Description
Ready in 20 minutes or less, this napa cabbage and crispy tempeh salad with miso tahini dressing is loaded with delicious flavors and textures. Made with thinly sliced napa cabbage as the base, this satisfying main dish is entirely vegan and anything but boring. Don’t skip out on the homemade dressing — it ties everything together!
Ingredients
for the miso tahini dressing
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons mellow white miso
- 2 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Cold water, as needed
for the salad
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 8-ounce block tempeh, crumbled into very small pieces
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1 small head napa cabbage, thinly sliced, about 5-6 cups total
- 3/4 cup roasted cashews, chopped
- 2 large carrots, grated or ribboned
- 3-4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 medium kohlrabi, diced
- 2 cara cara oranges, supremed
- 1 large handful cilantro, chopped
- 1 large handful mint, chopped
- 2 medium avocados, sliced or diced
Instructions
Heat a large skillet over medium. Add the avocado oil and once it begins to shimmer, add the crumbled tempeh. Season with a pinch of salt then cook, stirring every 1-2 minutes, until golden and crispy. This will take about 10-15 minutes and will allow plenty of time to mix the dressing and chop your salad ingredients.
While tempeh cooks, Make the dressing. Add the tahini, miso, rice vinegar, maple syrup, a small pinch of salt, and the garlic powder to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add cold water as needed to thin the dressing to a drizzleable consistency. Taste and season with more salt as needed.
Prep your veggies while the tempeh finishes cooking. Thinly slice the cabbage, chop the cashews, grate the carrots or peel them into ribbons, and thinly slice the scallions. Cut the tough outer skin off the kohlrabi and discard it, then dice the kohlrabi. Cut away all of the peeling and pith from the oranges, then remove the segments from between the membranes (aka supreming). Give the cilantro and mint a chop then dice or slice the avocados.
Toss the cabbage, carrots, scallions, herbs, and cashews together in a large bowl then place them in your serving vessel. Layer the orange segments, avocado, kohlrabi, and crispy tempeh over the top. Serve with the dressing on the side or drizzle it over the top!
Notes
- Store leftover salad and dressing separately in the fridge. The dressing will thicken in the fridge so whisk in water to thin it out again as needed. Leftovers are best if enjoyed within 2-3 days.
- If you want to save some chopping time, use 5-6 cups of store-bought shredded cabbage in place of the napa and 2 cups of store-bought shredded carrots/matchstick carrots in place of the 2 large carrots.
- Since kohlrabi can be harder to find, you can use 3-4 radishes in its place.
- I love cara cara oranges here but any orange will work! If you want to avoid the process of supreming the oranges, buy a few easy-peel mandarins. Peel the skin off by hand then separate the segments and add them to the salad.
- This recipe yields 2-3 servings if eaten as the main dish or entree and 4-6 servings if used as a side dish.
- If you’re allergic to tahini, you can use cashew butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter in the dressing for similar results.
- For a no-cook version of this recipe, pick up a package of smoked or baked tofu from the store instead of tempeh. Dice it and add it to the top of the salad.
- Not all miso is gluten free so make sure to check the label!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch