Warm Sourdough Crouton Bowl with Crispy Sesame Tofu, Quick-Pickled Onion & Chive Vinaigrette

Name: Warm Sourdough Crouton Bowl with Crispy Sesame Tofu, Quick-Pickled Onion & Chive Vinaigrette
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 1,000 g extra-firm tofu (about 2 x 14 oz/400 g blocks), drained; 30 g tamari or soy sauce (2 Tbsp); 20 g neutral oil, plus more as needed (1 1/2 Tbsp); 12 g toasted sesame oil (1 Tbsp); 20 g cornstarch (2 1/2 Tbsp); 6 g smoked paprika (2 tsp); 2 g black pepper (1 tsp); 25 g sesame seeds (3 Tbsp); 200 g yellow onion, very thinly sliced (about 1 medium); 180 g distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar (3/4 cup); 25 g sugar (2 Tbsp); 10 g kosher salt (1 1/2 tsp); 120 g water (1/2 cup); 30 g chives, finely sliced (about 1 cup loosely packed); 60 g olive oil (1/4 cup); 30 g vinegar (2 Tbsp); 15 g Dijon mustard (1 Tbsp); 10 g maple syrup or sugar (2 tsp); 3 g kosher salt (1/2 tsp), plus more to taste; 1 g black pepper (1/2 tsp); 1 small garlic clove, finely grated (about 3 g), optional; 300 g sourdough bread, torn into big 3–4 cm chunks (about 6–7 cups); 15 g olive oil (1 Tbsp); 200 g carrots, peeled and shaved into ribbons (optional but great); 150–200 g mesclun mix and/or starfighter lettuce (about 6–8 cups loose)

Davis Whitehead

This is a cozy, less-salad-y take on a crouton salad: big, chewy-crisp sourdough chunks tossed warm with a punchy chive-mustard vinaigrette and lightly wilted greens, then topped with crispy sesame tofu and quick-pickled onion. It’s bright without lemon, satisfying enough for dinner, and easy to scale for a crowd. Serve it as a warm bowl right away while the tofu is crackly and the bread is still crunchy at the edges.

vegan-friendly
weeknight
no-lemon
salad-bowl
roasted

1 hr 10 min total · 25 min prep · 30 min cook · 15 min rest

Serves 6

560 kcal · 27g protein · 49g carbs · 29g fat total

2 sheet pans · Small pot · Large mixing bowl · Whisk

Ingredients

Instructions

Prep

Heat the oven to 230°C / 450°F. Set 2 racks if you have them. Line 2 sheet pans (one for tofu, one for bread) for easy cleanup.

Quick-pickle the onion (do this first)

Add thin-sliced onion (200 g) to a heatproof bowl or jar.

In a small pot, combine vinegar (180 g), water (120 g), sugar (25 g), and kosher salt (10 g). Bring just to a simmer, stirring to dissolve.

Pour the hot pickling liquid over the onions. Toss, then let sit 15–20 minutes. The onions should soften slightly and turn pinkish/translucent with a sharp-sweet smell.

Crispy sesame tofu

Dry the tofu: Press/squeeze the tofu (1,000 g) gently over the sink, then pat very dry with towels. Cut into 2–3 cm cubes.

In a large bowl, toss tofu with tamari (30 g), neutral oil (20 g), and toasted sesame oil (12 g).

Sprinkle over cornstarch (20 g), smoked paprika (6 g), and black pepper (2 g). Toss again until the cubes look lightly powdery.

Add sesame seeds (25 g) and toss to coat.

Spread tofu on a sheet pan in a single layer with space between pieces. Roast 20–28 minutes, flipping once halfway, until deeply golden with crisp, sandy edges and a nutty aroma. If it’s pale, keep going—color = crunch.

Big, warm sourdough croutons

Toss torn sourdough (300 g) with olive oil (15 g) and a pinch of salt.

Spread on the second sheet pan. Bake 10–14 minutes, tossing once, until the edges are browned and crunchy but the centers still have a bit of chew.

Chive-mustard vinaigrette

In a bowl, whisk olive oil (60 g), vinegar (30 g), Dijon (15 g), maple syrup (10 g), salt (3 g), pepper (1 g), and grated garlic (3 g, optional).

Stir in chives (30 g). Taste: you want it punchy—bread will mellow it.

Assemble (less “salad-y” = warm bread does the heavy lifting)

Optional but great: add carrot ribbons (200 g) to a big mixing bowl.

Add the warm croutons (all of them) and drizzle over about 2/3 of the vinaigrette. Toss well so the bread drinks it.

Add greens (150–200 g) and toss just 10–15 seconds—you’re aiming for lightly kissed/wilted, not a full salad bed.

Pile into bowls. Top with crispy tofu and a generous forkful of pickled onions (drained). Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the tofu if you like.

Tip: If you want maximum crunch, keep tofu and dressed croutons separate until the last minute; the tofu should sound faintly “scratchy” when you stir it on the pan.

Notes

Gluten-free preference: swap the sourdough for your favorite gluten-free crusty bread, or roast cubes of sweet potato instead of bread (same vinaigrette). Storage: keep tofu, croutons, greens, and onions separate; tofu recrisps best 5–8 minutes in a hot oven or air fryer. Make-ahead: pickled onions keep 1–2 weeks refrigerated; vinaigrette keeps 3–4 days (stir before using).