Tempeh Salad (Orange Vinaigrette)
This is a vegan recipe for tempeh salad with orange vinaigrette dressing. I’m using tempeh (Indonesian fermented soybean ‘cake’) as the main protein here, which is not just meatless but very filling as well. With orange vinaigrette as the salad dressing, this salad is fruity, refreshing and appetizing.
See Also:
Salad Base & Toppings. The base of the salad is romaine lettuce. As toppings, I used shredded red cabbage, celery, corn kernels, bell peppers, cherry tomato and spring onions. When making a salad bowl, I try to include various coloured toppings to gain the most nutrients from a broad spectrum.
Salad dressing. This citrus-based orange vinaigrette is both refreshing and light at the same time. The vinaigrette is great for seafood (such as Parmesan scallops salad). The orange fruity taste is suitable for any salad, and it is extra refreshing during summer. For meal prep, I usually make a bigger batch of salad dressing to keep in the fridge for the week, but you can also make just enough for this salad recipe.
Tempeh Salad (with Orange Vinaigrette) Recipe
This tempeh salad is meatless and vegan. You can add a complex carb (such as cooked brown rice, quinoa or whole wheat pasta) to make it more filling. For lower carb, use lesser honey (or maple syrup).
This recipe makes just enough salad dressing for one serving. To make a bigger batch of orange vinaigrette salad dressing for meal prep, check out this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 200g plain tempeh cut to uniform bite-sized pieces
- peanut or canola oil for deep frying (enough to submerge the tempeh)
Orange Vinaigrette
click here to make a bigger batch for meal prep
- 4 tbsp pure orange juice
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar (or apple cider) to taste
- 10 drops lemon juice
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup to taste
- tiny pinch of sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper
Ingredients for Salad:
- 150g chopped romaine lettuce
- 50g thinly sliced red cabbage
- 100g canned or tetra-pak cooked corn kernels drained
- 2 tbsp chopped shallot or red onion
- half bell pepper (capsicum) sliced thinly
- 14 cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 tbsp chopped spring onions (or parsley, coriander)
Directions:
- Deep fry tempeh. Add enough oil that will cover the tempeh in a frying pot. Heat oil to 180°C (356°F) or until tiny bubbles form when a wooden chopstick is inserted into the oil. Deep fry the tempeh in batches until light golden. Blot out excess oil by placing fried tempeh on kitchen paper towel or tempura paper.
- Make orange vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk orange juice, evoo, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt & pepper. Season to taste.
- Assemble the salad and serve. Add romaine lettuce to a large salad bowl. Top the salad with fried tempeh and the rest of the salad ingredients, along with orange vinaigrette at the side. To serve, pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat well.