MERMAID’S PICNIC SALAD WITH SEAHORSE RANCH DRESSING
SERVES: 4 OR MORE
TIME: 30 MINUTES, NOT INCLUDING PREPARING THE TEMPEH AND DRESSING
There are seaweed salads (a popular appetizer in American sushi restaurants), and then there are crazy seaweed salads like this, melding the best of the land and sea for a massive yet light entrée. Inspired by my kitchen ninja/assistant’s request for a refreshing, heat-wave-proof salad, I paired my favorite orangey tempeh with a dulse-spiked ranch dressing, greens, and crunchy seaweed for a lush, multilayered meal in a bowl.
SEAHORSE RANCH DRESSING
1 recipe Back at the Ranch Dressing (page 17, made without fresh herbs)
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon dulse seaweed flakes
TEMPEH AND SEAWEED SALAD
1 recipe Maple Orange Tempeh Nibbles (page 46)
3 ounces dried seaweed mix
1 carrot, julienned
1 beet, peeled and julienned*
1 orange, sliced into segments
3 scallions, green part only, sliced on a diagonal
2 tablespoons ume plum vinegar**
1 tablespoon olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
*For the photo of this salad, we went crazy and spiral-cut the beets for maximum visual impact. You, of course, can julienne the beets—easy and delicious!
**Ume plum vinegar is a specialty vinegar made from preserved Japanese plums. A little goes a long way; just a bit adds robust, sweet-sour flavor to this salad.
1 Prepare the ranch dressing, then in a blender pulse with the capers and dulse flakes for 20 seconds. Pour into a serving bowl, cover, and chill until ready to serve the salad.
2 Prepare the tempeh, cover, and keep warm until ready to assemble the salad.
3 Soak and drain the seaweed mix as directed on the package. Meanwhile, prepare the carrot, beet, orange, and scallions and transfer to a large serving bowl. When the seaweed is ready to go, add that to the bowl. Sprinkle with the vinegar, oil, and sesame seeds.
4 Serve your hungry sirens! Arrange the tempeh on top of the seaweed and veggies and sprinkle with a little extra black sesame seeds. Bring to the table and pass around the Seahorse Ranch Dressing.
ABOUT THE SEAWEED
It’s possible to use just one variety (wakame or arame, for example) for this salad, but for a beautiful, show-stopping dish, use “seaweed salad” mix, a blend of colorful sea greens. More expensive than single-variety seaweeds, these seemingly weightless pouches, when soaked according to package directions, expand many times over in volume and explode with a range of colors: green, black, white, and red feathery greens.