Posts in category: Salads

When someone asks me what is the best vegan recipe for picnic or party, I always say pasta salad! This creamy vegan macaroni salad recipe will impress your family and friends. And best of all, you can make it the night before and store in a fridge. And instead of unhealthy mayo I used my own cashew based dressing recipe. For gluten-free pasta salad option just use gluten-free pasta.

Gluten-free and Dairy-free pasta salad is a perfect recipe for parties as anyone can eat it. If there is someone with nut allergies just use vegan mayo instead of cashews. And of course you can change the vegetables for this recipes or add black olives or so. Make it as you like it! Vegan pasta salad will stay good at least 4 days in a fridge, maybe longer but I have never been able not to eat it before 😉

Add a bit of Asian flavor to a simple yet spicy cucumber salad. A refreshing starter or side dish for any meal! This spicy cucumber salad has a little bit of a kick and is super simple to make.

Cucumbers are low in calories but high in many important vitamins and minerals.

Spicy Cucumber Salad

Add a bit of Asian flavor to a simple cucumber salad. A refreshing starter or side dish for any meal! This spicy cucumber salad has a little bit of a kick and is super simple to make.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Course Salad

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 middle size cucumber
• 1 tbsp vinegar apple cider or white whine vinegar
• 1 tsp chili paste
• 1-2 tsp tamari/soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar skip this if your chili paste contains sugar already

Instructions

 

• Mix the dressing ingredients well.
• Combine the drained cucumber and dressing.
• Taste to see if you need more salt or chili because the amount of this dressing can vary depending on the size of your cucumber.

This vegan Thai mango salad is a fresh, healthy, and light lunch on its own or a great starter or side dish with different Asian main courses.

Mango is a low-calorie fruit that is high in fibre and a great source of antioxidants.

Mango-Carrot Salad

This Thai-inspired mango salad is a fresh, healthy and light lunch on its own or a great starter or side dish with different Asian main courses.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Course Salad

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 big raw mango use 2 if small
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 red onion
• small handful of peanuts
• fresh coriander and mint
• For the dressing:
• 1 chili diced finely or 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 juice of lime
• 2 tbsp soya sauce
• 1 tsp sugar

Instructions

 

• Grate the mango and carrot into very thin slices and chop the onion finely.
• In a bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients together.
• Combine the mango, carrot and onion with the dressing and mix well.
• Add the peanuts, chopped coriander and mint and mix gently with the salad.
• Serve cold.

A healthy, refreshing vegan Vietnamese noodle salad recipe with all the ingredients that tickle your taste buds! Salty, sweet, spicy and sour – a combination for the perfect sauce!

This refreshing summer salad recipe combines the best flavors of Vietnam and is perfect with protein-rich tofu or tempeh.

Vietnamese-Style Noodle Salad

A healthy, refreshing vegan noodle salad recipe with all the ingredients that tickle your taste buds! Salty, sweet, spicy and sour - a combination for the perfect sauce!

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Course Salad

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

• 100-140 g rice vermicelli noodles or noodles of your choice
• 150 g firm tofu
• 1 carrot sliced into thin strips
• 1 spring onion
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• a handful of mung bean sprouts
• 3 tbsp salted peanuts
• a small handful of fried onion
• a small handful of fresh mint
• a small handful of fresh coriander
• For the dressing:
• 3 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 red chili chopped or 1 tsp chili powder

Instructions

 

• Place the rice noodles in a deep mixing bowl. Pour boiling water over the rice noodles until they are completely submerged. Stir the noodles after a minute and let them soak for 5 minutes.
• Once the noodles are tender, drain them and rinse them under running cool water to stop the cooking process. Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil or sunflower oil.
• Cut the tofu into small cubes, chop the spring onion and crush the garlic. Slice the carrot into thin strips.
• Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl.
• Mix the sauce ingredients and pour over the noodle salad little by little to get amount you like.
• Add more soy sauce or chili if needed and garnish with fried onion and green parts of spring onion.

Roasted chickpeas and cauliflower make this salad very filling and rich of protein.

If you are making a bigger portion of salad with greens it’s better to serve the dressing separately. This way everyone can add as much as they like and the salad is going to stay fresh longer.

Veggie Salad with Tahini Dressing

Roasted chickpeas and cauliflower make this salad very filling and rich of protein.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Salad

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 small red onion
• a big handful of green salad
• 1/2 cup of sweet corn
• 200 g canned chickpeas roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper
• a big handful of cauliflower roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper
• For the tahini dressing:
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1/2 juice of lemon
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tbsp agave or maple syrup
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F ( 190 degrees C ).
• Rinse and drain the chickpeas and cut the cauliflower in small pieces.
• Combine in a bowl and add 1-2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper and mix well.
• Spread the chickpeas and cauliflower out as an even layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 30 minutes until slightly darkened, dry and crispy.
• While chickpeas and cauliflower are in the oven, cut all the ingredients for the salad and prepare the dressing. You can use whatever ingredients you have available for the salad, all work great in this dish.
• For the salad dressing just add all ingredients in a lidded glass jar and mix well. Store in cold and mix well before using.

A delicious and easy vegan peanut noodle salad recipe with healthy colorful vegetables and crispy tofu. Creamy thai-style peanut dressing makes this salad very tasty and filling.

You can add more chili if you like it more spicy or leave away if this is a lunch or dinner for kids – they will love the peanut sauce! You can also serve vegetables and tofu in a different bowl and only mix peanut sauce with noodles. And if tofu is not your thing, feel free to replace it with tempeh or seitan. Or just eat this dish with vegetables.

