Sweet Lemon Salad with Lemon Pepper Tempeh Croutons

By June 2, 2015

I have a confession to make… I hate veggies. Wait, no… that’s a little too drastic. I just hate boring veggies. I’m not one to be seen snacking on a carrot unless it’s loaded with hummus. You’ll never have to worry about me stealing a slice of your cucumber. Wait, is that salt & pepper on your cucumber? I take that back! You can guarantee I’ll never just have vegetable juice. Veggies are made for fruit, right? And you will never, ever, ever in a million years see me eating a salad with oil + vinegar on plain lettuce. Yuck?! What you can count on, is seeing me…
  • Sneaking off to add some homemade croutons to my salad.
  • Whipping up a batch of ultra creamy and dreamy dressing for dipping + salad use.
  • Topping all sorts of seeds + nuts on lettuce to spice it up.
  • Waiting patiently for 2 hours as my tempeh defrosts just so I can make some tempeh croutons.
Yes, veggie eating is a commitment and definitely not a simple task for me. But, when veggies are spiced up juuuust right, they’re delicious and consumed by the truckloads!
Sweet Lemon Salad with Lemon Pepper Tempeh Croutons
Author: 
Recipe type: Vegan, Gluten free, Dairy free, Sugar free, Yeast free, Corn free
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 entree sized salads
 
Spice up your salad with some serious tempeh croutons, figs, and sweet lemon sauce.
Ingredients
Sweet lemon dressing
  • ¼ hemp seed oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ¼ cup unsweetened apple juice
  • 2½ teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon himalayan rock salt
  • rind of 1 lemon
  • black pepper to taste
  • pinch white stevia powder
Salad
  • 8 cups romaine lettuce
  • ½ cup walnuts, chopped
  • ¼ cup red onion, sliced thin
  • 2 vine tomatoes, diced
  • 8 figs, sliced
  • fresh black pepper
  • lemon slices for garnish
Lemon pepper tempeh croutons
  • 8 oz. tempeh, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1½ teaspoon apple juice
  • ¼ teaspoon rosemary
  • ¼ teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon herbamare
  • fresh pepper to taste
  • pinch dried sage
  • 1 tablespoon coconut water vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Instructions
  1. To make dressing: combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
  2. To make croutons: place lemon juice, zest, garlic, apple juice, and spices in a medium sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Add tempeh and stir to coat. Add olive oil to a pan over high heat. Add tempeh and saute for 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat, add vinegar slowly to deglaze the pan. Remove from heat, toss tempeh in a pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper and allow to cool.
  3. Putting everything together: drop salad ingredients, dressing, and croutons in a large bowl. Toss to coat and serve!
View Nutritional Information (once on page scroll down) mmm now THAT’S how you enjoy your veggies! I just love a good dressing. Don’t you? Something else I totally love? This song?! httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdO85Qf4Poc Don’t judge me if it’s old. I live a sheltered life. How have I never heard of The Naked and Famous? Officially in LOVE. The way I see it: Healthy dose of awesome music = healthy mind and positive thoughts This song has pumped up my morning in a big way. Rock out with me? What song are you crushing on right now? Can you eat veggies plain? What is your favorite vegetable? Kale [chips]!

This entry was tagged: lemon, salad, salad dressing


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