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Tofu Salad

A salad of tofu, rice, vegetables, and chow mein noodles tossed with a soy‑mayonnaise dressing.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 15 ingredients
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Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓

Tofu Salad

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Drain tofu and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

  2. Combine tofu, onions, celery, rice, pimiento, water chestnuts, and mushrooms.

Dress and serve

  1. Blend garlic, pepper, ginger, mustard, soy sauce, and mayonnaise.

  2. Stir the dressing into the tofu mixture and toss lightly.

  3. Spoon the salad onto beds of salad greens and surround with chow mein noodles.

  4. Serve with additional soy sauce, if desired.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

449Calories
24 gProtein
11 gFat
65 gCarbs

Counts 11 of 13 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 11 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Tofu100g firm76
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Mushrooms1/2 cup sliced (35g)15
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Celery1 stalk (40g)6
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Mustard1 tsp (5g) yellow3
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Water Chestnutnot in our table0
Saladnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  2. Onion + water chestnuttop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together205 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  3. Water chestnut + garlictop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together91 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  4. Celery + clovetop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together4,668 recipes

    Shared aroma: gamma-decalactone (peach, creamy).

  5. Mushroom + garlictop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,700 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Tofu
Provides protein-rich body and a soft, mild bite that absorbs the dressing.
Cooked rice
Forms the bulk of the salad and gives a chewy, separate-grained texture.
Mayonnaise
Supplies fat and creaminess that binds the salad and carries the seasonings.
Soy sauce
Adds salty, savory depth that seasons the dressing and the whole salad.
Water chestnuts
Add a crisp, juicy crunch that contrasts with the soft rice and tofu.
Celery
Adds a fresh, crisp crunch and a mild, slightly vegetal flavor.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, onion, celery, rice, water chestnut, mushroom, garlic):

  1. Turmericfits better
  2. Cuminfits better
  3. Thymefits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, onion, celery, rice, water chestnut, mushroom, garlic. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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