The cold salad I make when the diet table wants protein is this one – cold tofu-skin salad, and this home cook’s version boils the tofu skin with a pinch of soda so it turns silky. A home cook wrote it in seven steps with the trick in the title: a little salt and lye in the boil. I made it as written, and it is the light, spiced, protein-rich salad that eats like a meal.
Liang ban dou fu si (凉拌豆腐丝) is cold tofu-skin salad – tofu skin boiled with a little salt and soda, shredded with carrot, and dressed in a spiced oil poured hot over garlic.
What Is Cold Tofu-Skin Salad?
This is the diet-table cold salad built on tofu skin: the sheets are boiled with a little salt and a pinch of lye (baking soda) until silky, then shredded. Carrot is blanched briefly, and everything is tossed with garlic, salt, and a light soy. The dressing is the second act: corn oil heated with onion, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise until fragrant, then poured smoking over the garlic. A splash of white vinegar and sugar finishes it – light, low-fat, and full of protein.
For the silken cold-tofu sibling of the same plate, my 10-minute silken tofu with Sichuan pepper oil is the soft version.
110-Minute Silken Tofu with Sichuan Pepper OilThis 10-minute Silken Tofu with Sichuan Pepper Oil features creamy tofu drenched in a numbing, savory hot oil sauce. A fast, authentic appetizer bursting with flavor.Check out this recipe
Why This Recipe Works
- The salt-and-soda boil. Tofu skin turns silky – the recipe’s trick.
- Shredded with carrot. Color and crunch.
- The spiced oil. Onion, ginger, peppercorns, star anise – bloomed.
- Pour it smoking. The garlic wakes.
- Low-fat and protein-rich. The diet-table salad.
Equipment Needed
- A pot
- A small pan for the oil
- A bowl
Ingredients
- Tofu skin (dou fu pi), as needed
- 1 small carrot, shredded
- A little salt and baking soda, for the boil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- A little cilantro
- 2 tbsp corn oil, with onion, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise (the spiced oil)
- 1 tbsp light soy, white vinegar, and a little sugar
Ingredient Notes
Tofu skin: Boiled with a little soda to turn silky. My century egg and silken tofu salad is the silken cold plate. The spiced oil: The second act – bloomed and poured hot. The dressing: Soy, vinegar, sugar – balanced.
Prep & Mise en Place
Boil the tofu skin with salt and soda; shred the carrot; mince the garlic.
Cooking Process
Step 1 – Boil the tofu skin in water with a little salt and baki
Boil the tofu skin in water with a little salt and baking soda.
Step 2 – Blanch the carrot shreds until just cooked
Blanch the carrot shreds until just cooked.
Step 3 – Shred the tofu skin; add the carrot, garlic, salt, and
Shred the tofu skin; add the carrot, garlic, salt, and light soy in a bowl.
Step 4 – Wash and cut the cilantro into segments
Wash and cut the cilantro into segments.
Step 5 – Heat corn oil with onion, ginger, peppercorns, and star
Heat corn oil with onion, ginger, peppercorns, and star anise until fragrant.
Step 6 – Strain the oil and pour it hot over the garlic; add cil
Strain the oil and pour it hot over the garlic; add cilantro, white vinegar, and sugar; toss.
Step 7 – The diet-table salad – light, low-fat, protein-rich
The diet-table salad – light, low-fat, protein-rich.
Common Mistakes When Making This Dish
1. A raw garlic bite. Cause: oil not hot enough. Fix: pour it smoking. 2. Tough, stiff tofu skin. Cause: no soda in the boil. Fix: the pinch of baking soda. 3. A soggy carrot. Cause: over-blanching. Fix: just cooked. 4. A one-note dressing. Cause: no vinegar or sugar. Fix: the balance. 5. A greasy salad. Cause: too much oil. Fix: two spoons.
Variations
Spicier: Chili flakes with the garlic. My 10-minute silken tofu with Sichuan pepper oil is the soft version. More crunch: A few peanuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is tofu skin? Dou fu pi – the pressed sheet, boiled silky here. Why baking soda? It softens the skin – the recipe’s trick. Can I skip the spiced oil? It is the dressing’s soul; use plain oil if pressed. How long does it take? About 20 minutes. Is it really low-fat? Almost nothing but tofu skin and vegetables – yes, and my pan-fried tofu with minced pork is the heartier plate when you want more, silken tofu potage the warm soup.
How to Serve
Serve cool as a light plate – with 10-minute silken tofu with Sichuan pepper oil, home-style tofu, and braised tofu with bok choy for a cold table, or with savory tofu and egg stir-fry and red braised tofu for variety.
Storage & Reheat
Best fresh; refrigerate 1 day. Never leave out more than 2 hours.
Allergen Notice
This recipe contains soy (soy sauce, tofu skin). It is free of gluten (verify the soy sauce), dairy, egg, nuts, fish, and shellfish.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I am Jason Guo, a Chinese chef who has cooked professionally for more than five years – including time as a head chef – and now runs my own small restaurant in China, where tofu appears on the menu almost every day. This xiachufang cook’s cold tofu-skin salad is the diet-table plate I make for protein, and the recipe’s soda-boil trick is exactly why the skin turns silky. I tested it as written. I have not tested the chili version, so that is your experiment, not my claim.
Authoritative References
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Safe Temperature Chart for safe storage of cooked dishes.
Cold Tofu-Skin Salad (凉拌豆腐丝): The Spiced-Oil Shreds
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Boil the tofu skin in water with a little salt and baking soda.
- Blanch the carrot shreds until just cooked.
- Shred the tofu skin; add the carrot, garlic, salt, and light soy in a bowl.
- Wash and cut the cilantro into segments.
- Heat corn oil with onion, ginger, peppercorns, and star anise until fragrant.
- Strain the oil and pour it hot over the garlic; add cilantro, white vinegar, and sugar; toss.
- The diet-table salad - light, low-fat, protein-rich.
