SPRING HERB SALAD WITH MAPLE ORANGE TEMPEH NIBBLES

SERVES: 2 TO 3

TIME: 20 MINUTES, NOT INCLUDING MAKING THE TEMPEH OR PECANS

Taste a little springtime in each bite: bright strawberries, crunchy toasted pecans, and tender baby greens. Radishes too: seek out mellow finger-shaped French breakfast radishes for all their sweetness, without the bitter heat of globe radishes. It’s a whole farmers’ market in a salad bowl, and a protein-packed treat when topped with nuggets of orange-glazed tempeh.

DRESSING

1 small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon agave nectar

Grated zest of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

SPRING HERB SALAD

5 cups baby arugula or a blend of baby salad greens

1 cup flat-leaf parsley (stems removed)

½ cup fresh dill or basil leaves, roughly chopped

1 pint strawberries, hulled, washed, and patted dry

4 scallions, green part only, very thinly sliced on a diagonal

1 cup thinly sliced mild radishes

1 cup snap peas, very thinly sliced on a diagonal

SALAD TOPPINGS

1 recipe Maple Orange Tempeh Nibbles (page 46)

1 cup Sriracha & Smoke Pecans (page 34) or toasted pecans

1 Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a glass measuring cup or bowl. Use a salad spinner to wash and dry the greens and herbs and then place them in a large mixing bowl. Slice the strawberries ¼ inch thick and add to the salad along with the scallions, radishes, and snap peas.

2 Add the tempeh and pecans to the salad and pour on the dressing. Use long-handled tongs to toss the salad, gently grabbing the ingredients but thoroughly coating each salad element with dressing. Serve it!

 

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Busy chefs should prep the following up to a day in advance: chill the marinated tempeh, roast the pecans, make the dressing, and store it all separately. Prep the salad veggies/fruits up to 8 hours before: clean and dry the greens, herbs, strawberries, scallions, radishes, and snap peas and chill in a large sealed plastic bag. Just prior to serving, cook the tempeh, slice the strawberries, and serve!

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