Big Finger Tempeh Salad

Let’s talk about salads! They’re an integral part of society, and bring a lot of opportunity to so many tables for a dish that’s both beautiful to look at and sinfully delicious to devour. However, it’s often LACKING in flavor or depth or fun!

This Panzanella-inspired salad is meant to be eaten with your hands, and pairs perfecly with some non-alcoholic beer- like Brooklyn Brewery’s Special Effects “Hoppy Amber”. The intention is to bring “kiddies table energy” to the adult table. It’s bright and colorful, thanks to layered mix-ins like juicy oranges, pearly pomegranate seeds, herbaceous leaves of parsley, and crunchy pistachios.

Finding protein to add to a salad, especially a plant-based option that’s full of spice and flair, is oftentimes difficult. This salad makes things a bit easier by using a spiced orange-tahini marinade (that doubles as our dressing) to inject flavor into every single bite of tempeh (or tofu, or whatever plant-forward protein you prefer to use).

Layering is my favorite part because it is all up to your personal preference. Make it pretty and layer thoughtfully… or DON’T and toss all the add-ins together in a bowl and dig away.

Enjoy!

Big Finger Tempeh Salad

Time: 35 minutes + marinate time (8+ hours)

Serves: 3 to 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• Salad:

  • 8-ounces of tempeh (substitute with tofu or protein of choice), steamed and quartered

  • 1/2 baguette, stale preferably and torn to pieces

  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil, for frying/searing

  • salt/pepper, to taste

  • (2) Cara Cara oranges, peeled, sliced, and halved

  • 1/4 cup pistachios

  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

  • 1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped

  Orange tahini dressing/marinade:

  • 1/3 cup tahini

  • 1/3 cup of orange juice, about 2 juicing oranges

  • 1/2 tablespoon orange zest, about 1 small orange

  • 1 teaspoon ras-el-hanout

  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 1/2 inch ginger, minced

  • Salt/pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. 1. Steam your tempeh for about 5 minutes. Steaming tempeh helps remove some of the bitterness that packaged tempeh tends to have. Cut the tempeh into pieces and then halve them. I prefer to cut mine into triangles.

   2. To make the marinade, combine the tahini, orange juice, orange zest, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, minced garlic/ginger, ras-el-hanout, and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt (to start). Whisk until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning per your taste (more salt; more acidity if needed; more maple syrup if the marinade is too sour, etc)

   3. Coat the tempeh in the marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours (preferably overnight)

   4. Tear apart your baguette into pieces. Coat with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt/pepper. To a cast iron skillet, heat with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add your baguette pieces to the pan and brown them on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes.

   5.5. In the same skillet, coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Remove the tempeh from the marinade (it may have solidified a bit, this is normal) and reserve the remainder of the marinade. I like to slightly remove some of the marinade that may stick to the tempeh. Sear on both sides until golden. NOTE: If using animal protein in the marinade, do not use the remaining marinade as the dressing. I suggest making a second batch of the marinade for the dressing and saving the remainder in the fridge.

   6. Add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the remaining marinade and whisk until smooth. In a bowl, toss the bread, tempeh, and parsley with about 1/4 cup of the remaining marinade.

   7. To arrange the salad, smear some of the marinade on the bottom of a serving dish. Layer the tempeh and bread mixture. Add sliced oranges. Garnish with pistachios, pomegranate seeds, and parsley. Add flaky sea salt, to taste.

   8. Dive in!

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