Healty Caesar Salad with Tofu Croutons
This Caesar salad has replaced the much-loved Quinoa, Tempeh, and Avocado Bowl around here as our work-night go-to dinner. It’s easy, quick, super healthy, filling, and full of protein, healthy fats, and dark leafies (including a good bit of semi-hidden kale).
The croutons here are made with extra-firm tofu, but you are welcome to sub half with 1/2-inch chunks of baguette, or just eat the baguette on the side. The directions work for both, although for super crunchy croutons, start with stale bread or stick them in the toaster oven for a few minutes. Either way, it’s a perfect 1-bowl dinner.
The recipe does include blending almonds, but a regular blender will work fine with a bit of patience. Alternatively, you can always start with prepackaged almond flour, although to get the deeper flavor that roasting brings out in almonds, make sure to toast the flour in a pan over medium-high heat until fragrant.
The Caesar dressing is not overwhelmingly briny, but creamy, thick and tangy. It’s what you expect in a Caesar dressing but made with whole, healthy ingredients – toasted almonds, a touch of capers and vegan Worcestershire sauce, fresh lemon juice, and garlic. Once you’ve blended your dressing, sauté the tofu and then combine with chopped lettuce and avocado. And that’s about it.
This is a great dish for hot summer evenings, as it requires only 10 minutes of stove time and the easiest prep. So you can spend more time making mixed drinks or sitting on your porch reading a book. Or driving to the Apple store to buy another power adaptor for your computer because a certain little white monsterdog has chewed through the new one you bought last week — you know, the things you like to do on a summer evening.
HEARTY CAESAR SALAD WITH TOFU CROUTONS
- 1/2 cup roasted almonds
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon capers or pitted olives
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/8 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 cups of 1/2-inch cubes of extra-firm tofu*, pressed and patted dry OR 2 cups of 1/2-inch cubes of sourdough or baguette, preferably stable
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 sprigs thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 sprig rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- salt
- 1 head romaine lettuce**
- 6 leaves curly or lacinato kale, ribs removed (about 1 small bunch)
- 1-2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted and cut into chunks
- Prepare the dressing: combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Dressing will be thick.
- Heat the oil along with the herbs and garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring to avoid burning the garlic, and add the tofu or bread cubes and a couple pinches of salt. Stir once and then cook for 4-5 minutes or until all the oil is soaked up and the tofu has started to brown. Dislodge the tofu from the bottom with a spatula and stir. Cook for another 4-5 minutes and then remove from heat. Let cool slightly. If the bread isn’t crunchy after cooling for 5 minutes, pop in the toaster oven for a few minutes (or don’t – why do croutons have to be crunchy?)
- Wash and coarsely chop or tear the lettuce. Cut the kale into very fine, confetti-like strips. Add the dressing and mix until well distributed. Top the salad with croutons and serve.
- *We use Trader Joe’s “High Protein Super Firm Tofu” because it’s, well, super firm and dense so we can skip the “press and pat dry” step.
- **Or use your favorite kind of leafy greens, but keep in mind that juicy, crunchy varieties work the best here.
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