Hey, friends! You all know I love my salads (exhibit A, B, and C). In case you don’t follow me on Instagram, I’m going to announce it here, too! I’m hosting a Salad a Day Challenge for the month of July. I will be publishing 20-30 salad recipes (I’m aiming for one recipe per day) to the blog this month to promote seasonal eating and to boost our vegetable and fruit intake in the easiest way possible: through eating at least one bountiful bowl of colourful fruits and veggies a day. And hopefully, by extension, we’ll be able to convince the skeptics that salad really can be a satisfying meal!
Each of these recipes will include at least two of the three macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat). If a recipe is lacking in any one macronutrient, I will include suggestions for adding it in if you desire (for instance, this Smoked Tofu, Strawberry, and Asparagus Kale Salad is grain-free, so you may wish to include some cooked quinoa, farro, brown rice, etc., or some avocado toast/crackers and hummus on the side, to make it into more of a meal).
I will also be posting some salad recipe tutorials to YouTube, so keep an eye out for that! Cooking is always more fun with friends–feel free to cook along with me on my channel! <3
I will be keeping the copy on these posts short and sweet, since posting every day for a month might leave me at a loss for words. We’ll let the recipes speak for themselves!
Please share this July Salad a Day Challenge as widely as possible! Nothing would make me happier than having hundreds or thousands of people nourishing their bodies with my healthy, seasonal salads this month.
And to receive free salad recipes all month long, please subscribe in the upper right hand corner of this site. That way, you’ll get the recipes delivered straight to your inbox!
Smoked Tofu, Strawberry, and Asparagus Kale Salad
This Smoked Tofu, Strawberry, and Asparagus Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing is the perfect seasonal salad to kick off the month. Strawberries, asparagus, and kale are all in season, and they’re probably available at your local farmer’s market! The smoked tofu adds a boost of salty flavour and protein, while the lemony creamy tahini dressing ties it all together. It reminds me of a Caesar salad dressing!
If you make this salad, leave a comment below, and tag me @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen on Instagram! I love seeing your takes on my recipes.
I hope that you join this July Salad a Day Challenge. Cheers to good health and happiness this month!
Smoked Tofu, Strawberry, and Asparagus Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing
A divine salad packed with seasonal strawberries, asparagus, kale, smoked tofu, and a lemony creamy tahini dressing.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 36 minutes
- Yield: 4 meal-sized salads 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Main Dish, Side Dish
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 medium bunch asparagus
- 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup hulled strawberries
- 1 large bunch or 2 small bunches green kale
- 1 package organic smoked tofu (210 g), chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
Creamy Tahini Dressing
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp light or chickpea miso
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 20 twists freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup filtered water, plus more as needed to thin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Chop the asparagus into 1-inch pieces and place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and a couple pinches of salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast for 11 minutes, until bright green (don't over-roast or it will become soggy and unappetizing!). Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
- Wash and dry the kale. Chop it into ribbons and place in a large bowl. Thinly slice the strawberries and set aside.
- Make the dressing: Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water than specified if the dressing seems too thick. Transfer to an airtight container until ready to use.
- Pour 1/2 of the dressing over the kale and use your hands to 'massage' it into the kale. Once kale is fully coated, add the asparagus, strawberries, and chopped smoked tofu. Toss again to incorporate.
- Divide the salad between 4 bowls or plates and drizzle with additional dressing if desired.
Notes
MAKE IT SOY-FREE: Use 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas instead of the smoked tofu.
MAKE IT OIL-FREE: Steam the asparagus instead of roasting. Omit the oil in the dressing.
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