I am gearing up for the holidays with my vegan son, Patrick, and that means my vegan cooking juices are flowing! I recently developed my Perfect for Sundays Antipasto Salad, and I knew I could make a fabulous vegan salad version. This is perfect for the holidays whether you are having a vegan feast or not!
What goes into a Vegan Sunday Salad
When I think about making a vegan salad, I think through a few things. First, what are the nutrients I’m looking to get out of this dish? For example, how much protein do I need or how many carbs? Next, I’m thinking through what flavors and what textures will create a well balanced and delicious dish.
One of my favorite hacks is using hearts of palm as a replacement for cheese. It’s a great creamy cheesy texture with the perfect flavor. I don’t always use tofu, but when making it a meal I love to incorporate tofu with my favorite marinade. Mushrooms are a must for me when it comes to vegan cooking. They add such a depth of flavor and texture to your dish.
My favorite part of this vegan salad is the crunchy chickpeas. These are like the crutons on the salad and they are truly next level fabulous. Definitely make extra because you are just going to want snack on these. They are so simple to make and absolutely addicting.
We added some other great vegetables and toppings that you can find in the vegan salad recipe below, but the star of the show is the dressing. We made a vegan version of our Charred Scallion Dressing. It packs a punch and it’s absolutely amazing as a complement to this salad.
I think some people think of vegan cooking as flavorless or limiting. For me, it’s truly a joy and a fun challenge. There are so many incredible, natural flavors we can embrace and enjoy. Seriously, just look at the list of ingredients for this vegan salad! It’s pretty incredible. I think it’s so important to dive into all kinds of cooking. It’s a great way to keep things new and exciting in your kitchen and meals.
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Tossed Vegan Sunday Salad
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Salads
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan salad is perfect for the holidays. It’s great for any celebration and it’s something everyone can enjoy, vegan or not!
Ingredients
For the Salad:
10 ounces of your choice of greens, we used baby romaine, cut into bite sized pieces, we recommend not using a soft lettuce
2 ounces of arugula, optional
Kosher salt
Marinated Red Onions and its oil
1 cup thinly sliced radicchio
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces of trumpet mushrooms, cut into matchsticks
2 ounces of California green olives, halved
¾ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ cup thinly sliced pepperoncini peppers
3/4 cup finely chopped hearts of palm
½ cup thinly sliced peppadew peppers
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, if needed
Freshly ground black pepper
For Tofu:
1 pound extra firm tofu
1 cup water
1/4 cup tamari
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried dill
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For Crunchy Chickpeas:
1 (15.5-ounce) can of chickpeas
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
For the Charred Scallion dressing:
1 large bunch green scallions, about 6 ounces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup vegan mayo
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon pressed garlic
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the Tofu:
To release the moisture from the tofu, wrap the block of tofu in paper towel or in a kitchen towel. Place a heavy pot or plate on top of the wrapped tofu to weigh it down and squeeze out excess moisture. Let sit for about 10 minutes, the block will feel more firm.
Next, cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes.
In a large bowl add the water, tamari, salt, pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, and dried dill. Stir to combine. Put the tofu in a large container and pour the marinade over to coat completely. Refrigerate up to 2 hours or, preferably, overnight.
In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu cubes and cook until golden brown on two sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. A total of 10 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of marinade and cook for 2 to 4 minutes until it reduces to a thick glaze. Remove and set aside.
Make the Crunchy Chickpeas:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Drain the liquid from the can of chickpeas. Rinse with cold water for about 1 minute. Set aside to dry on a paper towel or kitchen towel.
In a small mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, olive oil, salt, paprika, and garlic powder. Toss to coat the chickpeas completely. Place in a half baking sheet and cook until browned and crispy, for about 30 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Make the Charred Scallion Dressing:
In a large skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the scallions and sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt and rotate constantly until charred on all sides for about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Roughly chop the green onions.
Add the vegan mayo to a food processor or blender. Then add the charred green onions, apple cider vinegar, pressed garlic, hot sauce, remaining salt and black pepper. Pulse to combine for about 30 seconds. Using a spatula, push down all the sides and continue to pulse for about 30 more seconds until combined but nor pureed until smooth. Place in the refrigerator and set aside.
Assemble the Salad:
In a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, over medium-high heat. Add the matchstick mushrooms and sauté for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Remove and set aside.
In a large bowl, add the greens torn or cut into bite sized pieces and sprinkle with salt and add 3 tablespoons of Marinated Red Onion oil and around ½ cup of marinated red onions. Add the tofu, chickpeas, radicchio, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, pepperoncini, hearts of palm, and peppadew peppers. Toss to fully combine. Add more marinated onion oil and the red wine vinegar, if needed, until salad is fully coated. Season to taste with more salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add around 2 to 3 tablespoons of the scallion dressing toss and enjoy! Serve with more dressing on the side.
Keywords: vegan salad
What kind of vegan Mayo is good?