If you want a salad that packs and punch and that can even please the biggest meat eater (it actually did) this is the one. The dressing is very flavorful and can be sealed and used up to a few days. This is a somewhat time consuming salad to make. For roasting the garlic for the dressing, I did it myself but you could easily get some roasted garlic from the Whole Foods salad bar if you want to save some time since it takes 35 minutes to roast.If you would be making this on a workday, you can always soak the cashews the night before or that morning before you leave for work so you aren’t adding a two hour wait to making this.
If you are new to nutritional yeast also, as I was, Whole Foods has it in the bulk section so you can just buy the amount you need for the recipe and not invest $12 in a new ingredient you aren’t sure you will like. I ended up liking it but cheese substitutes are never a favorite of mine in concept.
Although it is a very simple recipe, it has a lot of different parts to it so it is heavy in making dishes between the pan for the tofu, the pot for the quinoa, food processor for the dressing etc. The payoff is it is makes great leftovers so once it is made, it makes things pretty convenient for a few days. And my boyfriend, who hardly ever even eats vegetables, really liked this salad.
To Roast the Garlic:
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F: Set a rack in the middle position.
- Peel (most of) the paper off the garlic: Use your fingers to peel away all the loose, papery, outer layers around the head of garlic. Leave the head itself intact with all the cloves connected.
- Trim the top off the head of garlic: Trim about 1/4 inch off the top of the head of garlic to expose the tops of the garlic cloves.
- Drizzle with olive oil: Drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the exposed surface of the garlic, letting the oil sink down into the cloves.
- Wrap in foil and bake: Wrap the garlic aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes.
- Begin checking the garlic: After 40 minutes, begin checking the garlic. The garlic is done when a center clove is completely soft when pierced with a paring knife. Even once soft, you can continue roasting until deeply golden for a more caramelized flavor — check the garlic every 10 minutes. Exact roasting time will depend on the size of your garlic, the variety, and its age.
- Use or store the garlic: Let the garlic cool slightly, and then serve. Press on the bottom of a clove to push it out of its paper. Roasted garlic can also be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.
For the Breaded Tofu:
3/4 cup fine storebought breadcrumbs (I went to Trader Joe’s)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed between your fingers
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
14 oz extra firm tofu, sliced into 8 slabs widthwise
3 tablespoons soy sauce
For The Briny Caesar Dressing:
1/2 cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
1 head roasted garlic (about 10 cloves, see tip)
2 cloves fresh garlic
1/4 cup capers, with some brine
3/4 cup water
Several dashes fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
For the rest:
1 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
8 oz chopped romaine
4 oz baby arugula (or chopped arugula)
1 avocado, cut diced into 1/2 inch pieces
Make the Breaded Tofu:
Preheat a large non-stick pan, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. On a dinner plate, use your fingertips to mix together the breadcrumbs, dried herbs and garlic. On a separate plate, pour the soy sauce.
Place a tofu slab in the soy sauce, and toss to coat. Then dredge them in the breadcrumbs, tossing to coat. (Use your dry hand to handle the tofu in the breadcrumbs, otherwise you’ll get a crumb mitten on your hand.) Put coated tofus off to the side of the plate and continue until all tofu is coated. Put a thin layer of olive oil in the pan, and then transfer tofu cubes to the pan. Let cook for a few minutes then flip, using a thin metal spatula so that you don’t scrape off the breading. Cook for about 7 minutes total, adding a little extra to the pan as needed, and flipping occasionally until browned on most sides.
Once browned, remove from pan and slice on a bias into 1/4 thick pieces.
Make the dressing:
Simply add all of the ingredients to a small blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Scrape down the sides every now and again to make sure you get everything. Thin with a little water, if necessary. Keep tightly sealed and refrigerated until ready to use. Keeps for up to 5 days.
Assemble:
Assemble the salad in a very large mixing bowl. Toss the greens with the quinoa, and then add the dressing. Serve topped with tofu and avocado!
Vegan For Meat Lovers 