shira aé, my narrow minded Vietnamese and American sensibilities told me that salads were comprised of stuff plus a dressing. However, the well seasoned tofu mixture functions as both a dressing and a salad.

Many Japanese recipes frame shira aé as a “mashed tofu salad”and you see online photos of a coarse mixture of tofu with many bits of vegetables suspended in it. The sauce heavily coats the vegetables but the salad as a whole is not heavy. There’s no oil involved.

The umami is built into the tofu mixture, which is seasoned with ingredients like miso, sesame paste, and dashi. The tofu and sesame make shira aé seem rich and nutty. Miso, dashi and other savory seasonings amplify tofu’s umami.

Shira aé is very Japanese — comprised of few ingredients, kind of homey looking, yet intriguing with lots of textures and color. It offers surprising deliciousness.

Elizabeth presented shira aé as a sauce. As she wrote in her stellar vegetarian cookbook, Kansha (2010):

In the old-fashioned kitchen, the sauce was made in a suribachi (grooved mortar) using a surikogi (wooden pestle) to mash the tofu. The blanched greens were then tossed into the mortar where the sauce clung to the sides. In many homes, the mortar doubled as a serving bowl, placed on the table.

Following that paragraph, she mentioned using a food processor for the sauce.

😅 I was relieved. (Few people have a big suribachi.) In the end, I included a shira aé recipe in Asian Tofu.

In April of this year, I began toying with ways to craft a less chunky, super creamy and thick result. Finally, I have a recipe for you! And, since I’ve been playing with this on and off for months, you benefit from my going down the tofu rabbit hole.

My shira ae for the week — dressing and veggies + persimmon ready to go!

Shira aé offers plenty. You can:

• Play with shira aé. You can put it on lots of different kinds of vegetables and even include some fruit for color and bright sweetness.

• Use shira aé for a meal or snack. It can be a dressing or a dip for crudites.

• Let shira aé hang around. Like hummus, it keeps well for days so it’s great for weekly meal prep. One batch is good for 2 rounds of salad.

• Feel healthy with shira aé. It’s a high protein, flavorful idea that will satisfy by virtue of how it’s made and how it’s deployed. If you’ve wanted to add more plant-based soy foods to your diet, add this to your cooking arsenal.

• Meal plan with shira aé. Prep a bunch of veggies for the week and just toss and serve. Add it to our list of ideas for meal prep.

Why use shelf-stable tofu

Shira aé is traditionally made by draining firm tofu, which I’ve done but it takes time. For a silky texture, I tried refrigerated silken tofu, but it wept water, even after I drained it well. Finally, I purchased a kind of tofu that I’ve jokingly referred to as emergency, camping, or survivalist tofu.

It’s shelf-stable tofu that comes in a box and is sold in the Asian aisle at supermarkets and elsewhere. It is formulated to be low in moisture, with a jello-like texture that comes from the coagulant glucono delta lactone. It also contains soy protein isolate, which I generally find unnecessary to have in tofu but certain forms of very firm tofu contain it.

But boy, as you’ll see in this video, the shira aé came together easily and quickly. I didn’t have to worry about tofu textures or how well the tofu was drained. You simply open the box, cut and whirl. Tahini replaces neri goma, Japanese sesame paste which is related to Chinese sesame paste.

Yes, the result is somewhat akin to a cross between hummus and blue cheese dressing but it’s mostly soybeans. This Japanese classic is easy and fun.

In text and PDF, below is the following to inspire you to play with your new salad buddy:

1. Shira Aé (master recipe)

2. Snap Pea and Carrot Shira Aé (snappy and sweet, great for kids and adults)

3. Green Beans Shira Aé (1 vegetable wonder; swaps included)

4. Spinach and Fuyu Persimmon Shira Aé (earthy greens with sweet fruit yum)

Based on the PTFS survey, many of you like using a scale in the kitchen. Starting with last week’s spicy tomato tofu recipe, I’ve been including more metric and volume measurements in ingredient lines. Let me know your reactions!

RECIPES

Shira Aé

Shira Ae Dressing Salad 4 Recipes Final

231KB ∙ PDF file

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A Japanese classic made easy.