This Vegan Noodle Salad is also perfect party food as you can make it ahead, it last well for 3-4 days in the fridge. And taste just gets better. For gluten-free version you can just use rice noodles or chickpea noodles.

Noodle salad with Peanut Sauce

A delicious and easy vegan noodle salad recipe with healthy colorful vegetables and crispy tofu. Creamy thai-style peanut dressing makes this salad very tasty and filling.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Salad

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

• 150 g noodles of your choice
• 200 g firm tofu
• 200 g broccoli
• 1/2 bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• INGREDIENTS FOR PEANUT SAUCE
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 4 tbsp peanut butter
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp agave
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2-4 tbsp water if needed

Instructions

 

• Cut the tofu in bite-size pieces and fry in a dry pan for few minutes until extra water is fade away. That will make tofu more crispy. When tofu is dry add 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp soy sauce and fry for 4-5 minutes. Set aside and let it cool while preparing other ingredients.
• Cut the broccoli to bite-size pieces and cook in salted water. When broccoli is fork-tender take away from the water and cook noodles in the same water. After noodles are "al-dente" drain and rinse with cold water.
• Grate the carrot into very thin slices and cut the bell pepper to small pieces.
• Whisk all dressing ingredients well together. Add more chili if you like more spicy dressing. if the dressing is too thick, add some water.
• Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl and serve. You can also make this beforehand, vegan noodle salad keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

Notes

Use any vegetables of your choice or leave something out! Everything works well with this salad recipe.

Easy vegan “chicken” salad recipe made with tofu, celery, onion, carrot, and apple. And Creamy vegan homemade dressing that is so much healthier than mayonnaise and so much tastier! This salad is delicious, protein-packed and great for sandwiches and lettuce wraps. Perfect vegan and gluten-free recipe for parties or for a picnic with friends and family.

First I have to say I really don’t have any idea how original chicken salad taste like 😉 I have not eaten chicken in 26 years. And I’ve actually never had a chicken salad. I named this recipe as a vegan chicken salad because it maybe tells you about the style of this salad recipe more than just call it “tofu salad recipe”. I also didn’t use mayo. You can totally use one of those as there are great vegan mayos available in stores nowadays. I didn’t have any and I also wanted to make this more healthier version and to add extra protein.

Note! Sometimes raw onions can leave you bad after taste ( and bad breath ) because of their sulfur compounds. You can prevent that by soaking the chopped onion in cold water for 10 minutes before adding them to vegan salad recipes like this.

RECIPE IDEAS WITH VEGAN CHICKEN SALAD

Vegan Chicken Salad Lettuce Wrap

Wash and dry romaine lettuce leaves.

Add a few spoonfuls of vegan chicken salad inside every leaf. Enjoy cold and fresh 😉

Vegan Chicken Sandwich

Toast few slices of bread in a toaster.

Spoon the chicken salad over the toasted bread. Add a layer of green salad on top. Cover with another slice and press down.

Halve the vegan chicken sandwich and serve

WHY TO USE FROZEN TOFU?

To freeze tofu is an easy way to make it more “meaty” and less mushy and to add more bite to it. Freezing also helps tofu to absorb marinades better.

1. Place tofu in the freezer for at least 3 hours. I always have some in my freezer, you can’t just put the package of tofu right into the freezer when coming from a store.

2. When you want to use it, just unwrap the tofu and let it defrost ( if in a hurry, use a microwave ).

3. Gently squeeze out excess water with your hands. Or use a tofu press.

4. Cut the tofu into cubes or use your hands to crumble it to “chicken bites”

5. Marinade depending on the recipe. Frozen tofu works best in stir-fry recipes, vegan salad recipes, or inside veggie wraps.

Vegan Tofu “Chicken” Salad

Easy vegan chicken salad recipe made with tofu, celery, onion, carrot, and apple. And Creamy vegan homemade dressing that is so much healthier than mayonnaise and so much tastier! This salad is delicious, protein-packed and great for sandwiches and lettuce wraps. Perfect vegan and gluten-free recipe for parties or for a picnic with friends and family.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Salad

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup celery 1 stalk
• 1/2 cup red onion half an onion
• 1/2 cup carrot 1 carrot
• 1/2 cup greenapple half an apple
• 200 g firm tofu frozen if possible
• marinade for tofu:
• 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp ground paprika
• ingredients for cashew mayo:
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water add more if needed
• 2 tbsp olive oil add more if you want more oily mayo

Instructions

 

• First defrost the tofu ( if you are using frozen one ) and press all extra liquid away as much as possible. You can use tofu press or just wrap it inside a clean towel and add weight on top for 10 minutes.
• While tofu is drying, prepare the cashew mayo. First soak the cashews in hot water for 10 minutes ( or use overnight soaked cashews ). If you have a good quality high-speed blender, soaking is optional. But it will give more creamier version easier. Add drained cashews along with all other mayo ingredients to blender and process until smooth. Add more water or oil if it's too thick. Taste and add more salt if needed or more vinegar for tangy flavour. Pour into a glass jar and store in fridge. It stays good at least a week.
• Chop all the vegetables to similar size pieces. I like them quite small, max half-inch pieces, but do as you like it most. You can also add different vegetables based on your taste or what you have in hand. I like to have every vegetable about similar amount to get balanced taste.
• Using your thumbs, crumble small bite-size pieces off from the tofu block into a frying pan. Cook with low heat in a dry pan for 1-2 minutes to make sure all extra liquid is gone. Add marinade ingredients and mix well. Cook in medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until tofu is little bit crispy but not too hard.
• Mix vegetables with tofu in a large size bowl. Add cashew mayo dressing one spoonful a time and combine until you get desired consistency.
• You can serve this salad immediately or store in fridge, it last good for 3-5 days.