Mashed Tofu Salad (Shiraae)

Mashed tofu salad (Shiraae in Japanese) is one of the most traditional salads in Japan. Simmered vegetables are coated with mashed tofu which is seasoned with miso, tahini, sugar, soy sauce, and salt. It’s sweet and smooth but salty and full of umami at the same time!

What is Shiraae?

Shiraae is a type of salad that is usually made with simmered vegetables and mashed tofu seasoned with miso, sugar, tahini, soy sauce, and salt. Shira means “white” and ae means “mix” in English. The salad has lots of protein from tofu, tahini, and miso, so it is a typical dish in Zen cooking (Buddhist vegetarian cooking). You can use any vegetables you like in shiraae but carrots, spinach, konjac which is made from a type of yam. In this recipe, I used carrots, edamame, and shiitake mushrooms in my shiraae.

Ingredients you will need

For the mashed tofu

Tofu – I recommend using firm tofu because you don’t need to press it before using it. If you use medium firm tofu like I do, press it for about 1 hour.

Miso – “Shiro miso” is typically used in making shiraae in Japan, but you can use “awase miso“. I don’t recommend using “aka miso” because it’s darker in colour and much saltier.

Sugar – Any sugar is fine.

Tahini – If you don’t like sesame flavour, you can use peanut butter instead.

Soy sauce – In Japan, “usukuchi syoyu” is commonly used in shiraae, but you can use ordinary “koikuchi syoyu” which is Japanese dark soy sause.

Salt – I like to use sea salt in my food rather than table salt because it has minerals in it.

For the simmered vegetables

Vegetables – I use shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and edamame in this recipe but actually, you can use any vegetables you like.

Dashi – You can use store bought vegan Japanese dashi but if you want to make your dashi from scratch, here is the recipe #Japanese-vegan-stock

Soy sauce – “Usukuchi syoyu” is usually used in shiraae, because it is paler in colour but is saltier. You can use ordinary “koikuchi syoyu” which is easier to find at grocery stores.

Mirin – If you don’t have mirin at home, you can substitute it with sugar and sake or white wine.

Sugar – Any sugar works well but brown sugar would disturb the pale colour of tofu.

Step by Step Guide

For the Simmered Vegetables

1 Chop the vegetables into bite size sticks like in the photo below. Please make sure to cut off the tough stems.

2 In a pot, put the vegetables, dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, then turn the heat on to high heat. Once it boils, turn the heat to low and simmer it for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the heat off and let it cool for about 15 minutes.

For the Mushed Tofu

1 If you use firm tofu or extra firm tofu, you can skip this process.300g of medium firm tofu will become 250g after pressing.Wrap it with a clean tea towel or a piece of kitchen towel and place it on a tray or a plate. Put something heavy such as a saucepan and weigh it down more with cans or jars. Leave it for about 1 hour to press the excess water out.

2 Put the pressed tofu in a bowl and mash it with a fork or potato masher. Add your miso, sugar, tahini, soy sauce, and salt to the mashed tofu and mix well.

3 Drain the vegetables with a colander or a sieve and add them to the mashed tofu, and stir to coat every piece of vegetables with tofu.

4 Sprinkle some sesame after plating if you like. Enjoy!

Q & A

Can I use silken tofu instead of firm tofu?

Yes, you can! In fact, using silken tofu in shiraae is quite common in Japan. It makes your mashed tofu more smooth and creamy but a bit watery.

How long does shiraae last in the fridge?

Homemade shiraae can last for about 3-4 days in the fridge. Make sure to put it in an airtight container.

Can I freeze my shiraae?

Yes, all you need to do is put it in an airtight container or a ziplock bag and freeze it. It can last for up to 1 month.

Can I use aka miso (red miso)?

Technically yes, but I don’t recommend using it in shiraae because red miso is much saltier and dark in colour. You have to adjust the amount of miso you’re adding to the tofu.

More Zen Recipes to Enjoy

Potato Tempura With Sweet Miso Sauce

Deep Fried Tofu Balls (Ganmodoki)

Sesame Tofu (Goma Dofu)

Eggplant Kabayaki Rice Bowl (Vegan)

Here is the easiest way to make Japanese vegan stock using just 2 ingredients!