Inspired by the viral TikTok Korean Carrot Ribbon Salad, this low-FODMAP and vegan dish is a complete meal. Carrot Quinoa Salad with Tofu features fresh veggies, quinoa, marinated tofu, and a delicious vinaigrette dressing.
The stars must have aligned since I somehow found the creative inspiration to develop a new recipe, the physical energy to take photos, and the psychological will to write about said recipe. Doing this recipe blogging thing takes a lot of effort and I appreciate how hard the old me worked on it.
The inspiration for this Carrot Quinoa Salad with Tofu recipe comes from several TikTok videos I came across of a Korean Carrot Ribbon Salad. It looked so good and healthy I had to try it. I loved it and especially the chili crisp component, which I had never had before. It is a game changer! I’m at a stage in my gut health journey where I can eat a lot of “normal” foods in moderation, so I enjoy regular chili crisp in this salad. The brand I’m using right now is Fly By Jing. Low-FODMAP versions I have come across are Chili Crisp from Redbloom and Chili Oil from Cobram Estate (both available on Amazon). Affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Of course I had to expand on the dish and make it into a main dish recipe balanced with both protein and carbs. It makes for a really refreshing and light lunch during the hot summer months. I make up one of these salads and my husband and I eat on it for lunch for several days.
Notes on the Salad Ingredients
Tofu – You can use either firm or extra-firm tofu for this recipe. I use a tofu press, similar to this one, to get the water out so the marinade can go in. While most tofu recipes feature fried or baked tofu, the tofu in this recipe is served raw, which I actually love the taste and texture of. I highly recommend trying it!
Quinoa – It’s important to rinse the quinoa before cooking it. I like to use a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over the grains. Since this is a cold salad, the quinoa should be cooled completely before assembling. You can spread it out on a cookie sheet to cool it faster. I usually uncover, fluff, and let it cool down a little bit in the saucepan and then transfer to a large lidded container and refrigerate overnight.
Carrots – The main vegetable in this salad adds a subtle sweetness. I like to use my food processor to grate or shred.
Cucumber – I like to use English cucumbers because I find the skin to be pleasantly tender and not as bitter. According to the Monash App, cucumbers should be tolerable to most people with IBS in a serving size of 1/2 cup diced or less.
Scallions or Green Onions – The green tops of scallions are low in FODMAPS and add a delicious onion flavor to this salad without being too overwhelming.
Sunflower Seeds and Sesame Seeds – The seeds add extra crunch and protein to this salad. For both sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, I buy them raw and unsalted and toast them myself in a skillet over low heat, tossing frequently to evenly brown.
Ginger Root – I find the best way to grate ginger root is to peel it, then freeze it. Ginger root can be stringy, but once it’s frozen, it easily can be grated using a microplane zester and grater.
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Notes on the Vinaigrette Ingredients
Soy Sauce – If you require gluten-free, Tamari sauce can be used instead. I like the reduced sodium varieties, finding they are plenty savory enough and are better for my blood pressure!
Rice Vinegar – A very common ingredient found at most grocery stores, although white wine vinegar could be used as a substitute.
Toasted Sesame Oil – Make sure you use the toasted variety of sesame oil, which is a dark brown color, for its rich and nutty taste. Just a little bit adds so much flavor to this salad!
Chili Crisp – This ingredient is optional, although in my opinion, it’s what makes this salad so delicious. See my recommendations for brands in my discussion above. A little bit of chili crisp goes a long way. As it can be quite spicy, I recommend doing a taste test before adding to your food. Usually the oil separates from the solids in the chili crisp, so I use a teaspoon of just the oil (not the solids) for the tofu marinade. If you are sensitive to spice you can absolutely leave the chili crisp out! Try adding some ground black pepper as a substitute.
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How to Make Low-FODMAP Carrot Quinoa Salad with Tofu
Time needed: 3 hours and 40 minutes
- Prepare the Tofu
Several hours or the night before assembling and serving the salad, prepare the tofu so it can marinate: chop the tofu into bite-size pieces and place in a shallow container with lid. In a small bowl, whisk the 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon chili oil together. Pour over the tofu and toss lightly, cover and refrigerate several hours or until tofu has soaked up all of the marinade.
- Prepare the Quinoa
Also several hours or the night before assembling and serving the salad, cook the quinoa: In a large saucepan, bring the rinsed quinoa, water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered and allow to steam another 10 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a spoon and cool completely. You can speed up the cooling process by spreading the quinoa out on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate quinoa until ready to assemble salad.
- Assemble the Salad
Once tofu has marinated and quinoa is cooked and cooled, assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, shredded carrots, chopped cucumber, sliced scallions, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.
- Prepare the Vinaigrette Dressing
To make the dressing, in a medium bowl whisk together the 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon chili crisp, and grated ginger root.
- Finish Making the Salad & Serve
Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to combine. Add the marinated tofu and toss gently to incorporate.
Chill, serve and enjoy! Refrigerate any leftovers and consume within three days.
You may enjoy these other low-FODMAP grain salad recipes from my collection:
Scarlet Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing
California Quinoa Salad with Mojito Dressing
Moroccan Millet Couscous Salad
Carrot Quinoa Salad with Tofu
Ingredients
Tofu:
- 16 oz. firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and drained
- 2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon chili oil, or just the oil part from a jar of chili crisp (optional, or as tolerated, or to taste)
Salad:
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large carrots, peeled and shredded
- 1 1/2 cups chopped cucumber
- 3 scallions or green onions, thinly sliced (green parts only)
- 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chili crisp (optional, or as tolerated, or to taste)
- 1 inch knob ginger root, peeled and finely grated
Instructions
- Several hours or the night before assembling and serving the salad, prepare the tofu so it can marinate: chop the tofu into bite-size pieces and place in a shallow container with lid. In a small bowl, whisk the 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon chili oil together. Pour over the tofu and toss lightly, cover and refrigerate several hours or until tofu has soaked up all of the marinade.
- Also several hours or the night before assembling and serving the salad, cook the quinoa: In a large saucepan, bring the quinoa, water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered and allow to steam another 10 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a spoon and cool completely. You can speed up the cooling process by spreading the quinoa out on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate quinoa until ready to assemble salad.
- Once tofu has marinated and quinoa is cooked and cooled, assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, shredded carrots, chopped cucumber, sliced scallions, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds. To make the dressing, in a medium bowl whisk together the 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon chili crisp, and grated ginger root. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to combine. Add the marinated tofu and toss gently to incorporate.
- Chill, serve and enjoy! Refrigerate any leftovers and consume within three days.
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