salad Archives - Vegan Gretchen

Arugula Apple Salad celebrating Fall

September 17, 2015 by vegangretchen

It is finally feeling like fall might be on its way in the Bay Area. After a sweltering heat wave last week cooler temperatures are welcome. I love the warm weather and long days of summer, but by the end of September heat waves (which happen every year) I’m ready for fall. To celebrate fall’s arrival I made my favorite Arugula Apple Salad. The sweet fall apples combined with peppery arugula and piquant dressing make this a great side salad for your favorite cooler weather dishes or soups.

This salad and dressing is incredibly simple to make. There aren’t many ingredients in the salad itself, just apples, arugula and almonds, but they are full of flavor and texture.

I love the piquant flavor of the dressing that comes from the vinegar, lemon juice and Dijon mustard. I use olive oil as my oil of choice, but you can use walnut oil as well. If you use walnut oil substitute walnuts for the slivered almonds as well. I also use a 50/50 ratio of “vinegar” to oil. You can add an additional 1-2 Tablespoons of oil is you prefer a less piquant dressing.

This is definitely a side salad and not a main dish. Here are a list of main dishes this salad pairs well with:

Main Dish Serving Suggestions

If you want to make the salad a bit heartier add baked or smoked tofu cubes. I have taken this salad to work with me for lunch and added tofu to make it more filling.

Hope you give this Arugula Apple Salad a try. It is a great way to welcome fall!

Arugula Apple Salad

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Fresh, crisp fall apples combine with peppery arugula and a piquant dressing for a delicious side salad.

Ingredients

SALAD:
1 apple, thinly sliced
4 cups arugula
¼ cup slivered or sliced almonds
DRESSING:
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Place arugula, sliced apples and sliced almonds in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a jar add all dressing ingredients. Shake until well combined.
Pour half the dressing on salad. Toss and add more dressing as desired. Serve.

Notes

Add baked or smoked tofu cubes to make a heartier salad.

Meatless Monday: Lemon Herb Vegan Pasta Salad

September 14, 2015 by vegangretchen

We had a block party recently and I wanted to bring a pasta salad. I was going to make my hearty pasta salad with Field Roast, but it was hot out and I decided I wanted something a bit lighter and fresher. I came up with a vegan pasta salad with a lemon vinaigrette and lots of fresh herbs. The salad was a big hit. It can be a Meatless Monday lunch or light dinner. The leftovers are fantastic.

The salad is a mix of cooked and raw components. I sauteed 4 squash in a hot cast iron skillet. The idea is to get the outside crisp without turning the squash to mush. You could also use a hot grill if you like.

For the herbs I used mint and parsley. Basil would also be delicious here, but unfortunately my basil had gone bad before I had time to use it. If you are like my sister, who hates anything mint related, you can leave out the mint.

Use shallots or sliced green onions if raw onions are too intense for you.

Any small pasta will work in this salad. I used some cute little gnochetti that I found at the store. I love how the little pockets in the pasta held onto the dressing.

Lemon Herb Pasta Salad

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A light, refreshing pasta salad filled with end-of-summer vegetables and herbs.

Ingredients

Salad
4 small Squash (mix of zucchini and yellow squash)
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ cup red onion, finely diced
¼ cup sliced green olives
¼ cup minced mint
½ cup minced Italian parsley
12 oz short pasta, cooked
Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 TB white wine vinegar
1 TB lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp dijon
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Instructions

Slice squash lengthwise. Add oil to a cast iron skillet or large pan over medium high heat. Place slices of squash into pan. Heat for 2-3 minutes. Flip squash over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan. Squash should be browned on both sides. Chop squash into a large dice.
DRESSING: In a small pan heat ¼ cup of olive oil over low heat. Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Do not brown, just warm, garlic. Add warmed garlic and oil to a large bowl. Add in white wine vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Stir together with a small whisk.
In large bowl with the dressing add cooked squash, red onion, green olives, mint, parsley and cooked pasta. Toss with dressing. Start by adding half of the dressing, taste and add more as needed.

Meatless Monday: Sesame Crunch Salad

September 7, 2015 by vegangretchen

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

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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

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Vegan Potato Salad

July 8, 2015 by vegangretchen

Potato Salad is worshipped in my family. My Great-Aunts, Mary and Helen O’Malley, were known to make what we all consider the world’s best potato salad. It had a unique flavor and whenever they came to a family party with their red bowl we knew we were in luck. Sadly they have both passed on, but my Uncle John and Aunt Jane have picked up the torch. Now everyone looks to see if they have the famous red bowl when they come to family events. Fortunately they usually do! When I became vegan I asked my Aunt Jane for the recipe so I could make a vegan version. I have to say I actually prefer the vegan O’Malley potato salad. It has the same flavor I love but it isn’t quite as dense since there are no hardboiled eggs. My vegan potato salad is always a hit side dish with omnivores and vegans. Hope you give it a try for your next get together.…

Meatless Monday: Vegan Pasta Salad

June 29, 2015 by vegangretchen

As a vegan when you are invited to parties and BBQ’s the item you bring will often be the only item you eat. I’ve learned the hard way that bringing only a dessert backfires since you won’t have anything to eat for dinner. I like to volunteer to bring a salad and a dessert to parties. I developed this vegan pasta salad to work both as a complete meal for vegans and as a side dish for other guests. The pasta salad includes sautéed Field Roast sausage, bell peppers, tomatoes, basil and parsley. The Field Roast and vegetables are tossed with a short-cut pasta and a tangy vinaigrette. Make this at home for a Meatless Monday summer entree or bring it to a party to share.

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Spicy Grilled Corn Salad

June 26, 2015 by vegangretchen

Trey fell in love with corn on the cob last summer. Up until then he had never been a big fan of corn. My mom made him grilled corn on the cob and he loved it. Just goes to show you really do have to introduce new foods to kids over and over again before they make their final decision! Unfortunately for Trey his falling in love with corn on the cob was closely followed by his getting braces. As anyone who has had braces can tell you corn on the cob + braces = bad combo! I came up with this corn salad so that Trey could enjoy the fresh corn on the cob flavor while his mouth is still full of metal.

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Vegan Taco Salad for Breakfast?

June 12, 2015 by vegangretchen

Do you ever eat salad for breakfast? I know some people love to eat a fresh salad for breakfast, but what about leftover salad from the night before? This is one of my Mom’s favorite breakfasts, especially leftover taco salad. She loves it cold out of the frig with her coffee. While I can’t say I would ever eat this for breakfast I do love my Mom’s taco salad. It is the perfect mix of healthy green salad and tasty crushed chips. It has taken me many iterations to get a vegan version of this taco salad that tastes as good as my Mom’s. My version is made with Beyond Meat Crumbles, romaine hearts, tomatoes, chips, Daiya cheese, diced red onions, cilantro, chips and sliced green olives tossed in a salsa vinaigrette. We top the vegan taco salad with avocado and sometimes Tofutti sour cream. It is delicious and still has that mix of fresh greens with crunchy chips.

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