During a recent hot spell I actually paid attention to the weather and made a refreshing, meal-sized salad for dinner. When I make salad for dinner I need to make sure it is filling enough for my husband and Trey. Generally they need more dense food to feel full than I do. In this salad I add tofu, almonds, sesame seeds and sesame crackers to all of the vegetables to make this salad meal-worthy.
I marinated tofu that I cut into cubes in teriyaki sauce. I used teriyaki sauce I had leftover from my teriyaki bowls. I let it marinate for a few hours and then sauted the tofu with the marinade in a large cast iron skillet. I let the tofu get fairly crispy because, like my Mom, I love burned food! If you don’t have teriyaki sauce on hand use the Simplest Tofu Marinade from Dreena Burton’s Plant-Powered Families.
If you, or your family, are not into tofu you can also marinate chickpeas with either teriyaki sauce or Dreena’s marinade. Place the marinated chickpeas in a large baking dish lined with parchment. Bake them for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, stirring them at least once while they cook.
To add additional crunch I used Sesame Rice Crackers from Whole Foods. My mom used to make a similar salad with broken up ramen noodles, but the all-natural ramen noodles don’t have the same texture as their more processed counterparts. I found the broken up Sesame Crackers add additional crunch and flavor that works well.
For the dressing I used Trey’s favorite dressing from Dreena Burton. Her Cumin-Cinnamon Vinaigrette from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan was the first salad dressing Trey liked when he was a toddler. This dressing also works really well if you are looking to make a side salad with Mexican or Asian meals.
Meatless Monday: Sesame Crunch Salad
Vegan Sesame Crunch Salad filling enough for a Meatless Monday meal. Packed with veggies, proteins and healthy fats.
Ingredients
- 10 oz Tofu, cubed
- 1 teaspoon Canola Oil
- 1 cup Teriyaki Sauce
- 4 cups Napa Cabbage, sliced thin
- 2 cups Romaine Hearts, sliced thin
- 2 small Cucumbers, julienned
- 2 small Carrots, peeled and juliened
- 4 Scallions, sliced thin
- ¼ cup Cilantro, minced
- ¼ cup Slivered Almonds, browned
- ¼ cup, crushed Sesame Rice Crackers
- 2 TB Sesame Seeds, toasted
- Dressing of choice (see note)
Instructions
- Toss cubed tofu in teriyaki sauce. Marinate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
- Add canola oil to a large skillet on Medium High heat. Add marinated tofu and saute for 10 minutes, until tofu is browned. Stir frequently. After tofu has browned remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine all ingredients, including cooked tofu. Toss with dressing of choice.
- Serve!
Notes
I like to use this Cumin Cinnamon Vinaigrette
