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 lots of fresh, crunchy veggies. It’s a refreshing, hearty and comforting summer dinner salad!

To keep things simple, the dressing for this vegan summer salad is also your tofu marinade. The smoky, bacon-y flavor is just incredible!

I love the way that the deep flavors in this dressing pair up with salad greens, crunchy bell pepper, and sweet orange slices.
Theres loads of flavor and texture in this salad. Chewy crisp tofu, crunchy veggies, sweet tangy oranges and to take it to the next level we add this super crisp almond flour croutons! The croutons take just 1 bowl and 5 mins to mix, then scoop and bake and use. You can use these for any salad. Tofu and croutons add up 18-22 gm of protein! This is a very satisfying dinner salad that you’ll want 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 lots 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, Main, Salad

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: vegan summer salad

Servings: 3

Calories: 364kcal

Author: 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 least 10 minutes and cubed or sliced as you like

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 blend
• 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 choice
• 1 cup (149 g) sliced bell pepper
• slices of 1 orange or more
• 1/4 cup (35 g) seeds I use a mix of pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and hemp seeds.

Instructions

Make the dressing.

• Add all of the dressing ingredients under the dressing to a bowl, and mix really well until the garlic mixes in. Add the tofu to this mixture, and toss well to coat. Set aside while 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 mix really well, Press and mix to break any almond flour lumps. Then add the oil and the flax egg and and mix really 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 want them to have a somewhat organic shape. Keep them at least 1/2 inch away from each other.

Make the tofu.

• Fish the tofu out of the marinade using a fork and place on the other baking sheet, keeping the tofu pieces at least 1/2 inch apart from each other. Place both the tofu and crouton baking sheets in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The croutons will be done sooner, so keep an eye on them. As soon as they feel crunchy outside and golden brown, take that baking sheet out of the oven. They might feel slightly soft in the middle, but they will continue to harden as they cool.

• Meanwhile, you can continue to bake the tofu for another 5 to 10 minutes, until it crisps up to preference, then remove the tofu from the oven. Or broil for a few mins.

Assemble the salad.

• Add some lettuce or baby spring greens of choice to a bowl. Add the bell pepper and orange slices, then add the tofu and the seeds with a good 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 in the refrigerator for up to two days. Do not combine the salad until you’re ready to serve, as the croutons will absorb the dressing and soften. So assemble the salad just before serving.
To make this without nuts, use bread croutons of choice. 
To make these without soy, use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and use chickpea tofu or soy-free chicken substitute instead of tofu. Or you can also 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

% Daily 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 Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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 more sweetness and some tang.
• smoked paprika – For the smoky element of the bacon flavor.
• thyme, garlic powder, and black pepper – Boosts the dressing/marinade flavor even more!
• orange zest – Adds a bright, summery flavor to the summer salad dressing.
• tofu – Your protein. Use chickpea tofu, a cup of cooked chickpeas, or soy-free chicken substitute instead for soy-free.
• almond flour – The base 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 little sweetness pairs so well with this mix of flavors!
• seeds of choice – Seeds like pumpkin, sesame, and hemp seeds add more protein and crunch to this summer dinner salad!

Tips

• Don’t skip pressing the tofu before marinating! It will have the best texture and flavor this way.
• Make sure to break up any almond flour lumps when making the crouton dough. Almond flour loves to clump.
• It’s OK if the croutons are still soft inside when you take them out of the oven. They’ll harden up as they cool.

How to Make Vegan Summer Salad

Add all of the dressing ingredients under the dressing to a bowl, and mix really well until the garlic mixes in. Add the tofu to this mixture, and toss well to coat. Set aside while 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 mix really well, Press and mix to break any almond flour lumps.

Then add the oil and the flax egg and and mix really 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 want them to have a somewhat organic shape. Keep them at least 1/2 inch away from each other. 

Fish the tofu out of the marinade using a fork and place on the other baking sheet, keeping the tofu pieces at least 1/2 inch apart from each other.

Place both the tofu and crouton baking sheets in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The croutons will be done sooner, so keep an eye on them. As soon as they feel crunchy outside and golden brown, take that baking sheet out of the oven. They might feel slightly soft in the middle, but they will continue to harden as they cool. 

Meanwhile, you can continue to bake the tofu for another five to 10 minutes, until it crisps up to preference, then remove the tofu from the oven. Or broil for a few minutes to crisp it up.

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

There will be a good 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.

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