Sweet Lemon Salad with Lemon Pepper Tempeh Croutons

April 26, 2011 By Leanne Vogel 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: Leanne Vogel

Recipe type: Vegan, Gluten free, Dairy free, Sugar free, Yeast free, Corn free

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 7 mins

Total time: 17 mins

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

To make dressing: combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
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.
Putting everything together: drop salad ingredients, dressing, and croutons in a large bowl. Toss to coat and serve!

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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