Easy Vegan Summer Salad with Smoky Tofu

This easy vegan summer salad stars smoky baked tofu and crispy almond flour croutons in a bacon-y dressing with a number of fresh, crunchy veggies. It’s a refreshing, hearty and comforting summer dinner salad!

To maintain things easy, the dressing for this vegan summer salad can be your tofu marinade. The smoky, bacon-y flavor is just incredible!

I really like the way in which that the deep flavors on this dressing pair up with salad greens, crunchy bell pepper, and sweet orange slices.
Theres a great deal of flavor and texture on this salad. Chewy crisp tofu, crunchy veggies, sweet tangy oranges and to take it to the following level we add this super crisp almond flour croutons! The croutons take just 1 bowl and 5 mins to combine, then scoop and bake and use. You need to use these for any salad. Tofu and croutons add up 18-22 gm of protein! This can be a very satisfying dinner salad that you just’ll wish to eat all summer long!

Why You’ll Love this Vegan Summer Salad

• easy, healthy, and refreshing
• smoky tofu and dressing
• fresh, crisp veggies
• crunchy almond flour croutons
• soy-free with nut-free and gluten-free options

More Vegan Dinner Salads

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Vegan Summer Salad

This easy vegan summer salad stars smoky baked tofu and crispy almond flour croutons in a bacon-y dressing with a number of fresh, crunchy veggies. It’s a refreshing, healthy summer dinner salad!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: dinner, Entree, Major, Salad

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: vegan summer salad

Servings: 3

Calories: 364kcal

Creator: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the Dressing/Marinade

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce Use tamari for gluten-free.
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

For the Tofu

• 7 ounces (198.45 g) of firm or extra firm tofu pressed for at the very least 10 minutes and cubed or sliced as you want

For the Croutons

• 1/2 cup (118.29 g) almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian herb mix
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 flax egg That’s 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water.

For the Salad

• 3 to 4 cups (216 g) torn lettuce or other baby greens of alternative
• 1 cup (149 g) sliced bell pepper
• slices of 1 orange or more
• 1/4 cup (35 g) seeds I take advantage of a mixture of pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and hemp seeds.

Instructions

Make the dressing.

• Add all the dressing ingredients under the dressing to a bowl, and blend very well until the garlic mixes in. Add the tofu to this mixture, and toss well to coat. Put aside whilst you prep the croutons.

Make the croutons.

• Preheat the oven to 335° F (168° C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

• In a bowl, add almond flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, herbs and paprika and blend very well, Press and blend to interrupt any almond flour lumps. Then add the oil and the flax egg and and blend very well to make a dough.

• Using a 1/2 teaspoon or a smaller measure, measure out the crouton dough and scoop it onto the baking sheet. You would like them to have a somewhat organic shape. Keep them at the very least 1/2 inch away from one another.

Make the tofu.

• Fish the tofu out of the marinade using a fork and place on the opposite baking sheet, keeping the tofu pieces at the very least 1/2 inch aside from one another. Place each the tofu and crouton baking sheets within the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The croutons might be done sooner, so control them. As soon as they feel crunchy outside and golden brown, take that baking sheet out of the oven. They could feel barely soft in the center, but they may proceed to harden as they cool.

• Meanwhile, you’ll be able to proceed to bake the tofu for one more 5 to 10 minutes, until it crisps as much as preference, then remove the tofu from the oven. Or broil for a number of mins.

Assemble the salad.

• Add some lettuce or baby spring greens of alternative to a bowl. Add the bell pepper and orange slices, then add the tofu and the seeds with an excellent drizzle of the remaining dressing. Then, top the salad with the croutons and serve immediately.

Notes

For make-ahead, bake the tofu and the croutons. Store the croutons on the counter and the tofu within the refrigerator for as much as two days. Don’t mix the salad until you’re able to serve, because the croutons will absorb the dressing and soften. So assemble the salad just before serving.
To make this without nuts, use bread croutons of alternative. 
To make these without soy, use coconut aminos as an alternative of soy sauce and use chickpea tofu or soy-free chicken substitute as an alternative of tofu. Or you may as well use 1 cup of cooked chickpeas.
Oil-free: omit the oil from the croutons. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Summer Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 364
Calories from Fat 198

% Every day Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Sodium 690mg30%

Potassium 400mg11%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 8g33%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 19g38%

Vitamin A 2615IU52%

Vitamin C 90mg109%

Calcium 217mg22%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Every day Values are based on a 2000 calorie eating regimen.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• soy sauce – Adds saltiness and umami to the salad dressing. Use tamari for gluten-free
• maple syrup – For the sweet element of the bacony flavor.
• balsamic vinegar – Adding a little bit more sweetness and a few tang.
• smoked paprika – For the smoky element of the bacon flavor.
• thyme, garlic powder, and black pepper – Boosts the dressing/marinade flavor much more!
• orange zest – Adds a vivid, summery flavor to the summer salad dressing.
• tofu – Your protein. Use chickpea tofu, a cup of cooked chickpeas, or soy-free chicken substitute as an alternative for soy-free.
• almond flour – The bottom for the gluten-free croutons.
• herbs and spices – Onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika make these healthy croutons so flavorful!
• oil – Adds moisture to the croutons.
• flax egg – A tablespoon of flax meal mixed with 2.5 tablespoons water acts as a binder and adds moisture to the croutons.
• veggies – Fresh lettuce and bell pepper bring the crunch!
• orange slices – A bit sweetness pairs so well with this mixture of flavors!
• seeds of alternative – Seeds like pumpkin, sesame, and hemp seeds add more protein and crunch to this summer dinner salad!

Suggestions

• Don’t skip pressing the tofu before marinating! It’s going to have the perfect texture and flavor this fashion.
• Ensure that to interrupt up any almond flour lumps when making the crouton dough. Almond flour likes to clump.
• It’s OK if the croutons are still soft inside whenever you take them out of the oven. They’ll harden up as they cool.

Easy methods to Make Vegan Summer Salad

Add all the dressing ingredients under the dressing to a bowl, and blend very well until the garlic mixes in. Add the tofu to this mixture, and toss well to coat. Put aside whilst you prep the croutons.

Meanwhile, make the croutons. Preheat the oven to 335° F (168° C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, add almond flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, herbs and paprika and blend very well, Press and blend to interrupt any almond flour lumps.

Then add the oil and the flax egg and and blend very well to make a dough. 

Using a 1/2 teaspoon or a smaller measure, measure out the crouton dough and scoop it onto the baking sheet. You would like them to have a somewhat organic shape. Keep them at the very least 1/2 inch away from one another. 

Fish the tofu out of the marinade using a fork and place on the opposite baking sheet, keeping the tofu pieces at the very least 1/2 inch aside from one another.

Place each the tofu and crouton baking sheets within the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The croutons might be done sooner, so control them. As soon as they feel crunchy outside and golden brown, take that baking sheet out of the oven. They could feel barely soft in the center, but they may proceed to harden as they cool. 

Meanwhile, you’ll be able to proceed to bake the tofu for one more five to 10 minutes, until it crisps as much as preference, then remove the tofu from the oven. Or broil for a number of minutes to crisp it up.

To assemble the salad, add some lettuce or baby spring greens of alternative to a bowl. Add the bell pepper and orange slices, then add the tofu and the seeds with an excellent drizzle of the dressing.

There might be an excellent amount of the dressing remaining, since we uses the dressing also as a marinade for the tofu. Then, top the salad with the croutons and serve immediately.

Often Asked Questions