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Makes about 1 1/2 cups

• 300g | 1 box extra-firm shelf stable silken tofu, such as Mori-Nu brand

• 60ml | 1/4 cup tahini

• 2 1/2 Tablespoons white (shiro) miso, plus more to taste

• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar or lemon juice, plus more to taste

• 1 Tablespoon agave syrup or mild honey

• 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

• Instant dashi granules or MSG (optional)

• 500g | Good 1 pound mixed vegetables (include fresh fruit, if you like)

• Toasted white or black sesame seeds (optional crunchy garnish)

Make the dressing: Grab a paper towel then pat off excess moisture from the tofu. Cut the tofu into chunks, then use a blender (stick or regular) to whirl the tofu, tahini, miso, agave, and salt into about 1 1/2 cups of creamy, plop-able dressing. For brightness, blend in the vinegar. If extra savoriness is needed, add miso by 1 teaspoon, salt by the pinch, and or instant dashi or MSG by 1/8 teaspoon. Use immediately or scrape into a container and refrigerate for up to about 3 days.

Toss and serve:  Make sure the produce is cut into bite-size pieces. Put them in a bowl and if they’re not already salted, very lightly season with salt. Toss the produce with 2/3 cup of dressing. Taste, and if more flavor is needed, work in dressing by the 1 Tablespoon; you should top out around 3/4 cup total.

Things should be well coated with velvety umami-laden tofu goodness. How much dressing used depends on the chosen vegetable (and fruit, if applicable). Transfer to a plate or shallow bowl, garnish with sesame seeds, and serve.

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Note

In the following recipes, I undercook vegetables because I’m often too lazy to also plunge them into an ice bath. You can opt for the ice bath as insurance against over cooking. It’s always up to you!

Snap Pea and Carrot Shira Aé

Serves 4

• 180 to 240g | 2 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise then thinly slice

• 1 pound snap peas, trimmed and stringed (Note)

• Fine sea salt

• 2/3 to 3/4 cup Shira Aé dressing

Cook veggies: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Grab a noodle strainer (or mesh sieve) to blanch the carrots until bright and still crisp, about 1 minute. Drain, flushing with water to cool fast.

Return the pot to a boil, add the snap peas, and let cook for until bright green, about 45 seconds. Drain, flushing with water to cool fast. Blot off excess moisture with a clean dishtowel. Chill the carrots and snap peas for up to 3 days, if not using right away.

Toss and serve: Keep the snap peas whole, or to better expose the snap peas to dressing, halve each lengthwise on the steep diagonal (they’ll look striking too). Put into a bowl with the carrots. Lightly salt then tossing with the dressing. Pile into shallow bowl or onto a plate and dig in.

Note

Swap: Use green beans instead of snap peas. See prep method below.

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Green Beans Shira Aé

Serves 4

• 1 1/4 pounds green beans (any kind or color!)

• Fine sea salt

• 2/3 to 3/4 cup Shira Aé dressing

Cook beans: Trim and blanch the green beans in boiling water until bright green but still crisp, about 60 seconds. Drain, flushing with water to cool fast. Blot off excess moisture with a clean dishtowel. Let cool and if not using soon, chill for up to 3 days.

Finish prep, toss and serve: If the beans are unwieldy to eat, or you want to expose the insides to dressing, cut them on the diagonal. Put in a bowl, lightly salt, toss well with dressing, then serve on a plate or in a shallow bowl.

Note

Swap: Feature an Asian green with a little edge, such as chrysanthemum (shungiku, at East Asian markets), mustardy komatsuna (sold at Japanese markets), or mildly spicy, spinach-y choi sum (mostly at Chinese and Vietnamese grocers).

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Spinach and Fuyu Persimmon Shira Aé

Serves 4

• 450g | 1 pound spinach (2 bunches)

• 150g | 1 medium Fuyu persimmon

• Fine sea salt

• 2/3 to 3/4 cup Shira Aé dressing

Prep produce: Blanch or microwave-steam the spinach to just cook, drain well of moisture, then let cool. Chill up to 3 days, if not using soon. Peel, quarter, then slice the persimmon into thin wedges resembling orange wings (or ears!).

Toss and serve: Lightly salt the spinach and persimmon, then toss with the dressing to coat well, adding extra as needed. Transfer to a plate or shallow bowl and serve.

Note

Swap: No persimmon? Try another crisp sweet fruit, such as Fuji apple. Or, add tang with Mutsu or Pink Pearl apple. In warmer months, try firm-ripe strawberries or nectarine.