The summer plate I make when it is too hot to cook is this one – cucumber and tofu-skin salad, and this home cook’s version makes a scallion-and-peppercorn oil and pours it smoking over garlic and dried chili. A home cook wrote it in twelve steps with the confession in the fourth: slicing the cucumber into shreds is deeply satisfying. I made it as written, and it is the cool, spicy-sweet plate that works on anything.

Huang gua ban dou pi (黄瓜拌豆皮) is cucumber and tofu-skin salad – soaked tofu skin and shaved cucumber dressed in a scallion-peppercorn oil poured over garlic and chili, with oyster sauce, vinegar, soy, sugar, and a little Sichuan pepper oil.

What Is Cucumber and Tofu-Skin Salad?

This is the cool summer bowl: tofu skin is soaked in boiling water ten minutes, then rinsed in cold water and squeezed dry; cucumber is sliced on the bias and cut into shreds – the recipe admits the shredding is the soothing part. Scallion oil is made by frying scallion in a little oil until it colors, Sichuan peppercorns joining at the end, then strained hot over a bowl of garlic and dried chili. Everything goes into a big container with the dressing: oyster sauce, four grams each of sugar and salt, two spoons of vinegar, two of light soy, and a spoon of Sichuan pepper oil.

For the plain shredded tofu-skin salad of the same bowl, my cold tofu-skin salad leaves out the cucumber and the oil pour.

Why This Recipe Works

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• The boiling-water soak. Ten minutes, then cold and squeezed.

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• The shaved cucumber. Cool against the chewy skin.

‘, ‘

• The scallion oil. A little oil, scallion to color, peppercorns at the end.

‘, ‘

• The smoking pour. Garlic and chili wake.

‘, ‘

• The all-purpose dressing. The recipe says it dresses anything.

‘]

Equipment Needed

• A pot
• A small pan for the oil
• A large bowl
• A strainer

Ingredients

• Tofu skin (dou pi), soaked
• 1 cucumber, sliced and shaved
• A little scallion, garlic, and dried chili
• A few Sichuan peppercorns, and oil
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 4 g each of salt and sugar, 2 tbsp vinegar, 2 tbsp light soy, and 1 tbsp Sichuan pepper oil (the dressing)

Ingredient Notes

Tofu skin: Soaked hot, then cold and squeezed. My cold tofu-skin salad is the plain version. Cucumber: Shaved into shreds. The dressing: The recipe’s all-purpose blend.

Prep & Mise en Place

Soak the tofu skin; slice the cucumber; mince the garlic; ready the chili and peppercorns.

Cooking Process

Step 1 – Soak the tofu skin in boiling water 10 minutes

Soak the tofu skin in boiling water 10 minutes.

Step 2 – While it soaks, slice the cucumber on the bias, then cu

While it soaks, slice the cucumber on the bias, then cut it into shreds.

Step 3 – Slicing

Slicing.

Step 4 – Shredding – so satisfying, the process is soothing

Shredding – so satisfying, the process is soothing.

Step 5 – Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the scallion pieces

Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the scallion pieces for the scallion oil.

Step 6 – When the scallion colors, add the Sichuan peppercorns

When the scallion colors, add the Sichuan peppercorns.

Step 7 – Put the garlic and dried chili in a bowl; strain the ho

Put the garlic and dried chili in a bowl; strain the hot oil through a sieve over them.

Step 8 – Stir – the seasoning oil is done

Stir – the seasoning oil is done.

Step 9 – In a big container: the cucumber shreds, the tofu skin

In a big container: the cucumber shreds, the tofu skin (rinsed in cold water a few times and squeezed dry), scallion, cilantro, and the seasoning oil.

Step 10 – Add a spoon of oyster sauce, 4 g each of sugar and salt

Add a spoon of oyster sauce, 4 g each of sugar and salt, two spoons of vinegar, and two spoons of light soy.

Step 11 – Add a spoon of Sichuan pepper oil and toss

Add a spoon of Sichuan pepper oil and toss.

Step 12 – A cool, spicy-sweet, peppery plate – this dressing work

A cool, spicy-sweet, peppery plate – this dressing works on anything.

Common Mistakes When Making This Dish

1. A waterlogged salad. Cause: no squeeze. Fix: rinse cold and squeeze dry. 2. A raw garlic burn. Cause: oil not hot enough. Fix: pour it smoking. 3. A bitter scallion oil. Cause: scallion too dark. Fix: to color, not burn. 4. A thick, dull dressing. Cause: no vinegar or Sichuan pepper oil. Fix: the full blend. 5. A heavy, oily plate. Cause: too much oil. Fix: a little for the pour.

Variations

Spicier: More dried chili. No Sichuan pepper oil: Skip it for a lighter plate. My cold yuba salad is the yuba-stick cold plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is dou pi? Tofu skin sheets – soaked, then cut. Why pour the oil smoking? It wakes the garlic and chili – the recipe’s move. Why rinse cold and squeeze? Dry skin drinks dressing instead of watering it down. How long does it take? About 25 minutes. Is it spicy? Chili-warm and Sichuan-tingly – my silken tofu potage is the calm soup beside it, and green pepper and dried tofu the warm stir.

How to Serve

Serve cool – with cold tofu-skin salad, cold yuba salad, and home-style tofu for a cold table, or with red braised tofu and golden pan-fried tofu for contrast.

Storage & Reheat

Best fresh; refrigerate 1 day. Never leave out more than 2 hours. For the warm braise of the same tofu skin, my yuba and shiitake braise goes hot.

Allergen Notice

This recipe contains soy (tofu skin, soy sauce) and shellfish (oyster sauce). It is free of gluten (verify the soy), dairy, egg, nuts, and fish.

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 cucumber and tofu-skin salad is my summer plate, and the recipe’s dressing-works-on-anything claim is exactly the kind of confidence I like. I tested it as written. I have not tested it without the Sichuan pepper oil, 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.