The other day I made Vermicelli Salad w/ Daikon & Yellow Squash. I ordinarily like to add in avocado with this for a little bit of indulgence. Although I've used all of my avocados on Avocado Dip w/ Greek Yogurt & Walnuts. So, I decided to combine them together and use the avocado dip as a salad dressing, of sorts. I don't like boring salads. Tossing lettuce in a bunch of mayonnaise is the last thing that I'm going to do. But sometimes I like to eat fresh fruits and vegetables without all of the work of preparing a whole meal! Vermicelli salads are the perfect quick and easy dish to toss together. I use brown rice vermicelli, which cooks in about 60 seconds after the water boils. I'll start a pot of water boiling on the stove and be done with the vermicelli before I've managed to chop up the daikon, summer squash, bell pepper, and avocado dip!
I tend to toss the vermicelli salad in a mix of tahini, tamari, and rice vinegar. Peanut butter works as a great substitute for tahini, if you don't tend to keep it in the house. Crushed peanuts, walnuts, or any nut of choice are all a great alternative. I added in an extra splash of avocado dip with walnuts, to add in both the avocado and an extra kick of nuts. Although you can easily mix and match your own favorite ingredients or what you have on hand. I'll also typically toss in some lightly fried avocado for some extra crunch. This can easily be omitted or substituted, depending on your personal tastes and preferences.
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Variations of Avocado Vermicelli
I make vermicelli salad with a plethora of ingredients. Cucumber, zucchini, yellow summer squash, red bell pepper, carrots, sprouts. But my favorite ingredient might be avocados. Now, I hear people rolling their eyes at the millennial avocado obsession. As cringey as it might be, avocados are absolutely delicious. You can always mix and match in your own favorite ingredients. Avocados add in an extra bit of creaminess without having to add dairy. Although I also tossed in some Greek yogurt for an extra indulgent salad today.
Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. Process for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides occasionally.
Cook Vermicelli
Add about 4 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cook vermicelli according to the manufacturer's instructions.Vermicelli cooks very quickly. I tend to add the vermicelli and then immediately remove it from heat. Then, go on to prepare the produce. Merely sitting in the once boiling water is sufficient enough soften it enough to eat without overcooking.
Fry Tofu
While the pot is boiling for the vermicelli, drain the water out of the tofu and cut into cubes.
Wrap in paper towels to absorb the moisture.It's important to absorb as much water out of the tofu as you can. Oil is less dense than water, so the molecules repel one another. With cold ingredients, this causes separation. When you're frying at high temperatures, though, this can cause boiling hot oil to spray back at you.
Meanwhile, preheat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
When the skillet has preheated and the majority of the water has absorbed into the paper towels, carefully add the tofu to the skillet. Fry until golden brown. This should take about 2-4 minutes. Rotate until all sides are evenly fried.
Remove from heat and wrap again in paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Assemble Salad
Mince and chop all of the produce and add to a large bowl.
It can help to mix the tamari, rice vinegar, and tahini together in a separate bowl and then mix in. Although this isn't explicitly necessary as long as the tahini doesn't clump together.
Toss in avocado dip and dd in sprouts and tofu afterwards. Sprouts go bad much faster than the other ingredients, so I don't mix them in until serving and store them separately.
Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. I'm quite fond of this dish at room temperature or mixed in with salmon or scrambled eggs. It keeps incredibly well in the refrigerator, though. There's enough sodium and acidity in the mix to last for about a week without the produce browning. The liquid will start to separate and just need stirring before serving again.
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