Ingredients
Main
- 6 cups mixed dark greens of choice (spinach, kale, arugula, etc.)
- 15 grape or cherry tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp roasted sunflower seeds
- 3 Tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds
Crispy Tofu
- 1-12oz pack of organic extra-firm tofu
- 1/4 cup flour of choice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2-3 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
Curried Chickpeas
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1-15oz can)
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (or more to preferred taste)
- 2-3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Tahini Salad Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dry Italian herbs
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic granules or fresh chopped garlic (optional)
Instructions
- Cut each tomato in half and place into a small bowl. Coat the tomatoes with 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and let sit until ready to plate.
Tofu
- To get liquid out of the tofu, stand the tofu block up on its long side and cut into three slabs. Put a kitchen towel onto a baking sheet and place the slabs close together on the towel. Fold the sides of the towel on top of them and put something heavy like a cast iron pan or Dutch oven on top of the towel. Let this sit for about 15-20 minutes to get all the liquid out of the tofu.
- Stack the slabs and cut lengthwise then cross-wise into cubes. Toss the cubes in a bowl with the flour, salt and cumin. It should just be enough to lightly coat them.
- Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan and cook the tofu cubes, shaking and flipping them every couple of minutes until browned on all sides. Take off the heat, put a lid on to keep warm and set aside.
Curried Chickpeas
Sautéing the already-cooked chickpeas with spices is optional. BUT I promise, it is totally worth the extra step! These are also great for a snack on their own or as a side dish in a meal.
- At the same time you’re cooking the tofu, sauté the cooked chickpeas in a separate pan. (Or if you’re a one-thing-at-time-kinda-cook, that’s ok too! The tofu will stay warm with the lid on while you’re on this step.) Warm the pan, add the oil, then add in the drained chickpeas once the oil is warm.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, shuffling around every minute or so. Then add the sea salt and curry powder, mixing well until the chickpeas are coated. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, continuing to shuffle the pan. Set aside.
Salad Dressing
This is a versatile dressing that you can use on salads, protein bowls or veggies. It stays good in the fridge for a few weeks. Just add a few drops of water or lemon juice to revive each time and shake well.
Add all the ingredients for the dressing into an 8oz glass jar. Put the lid on and shake. Taste the dressing and add extra of any ingredient per your preferred taste profile.
Plating
- Add the lettuce to the bowl first then top with tomatoes, warm and crispy tofu, curried chickpeas and seeds. Drizzle with the dressing and serve!
- Optionally, you can offer this as a make-your-own-salad set up. This way everyone can use as much or as little of the items as desired.
Notes
- This recipe is a light-ish meal ideal for lunch or easy dinner. The recipe makes three servings. If it’s just for you, scale down to however much lettuce, tomatoes and seeds you’d like. The extra tofu and chickpeas can be kept in the fridge for a few days and reheated as needed—or added cold to your next salad!
- You can use any combination of seeds or nuts you’d like on this salad. The more variety, the better as each one provides its own magical, unique health benefit!
- Store the dressing in the fridge for up to a month.
Nutrition Fun & Facts!
Tofu: Tofu is high-protein food made from soybeans. These ancient beans are native to china with records of culitvation dating back 13,000 years! Today, soybeans account for over 50% of world’s legume production. This is greatly due to the fact that it is primarily used for animal feed in the U.S. Luckily though, this magical bean is gaining stardom on plates across the nation in the form of tofu, tempeh and miso. Yum!
As one of the world’s most important crops, soy beans are packed with nutritional benefits! Tofu is most well-known for it’s protein content that can be comparable to the amount in m any animal foods.
Always good to note that soybeans are infamous for being one of the crops most sprayed with harmful chemicals. Which has led to most of these crops also being genetically modified to withstand the high amounts of pesticides. Helpful tip: always reach for the organic option when buying tofu!
OMG the curried chickpeas are so addictive. I love them just on their own!
Hi Max! Thanks so much for your comment on this recipe. Makes me happy to hear how much you love the curried chickpeas. Definitely good on their own or added to other dishes.