RECIPE : Tossed Tempeh Salad

Posted by : Angel Flinn at Care2.com (Dec 9, 2010)
Link : http://www.care2.com/greenliving/tossed-tempeh-salad.html

Here’s another recipe that uses tempeh, one of my favorite ingredients. Tempeh is a bit more expensive than tofu, so it’s a bit of a luxury in our kitchen, but it adds a lovely flavor and texture that always makes me want to use it again.

If you’re a fan of the taste and texture of tempeh, but not such a fan of the price, you might want to investigate how to make it yourself. It’s a bit labor-intensive, but it’s worth it if you use tempeh frequently.

If you’re not a fan of tempeh, you can also make this exact same recipe using tofu instead. You can also skip straight to page 2 and just make tofu or tempeh chunks as a side dish. They can either be cooked in a non-stick pan or baked in the oven on a baking tray.

Tossed Tempeh Salad

10 cups mixed greens & lettuce (washed and drained)
2 carrots, grated
2 tomatoes, cubed (or use cherry tomatoes)
1 cucumber, peeled, sliced
1 sweet red pepper, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced thinly
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms
2 Tbsp. tamari (Japanese soy sauce)
2 cups mixed cooked beans (garbanzo, kidney or your choice)
Tempeh Chunks (see next page)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
Golden Caesar dressing (see next recipe)

1. In a salad bowl, break up lettuce and greens into bite-sized pieces. Gently toss with carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, pepper and celery. Set aside in a cool place.
2. Sauté onion and garlic in tamari with a little water. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Let cool.
3. Drain beans of any excess water and place in a bowl. Mix in mushroom sauté. Add the cooled tempeh chunks (next page) and stir.
4. In a non-stick pan, toast sunflower seeds until browned. Set aside.
5. Make dressing and toss over salad. Place dressed salad into individual bowls or plates. Top with tempeh mixture and toasted sunflower seeds

Tempeh/Tofu Chunks
yields 1 skillet
3 (8 oz.) cakes tempeh or tofu
4 Tbsp. tamari
4 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp. oil or tahini
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

If using tofu, rinse, drain and cut into bite-sized cubes, then go to step 2.
1. Steam the tempeh, allow to cool then cut into bite-sized cubes.
2. Marinate tofu/tempeh in a mixture of the remaining ingredients. Stir periodically.
3. Oil a skillet and pan-fry the chunks. Add a little more tamari and oil (optional) while frying.


Golden Caesar Dressing
3 dates soaked in 1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp. mustard (stoneground)
2 Tbsp. cold-pressed olive oil
1/2 tsp. nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

In a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth.

(This information has been reproduced from Incredibly Delicious: Recipes for a New Paradigm by Gentle World, which includes over 500 recipes and all sorts of tips to help make the transition to veganism easy and delicious.

Gentle World is a non-profit educational organization, whose core purpose is to help build a more peaceful society, by educating the public about the reasons for being vegan, the benefits of vegan living, and how to go about making such a transition. Visit www.GentleWorld.org for more information)