I think a salad is a great main dish that has so much room for your creativity and thinking outside of the box (and your plate)! Salads are such a great option when it comes to dieting, exploring the plant based cuisine and simply trying something new.
Today, I want to share my version of the world renown salad - The Cobb Salad. We are all familiar with the "non-vegan" recipe that often features bacon, cheese, dairy based ranch etc. The plant based option tastes absolutely delicious and, again - the sky is the limit here. There are no rules - only personal taste and preferences.
---------THE COBB SALAD--------
Yields 4-5 servings. I don`t recommend to make extra to save for the next day as salads are the best to eat fresh.
INGREDIENTS
For salad
4-5 cups of kale
1 avocado
1 can garbanzo beans
1/2 cup smoked tempeh
1/4 cup of chopped red onion
1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese
1 cup cherry tomatos
1 cup chopped cucumbers
For the dressing
1 cup Vegenaise (vegan mayo)
juice from 1 lemon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped dill
1 tbsp water if the dressing is to thick to your taste
1/3 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
PREPARE
Of course, the messier the tastier!!!! But, from the perspective of a blogger, aesthetics are important to me. It`s really up to you if you blend everything together or layer it neatly just like I did. From my experience, layering the ingredients on top of the bed of greens and serving the dressing on the side helps to keep the salad fresh. If you mix everything but don`t eat it right away, the salad will get very soggy.
For the base, I`m using the baby kale. You can sub it for mixed greens, spinach or arugula mix. To make the kale leaves soft, I recommend massaging them with some olive oil and a little bit of salt before you layer the ingredients on top of it.
After your kale is ready, arrange the ingredients the way I did in the photo. I bought the smoked tempeh. The cheddar cheese is home made. I also recommend Vegan cheddar by Follow your heart or Violife.
For the dressing, mix all of the dressing ingredients in the blender or food processor and blend till the consistency is smooth. Adding the nutritional yeast is optional. I personally really like it and it`s the way to get vitamins B6 and B12 (just make sure that the brand you use is fortified with those!) Serve on the side.