As part of the California Walnuts Virtual Salad Party, I made walnut crusted tofu over lentil + bulgur salad. 

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I combined two recipes to create this dish –

Walnut Crusted Tofu (Aida MollenKamp)

  • 3/4 cup walnut halves
  • 2 teaspoons white whole wheat flour
  • Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 14 ounces extra firm tofu, drained and patted dry
  • Grapeseed or walnut oil, for cooking
  1. Place the walnuts, the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and some freshly ground black pepper in a small food processor and pulse until a fine meal (like uncooked cornmeal) then dump in a shallow dish.
  2. Slice the tofu into 8 rectangles (they should be about 1/2-inch by 1-inch by 2-inch).
  3. Season tofu with salt then dip in the walnut mixture and coat on all sides, pressing to help the mixture adhere.
  4. Coat the bottom of a large nonstick frying pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. 
  5. When the oil shimmers, add the tofu (you may have to do this in two batches) and cook, undisturbed, until it forms a golden brown crust, about 2 minutes. Flip and repeat on the second side, about 1 to 2 minutes more. 
  6. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining tofu.
Lentil Bulgur Salad

For the Bulgur:

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups medium cut bulgur
  • ¾ cup yellow onions, minced
  • 2 cups hot water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup green lentils
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the Vinaigrette:

  • 1 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
  • 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons walnut oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup green onions, minced green onions
  • 1 cup walnut pieces, toasted
  • ¼ cup Italian parsley, minced

Optional Garnish: 2 ounces French Feta Cheese, crumbled

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low; add the bulgur and onion. Cook, stirring, until the bulgur grains are coated with oil, toasted, fragrant and uniformly brown, about 20 minutes. Add the hot water and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until just tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; allow to sit 20 minutes. Allow to come to room temperature. Place the bulgur in a medium mixing bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, put the lentils in a small saucepot and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Add 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook the lentils are tender. Remove from the heat; drain; place in a shallow pan. Drizzle with 1 Tb of olive oil. Cool until room temperature. You can speed up the process and put into the refrigerator. In a small bowl place all of the vinaigrette ingredients. Whisk to combine. When the lentils have cooled a bit, add to the bulgur, along with the vinaigrette , green onions, walnuts and parsley. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve at room temperature. Garnish with the feta cheese if you wish!

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I loved this dish because there were so many great textures.  The tofu had a great crunch from the walnuts,  and I loved the flavor of the toasted walnuts. The recipe was simple to make and could easily have substitutions.

You could make this with quinoa instead of bulgur or throw in some more veggies!  Any way you try it, its a good one!