Asian Chopped Salad With Grilled Teriyaki Kebabs

Name: Asian Chopped Salad With Grilled Teriyaki Kebabs
Prep time: 10 Min.
Cook time: 10 Min.
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 package Asian Chopped Kit; ½ Extra Firm Tofu; 1 cup Zucchini; ½ cup Red Onion; ½ cup Red Bell Pepper; 1 cup Fresh Pineapple; 1 cup Teriyaki Glaze; Wooden Skewers

Our Asian Chopped Salad Kit comes packed with fresh savoy cabbage, green cabbage, carrots, celery, green onion, crispy wontons, toasted almonds, and a light sesame dressing to top things off. But in this recipe, we’re going to elevate this salad to the next level and turn it into the main course. So fire up the grill!

No, the grilling part is not for the salad—we’re not that edgy. It’s time to throw together some quick kebabs with tofu, pineapple, and a few choice vegetables slathered in a delicious teriyaki sauce that will go perfectly on top of (or alongside) our Asian Chopped Salad. You can also make this recipe using chicken breast or shrimp on the skewer, or allow guests to construct their own skewers for you to place on the grill for them. Plus, these look fantastic, which is always a nice added bonus if you’re trying to impress company!

Total TIME:
10 Min.

SERVINGS:
4

Ingredients

1 package Asian Chopped Kit
½ Extra Firm Tofu
1 cup Zucchini
½ cup Red Onion
½ cup Red Bell Pepper
1 cup Fresh Pineapple
1 cup Teriyaki Glaze
Wooden Skewers

Directions

Drain and pat dry tofu in 1″ cubes, then marinate in Teriyaki Glaze.
Cut veggies and Pineapple in 1″ chunks
Add Veggies and Tofu to skewers. Cooking on the grill for a few minutes on each side.
Once finished, add about a 1/2 cup of teriyaki glaze to the skewer and let them rest.
Assemble the salad- add the dressing, then topping with almonds and crispy wontons. Serve the skewers on top or on the side.

Teriyaki: Behind the Sauce

Despite being invented by Japanese chefs over 400 years ago, teriyaki seems to be one of those types of foods that most know about but aren’t really sure how it even became a thing, so let’s fix that. For the most part, anything made with a teriyaki glaze is officially dubbed teriyaki, whether that’s chicken, salmon, beef, or, in this recipe’s case, tofu and vegetables.

The teriyaki glaze itself is typically made with a mixture of soy sauce, mirin (a sweet rice wine), and either sugar or honey, but you may also make it with other types of sweeteners and sake in place of the mirin if you’d like—it’s not like there’s some sort of teriyaki regulatory committee out there judging you. Adding aromatics like ginger and garlic is also a fairly common teriyaki practice.

Okay, but where does the name come from? The word teriyaki is derived from the noun teri (照り), which refers to the shine or luster created by the sugar content (タレ), and yaki (焼き), which refers to the cooking method of grilling or broiling. Traditional teriyaki cooking involves brushing or dipping the ingredients in the sauce several times while it’s cooking. So, whether you’re glazing some salmon with a simple sauce of soy, mirin, and sugar or grilling tofu and vegetables with a more complex sauce like the one in this recipe, you’re still teriyaki-ing. Enjoy!