Asparagus, Tofu and Quinoa Salad with Parmesan and Walnuts

Asparagus, Tofu & Quinoa Salad with Parmesan & Walnuts

Name: Asparagus, Tofu and Quinoa Salad with Parmesan and Walnuts
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients: vegetable oil; garlic; red onion; sundried tomatoes; stock; lemon juice; lemon zest; quinoa; tofu; black pepper; asparagus; parmesan, parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated; walnuts

Submitted by happyzhangbo

This delicious and nutritious salad is so easy to make, and loaded with refreshing and cheesy flavor. It can be a side dish or you can have it as a light main dish.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

12 min

COOK

16 min

READY

30 min

Ingredients

1 ½

TEASPOONS VEGETABLE OIL
such as olive oil, canola oil

CLOVES GARLIC
or to taste, finely chopped

MEDIUM RED ONION
minced, about 1 cup

CUP SUNDRIED TOMATOES
thinly sliced

CUPS STOCK
chicken or vegetable, prefer low-salt

TABLESPOONS LEMON JUICE
freshly squeezed

TABLESPOONS LEMON ZEST
freshly grated

CUP QUINOA
uncooked

POUND TOFU
extra-firm, slice into 1/2-inch cubes

BLACK PEPPER
freshly ground *

POUND ASPARAGUS
woody ends trimmed, and slice into 1-inch pieces

TABLESPOONS PARMESAN CHEESE

CUP WALNUTS
toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions

Rinse the quinoa and chop the onion, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Stir in garlic and onions, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes more.

Pour in broth, lemon juice, and stir in lemon zest, quinoa, and pepper. Stir together gently until well mixed, cover and simmer for 14 to 16 minutes.

Cooking in the pot.

Meanwhile cook the tofu in a separate pan until almost all the sides turn into golden and brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside. I stir in some marinated sauce into it, and gave tofu some tangy flavor.

Place asparagus on top of quinoa mixture, cover and keep steaming for about 6 minutes, until the liquid is completely absorbed by quinoa and the asparagus are tender-crispy. Gently stir in cooked tofu, parmesan cheese and toasted walnuts until well mixed. Serve warm or chilled.