Vegan Cobb Salad with Crispy Tofu
This nutritious Cobb is full of fresh ingredients and tons of bright flavours and colours. It’s packed with protein from wholesome chickpeas and crispy tofu strips and dressed with a red wine vinaigrette to complete this satisfying salad.
If you’re looking for a salad that is incredibly versatile, super tasty, packed with protein, and will actually leave you feeling full and satisfied, you’ve come to the right place. Our Vegan Cobb Salad with Crispy Tofu hits all of those marks, and it’s also really easy to prepare. Whether you’re making it for a power lunch to give you the fuel you need for the rest of your day or an easy and yummy dinner starter or main, you’ll love this one!
We chose lots of fresh toppings, including tomato, cucumber, avocado, and dill, but if you don’t like any of those, go ahead and switch them up with ingredients that you prefer. Try adding roasted corn or play around with different fresh herbs like chives. Changing up the traditional Cobb salad, we are swapping in plant-based proteins. The protein helps make salads filling and hearty, so we chose to add two to ours. Chickpeas are great because they’re ready to go out of the can; it really doesn’t get any easier than that. For the star of this salad, tofu is coated in seasoned, toasted panko (game-changer move that we stand by) and baked to crispy golden perfection. For the dressing, we went with a red wine vinaigrette for simplicity and to allow all of the flavourful ingredients to shine through still, although a vegan ranch would also complement this salad really well. Finally, if you’re feelin’ fancy, top it off with some crumbled vegan blue cheese for a true Cobb salad vibe!
After finishing this vegan Cobb salad, no one will be left hungry; you’ll be full and satisfied. Plus, everyone can customize it to be their perfect salad. How would you make this Cobb your own?
Don’t forget to tag us in your creations – @smallkitchenbigplates
Vegan Cobb Salad with Crispy Tofu
This nutritious Cobb is full of fresh ingredients and tons of bright flavours and colours. It’s packed with protein from wholesome chickpeas and crispy tofu strips and dressed with a red wine vinaigrette to complete this satisfying salad.
Ingredients
- 4 cups spinach, chopped
- 4 cups curly head lettuce, chopped
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 large cucumber, chopped
- 2 avocados, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup quick pickled red onions or sliced raw red onions
- 1/3 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup vegan blue cheese, crumbled (optional)
- Crispy Tofu Strips
- 400g (1 block) extra-firm tofu, patted dry and sliced into 4 planks
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 plant milk (we used oat)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- Red Wine Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon grainy mustard
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1.5 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
2. In a skillet or pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toast them for a few minutes, stirring frequently. When they are slightly golden, remove from the heat and transfer to a shallow bowl and add the Italian seasoning, dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and mix the spices and panko together.
3. Get two more shallow bowls and add 1/4 cup plant milk to one and 1/2 cornstarch to the other. Take one of the 4 planks of tofu and dip it into the cornstarch and then the plant milk. Shake off the excess liquid and then toss it in the panko mixture, generously coating the the whole piece of tofu, and then place it on the baking sheet. Repeat with the other 3 pieces of tofu and then bake them in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and crispy, flipping at 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Add all of the dressing ingredients to a jar and vigorously shake. Set the dressing aside.
5. Assemble the salad. When the tofu is done and out of the oven, allow it to cool slightly and then slice each plank diagonally into thin strips. Add spinach, lettuce, chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, avocado, dill, and the sliced tofu to a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing, toss, and serve.
Notes
- This salad is quite versatile and you can take away or add toppings depending on your preference. Other common Cobb salad toppings you can include are corn and tempeh bacon.
- If you feel like being a little fancy you can add a crumbled vegan blue cheese on top. We use Nuts for Cheese Super “Blue” for the classic Cobb salad vibe.
smallkitchenbigplates 
Another beautifully photographed creation!! A tummy filler for sure!!
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