Salads that Sing

Hands down the best salads that kids (and adults!) will love!

Kale Power Salad with Spicy Almond Dressing

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4 -6

Spicy Almond Dressing:

• ½ cup sliced almonds, soaked for 1 hour and drained
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon Tamari
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce of choice, or to taste
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Kale Power Salad:

• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 500 grams), peeled and diced into 2-inch pieces
• 1 350 gram block firm OR extra firm tofu, drained and torn into little pieces
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 6 cups chopped kale, lightly packed
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
• 1 small red onion, sliced thin
• ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Make the spicy almond dressing. In an upright blender, combine the almonds, garlic, nutritional yeast, water, olive oil, white wine vinegar, lime juice, Tamari, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Blend the mixture on high until smooth and creamy. If it’s a little thick and pasty, just add a big splash of water and blend it again. Taste the dressing and check for seasoning, adjust if necessary, and set aside.
• In a small bowl, make a little spice blend: stir together the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and chili powder. Set out two medium bowls. Place the chopped sweet potatoes in one of the bowls and the tofu pieces in the other. Using a clean kitchen towel, really do your best to blot all moisture from the tofu.
• Divide the spice blend evenly amongst the sweet potatoes and tofu. Drizzle both the sweet potatoes and the tofu with 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil. Season both with salt and pepper. To the tofu only, add the arrowroot and cornmeal. Toss the sweet potatoes until evenly coated. Then, using a spatula, toss the tofu bits until evenly coated.
• Spread the sweet potatoes and tofu out on opposite sides of the baking sheet. Give each piece as much space as you can. Pop the baking sheet into the oven and roast for 35 minutes, stirring and flipping the pieces at the halfway point. At the end of the roasting, the sweet potatoes should be tender and the tofu bits should be crunchy on the outside.
• In a large bowl, combine the kale, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, lime juice, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to massage the kale until it’s slightly tenderized, about 1 minute.
• Drizzle the top of the kale with some of the spicy almond dressing. Then top with roasted sweet potatoes, crispy spiced tofu bits, avocado, and red onion. Drizzle more of the dressing on top. Finish the salad with the toasted sliced almonds. Enjoy immediately.

Recipe Notes

• You can substitute raw sunflower seeds or cashews for the almonds. 
• I go up to about 1 tablespoon of hot sauce total in my dressing. I like the zing and the hot sauce that I typically use for things like this (Cholula) isn’t overly hot. 
• If you’re using coconut aminos in place of the Tamari, I would double the amount to 2 teaspoons. 
• You can substitute cornstarch for the arrowroot.
• Use the biggest baking sheet you’ve got for the sweet potatoes and tofu. You want to give each piece as much space as you can!

Recipe from The First Mess

RAINBOW VEGGIE SALAD

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups salad greens
• 1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced or shredded carrots
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup chopped cucumber, I like to use English cucumbers
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup sliced red onion

Easy Dressing Recipe:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbs such as Trader Joe’s Green Goddess Seasoning or Herbs De Province
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

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INSTRUCTIONS

• Make the salad dressing by adding all dressing ingredients to a medium sized bowl and whisking until combined.
• Assemble your salad:  add the salad greens to a large bowl and then top with all of the rainbow colored fruits and veggies.  You can take your time and arrange them in a nice pattern or you can throw everything together in a large bowl.
• Dress the salad with desired amount of dressing, or let everyone dress their own salad portion.

Author: She Likes Food

TAHINI BALSAMIC PASTA SALAD WITH ARUGULA

This Tahini Balsamic Pasta Salad with Arugula is easy to make, refreshing and packed with lots of vegetables!

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz rotini pasta, or your favorite kind
• 4–5 cups fresh baby arugula
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups diced tomato
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup diced roasted red pepper
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small can black olives, drained
• 7 oz feta, diced or crumbled
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs, I used basil

Tahini Balsamic Dressing

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1–2 tablespoons water
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add your pasta and a generous pinch of salt.  Cook until pasta is al dente, drain and then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
2. To a large bowl, add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tahini, mustard, garlic and salt and pepper.  Whisk everything together and then add a tablespoon or two of water to thin it out a bit.
3. Add the pasta to the bowl, along with all of the chickpeas and all the vegetables and mix well until all ingredients are coated with dressing.  Then, add the feta cheese and fresh herbs and gently mix again.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Author: She Likes Food