Sesame Tofu and Asparagus Salad

1/2 block extra firm tofu, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
8 oz fresh Asparagus, rinsed, tough ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Sauce:
1 Tbsp miso paste (I used the miso paste packet from my instant miso soup mix)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lite brown sugar
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Dash of red chili flakes (optional)

Boil water and 1 tsp of toasted sesame oil and blanch asparagus for 2-3 minutes until it turns bright green (you want the asparagus to still be crispy). Drain, but reserve about 3 Tbsp of the sesame water and let it cool. Place asparagus in ice and cold water bath to stop the cooking process about 2-3 minutes.

Use a salad spinner to drain excess liquid from asparagus.

Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl until it becomes a smooth paste.

Add the cold asparagus and tofu into the sauce mix and toss to coat evenly (if sauce is too thick add the reserved liquid 1 Tbsp at a time until desired consistency). Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Serve with your favorite protein or with brown rice (not included in nutrition calculation) -and enjoy!

Serving Size: Makes 2 servings

Number of Servings: 2

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user RLVALD.