STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD WITH ORANGE POPPY SEED DRESSING
SERVES: 3 TO 4
TIME: 50 MINUTES
Berries always find their way into my favorite spring salads, but strawberries and blueberries are the centerpiece of this gorgeous salad. Frozen orange juice concentrate packs zesty flavor into the sunny poppy seed dressing, which also doubles as a marinade for the chewy, baked tofu.
ORANGE POPPY SEED DRESSING AND TOFU
1 pound extra-firm tofu
½ cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
¼ cup olive oil or grapeseed oil
¼ cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons agave nectar or pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
¾ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
SPINACH SALAD
6 cups fresh spinach (or other salad greens, such as baby mixed greens, arugula, red leaf lettuce, Boston lettuce, butter lettuce)
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 large red onion, sliced into thin half-moons
1 cup Sriracha & Smoke Pecans (page 34)
1 Press the tofu (see Pressing Tofu: A History, page 9). Meanwhile, whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Slice each piece of tofu into four rectangles and then slice each rectangle into two triangles. When you’re done, you’ll have a bunch of little tofu triangles!
2 Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly oil a 9 × 13-inch ceramic baking dish. Lay the tofu triangles in the pan, pour half of the dressing over the tofu, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip each piece over, and brush with the marinade from the bottom of the dish. Return to the oven and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tofu is golden. Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.
3 Wash, spin dry, and tear the spinach into bite-size pieces. Transfer to a big serving bowl and add the fruit, onions, pecans, and tofu triangles. Pour on the remaining dressing and toss well. Summon your salad-loving cohorts and eat!
The dressing can be made and stored in the fridge up to 4 days in advance, along with the tofu. Store washed, spun-dry greens in a green bag for up to a week.