Spring Salad with Romaine Lettuce Hearts, Red Radicchio and Tofu Dressed with Tamarin Vinaigrette

By Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff

Raw, leafy salads are a good addition to our everyday diet as they are packed with important nutrients. 

Vitamins such as A, C and K are found abundantly in salad leaves. They boost our immune systems and are particularly beneficial during the spring. In addition, salads replenish our bodies with moisture which may have been diminished during the dry winter months.

The spring season is a perfect time to include unfamiliar leafy vegetables in your salads, such as the red radicchio used in this recipe. You can also include the seasonal leaves of your choice.

Here, the salad is paired with another vitamin-packed ingredient, tamarind, which may be unfamiliar to many. Tamarind contains a good amount of Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and calcium which can help control blood sugar level and inflammation.

The tamarind vinaigrette recipe presented here is the same recipe as the tamarind chutney recipe found in my cookbooks. Tamarind chutney, a popular condiment is used as a sauce for snacks and appetizers in Indian cuisine. This tangy dressing pairs well with the bitter/sweet salad leaves.

The addition of tofu in this salad provides us with protein and calcium. So, let’s make this nutritious and seasonal recipe.

Ingredients for the vinaigrette:

1 cup tamarind sauce (obtain from about a dozen dry tamarind pods)

½ cup honey, maple syrup or date sugar

¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger (using a ginger shredder or the small holes of a cheese grater)

¼ cup (or as needed) water

Ingredients for Salad

2 teaspoons oil

2 cups of firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 cups of chopped romaine lettuce hearts (inner leaves of the romaine lettuce)

2 cups of roughly chopped red endive, red radicchio or red chicory leaves

2 tablespoons chopped green onion (scallion) with greens included

A few thin strips of carrots or ribbons (using a vegetable peeler)

¼ to 1/3 cup of lightly toasted walnuts or pecan pieces

2 to 3 tablespoons currants or raisins

First, make the vinaigrette from dry tamarind pods. For this recipe, do not use the already made dark sauce or the dehydrated compressed brick that is available at some ethnic markets. Instead, use the pods. These pods, imported from Thailand, India or Mexico are available at various ethnic markets. Store the tamarind pods in a cool, dark pantry after you purchase them.

To make this dressing, you need to extract the pulp from the pods. Take tamarind pods, one at a time, and remove their brittle skins which crack open by pushing them with your fingers.

Remove these skins and discard. Pull and discard the string attached to the flesh. Next, place the peeled tamarind (along with the seeds) in a bowl with a cup of hot water. Let them soak for 15 minutes, or longer, to soften. Soon the tamarind will swell and start to thicken the water into a sauce. Rub tamarind with your fingers to remove as much flesh as possible. At the end of the process, you will have the sauce and remaining membrane with seeds. Strain the sauce using a sieve to discard the membrane and seeds. Add the sweetener of your choice and whisk to combine the ingredients. Next, add the salt, cayenne and ginger. Whisk again and add the water as necessary to make the mixture int a thick but pourable sauce. Then taste the sauce to correct its seasoning. Transfer the dressing into a jar and store it in the refrigerator. (You may not need all the dressing; the rest can be refrigerated for the future use.)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu cubes and cook for 3-4 minutes turning once to cook them to a light brown color on two sides. Transfer tofu pieces onto a platter to let item cool.

While waiting to cool the tofu, attend to the leafy greens. Separate the outer leaves of romaine and save them for the future as you will be using only the innermost small leaves (hearts). Cut them into smaller pieces and place them into a mixing bowl. Separate the leaves of the radicchio and cut them into small pieces. Add them to the romaine heart pieces. Finally, arrange the lettuce and radicchio leaves on a large platter. Scatter the cooled tofu pieces, the chopped scallion, carrot ribbons, walnuts or pecans and currants or raisins.

Right before serving the salad, drizzle it with a generous amount of tamarind sauce without drenching it. Leave the jar on the table for those who want to add more vinaigrette.

Makes eight servings.

Recipe by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, copyright 2026. Shanta is a Sunset District resident and the author of “Cooking Together” and “Flavors of India,” available at Other Avenues Food Store at 3930 Judah St. Shanta writes recipes and articles on food and nutrition. She teaches vegetarian and vegan cooking classes at her home and gives cooking demonstrations for the public at SFPL branches frequently which you can find by viewing San Francisco Public Library’s event page. You can also view her recipes via videos on YouTube by searching Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff’s YouTube videos.