Green spring salad with lemon tofu

Spring is finally here and I just cannot get enough of this beautiful sunshine we have been having lately. If your body too has woken up from winter slumber and started craving all things green, I’ve got you – this recipe for green spring salad with lemon tofu is for you!! That’s what’s I have been living on lately. I packed this salad with a variety vegetables in all shades of green, plus added heaps of plant protein to help my post-gym recovery. If you too are striving to eat more plant protein intake because of your increased physical activity, for example, you’ll love this protein-packed green spring salad as much as me.

This salad has it all. It features penty of fresh vegetables of all shapes and sizes – crispy lettuce, tender asparagus, crunchy celery to name just a few. It has a deliciously creamy dressing that despite coming together in seconds has a real depth of flavour. It has plenty of plant protein too, in the form of cheesy and tangy lemony tofu and green peas.

If you want to increase the amount of the protein amount even more, I recommend adding some drained chickpeas or white kidney beans (known as cannellini beans in the UK) and topping this salad with roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds – that’s what I often do but in the interest of keeping the ingredient list manageable, I skipped those optional add-ons from the recipe. Even as is, this green spring salad boasts over 10 different plants points, which as we know are key for fostering a diverse gut microbiome.

Another great thing about this green spring salad with lemon tofu is that you can prepare most of it in advance and assemble just before you eat. The tofu will keep for a few days in an air-tight container and although it’s definitely nicest freshly baked, it works straight from the fridge too or you could warm it up a little in a microwave. The dressing will keep for 2-3 days or you can freeze it in ice-cube trays and defrost only as much as you need. We – including Duncan who is not overly keen on creamy dressings usually – have been enjoying this fresh yet filling salad a lot lately and I hope that this green spring salad will become you go to meal for the sunny days ahead.

MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

TOFU: As I intended this green spring salad to be enjoyed as a main, I added heaps of lemon-marinated tofu to it as the main source of protein. You can either use about 600 g (21 oz) of firm or extra firm, well pressed tofu or if you want to make your job easier, seek out an already pressed tofu brand instead. I used natural (as opposed to smoked) Tofoo here which meant that I can go straight to marinating, no need to press.

LETTUCE: Crispy little Gem lettuce, which is mini Cos / Romaine lettuce for those of you who do not live in the UK, gives this salad bulk, freshness and its crispy leaves stand up to the creamy dressing nicely without getting soggy. No one wants a soggy salad.

ASPARAGUS: As British grown asparagus has started making an appearance, I had to include this quintessentially spring vegetable in my green spring salad. You can either eat it raw – use a speed peeler to slice it into elegant little ribbons or you can simmer it for a couple of minutes after you’ve cooked your green peas. You could also grill or bake it in the oven for even nicer taste but that is going to give you a lot more work so do that only if your commitment to flavour surpasses all else.

GREEN PEAS: Green peas are such a staple and one of these things that are just as delicious frozen, plus they look pretty and are a great source of plant protein at the same time (5 g of protein per 100 g raw peas) so adding them to this salad was an obvious move. Be sure to cook them just until tender (it will take any time between 2-5 minutes depending on their size and whether you are cooking them from fresh or frozen) so that they retain their vibrant green colour and pleasing firm texture.

CELERY: You can never have too many types of plants so I added a couple small celery ribs to this green spring salad for another texture and extra nutrition.

CASHEWS: Raw cashews soaked in water make a beautifully creamy and smooth dressing or sauce. If you cannot have cashews or would rather not use them for whatever reason, you can achieve a very similar effect with sunflower seeds, again they will need soaking before you blend. Typically sunflower seeds do not yield as appetising colour as the cashews, but it does not matter so much in this instance, especially if you add a bit of fresh flat leaf parsley to turn the green dial up a bit. When it comes to soaking, you can either soak your nuts or seeds in cold water overnight or at the very minimum in boiling water for 20-30 minutes. Drain well before using.

CAPERS: A small amount of capers enhances the flavour of the salad dressing beautifully so don’t skip that ingredient. If you must replace it, try using half a gherkin – taste and add more if needed.

HERBS: Herbs are little miracle workers, when used judiciously they can make pretty much anything taste so much better. In this green spring salad recipe I used a combination of dill and chives as both of these go fantastically well the lemon, but basil or parsley or ideally a mixture of both would also work very well.

LEMON: This green spring salad recipe uses a lot of lemons as there is lemon juice in the dressing and both, lemon zest and lemon juice, in the tofu marinade. Try to get unwaxed lemons if possible and wash them really well before zesting.

NUTRITIONAL YEAST: Nutritional yeast – a staple vegan seasoning with a distinctive cheese-like flavour – add plenty of flavour to the lemon tofu and extra depth of flavour to the herb dressing.

HOW TO MAKE IT?

1) MARINATE THE TOFU

First off, combine all of the marinade ingredients and cube your well pressed (no need to press if you are using an already pressed brand like Tofoo) tofu into bite size cubes. Coat the tofu in the marinade and set aside for at least 1 hr (30 minutes will do but the longer you marinate the better) giving the tofu a good stir every now and then.

2) BAKE THE TOFU

Once your tofu has had enough time in the marinade, lift it out of the marinade and spread it on the baking tray. Bake at 210° C / 410° F (190° C / 375° F fan) for 30 minutes. Keep the marinade and coat the tofu in it at half way through the baking (15 minutes mark), stir well and return the tofu to the oven for another 15 minutes.

3) BLEND THE DRESSING

Place all of the dressing ingredients – drained cashews, capers, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, dill fronds and chives in a small blender or smoothie maker. Add about half a cup (120 ml) of water and blend until silky smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste.

4) ASSEMBLE

You are almost done, the only two things to do is to tackle the asparagus and the green peas. You can shave the asparagus spears into think ribbons using a speed peeler and add them to the salad raw or you can cut the spears into bite size pieces and boil for 1-3 minutes (depending on thickness) until vibrant green and still a little crunchy. Next, boil the green peas in the same water until tender, about 2-5 minutes (again, depending on size and if they are fresh or frozen). Stir some of the dressing through the lettuce leaves, top with remaining veggies and lemon tofu. For extra texture and more protein, you could top this salad with toasted sunflower and protein seeds too. Enjoy!