Protein Packed Salad with Tofu, Strawberries, and Edamame with a Lemon Vinaigrette


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Let me just start out by saying…. OH. MY. GOD. This salad tastes amazing and healthy, a combination that is hard to find. It is packed with healthy plant-based protein and it has so much flavor you would not even believe it. The strawberries and dates add a sweetness to the salad and the edamame and tofu are a great source of protein. This salad is based on the one that Ariana Grande put up on her fahlo, but I tweaked it just a little bit in order to make it the way I like it. Read on to see how I made it or skip to the end for the recipe.

Many people think that it is hard to cook tofu, but that is not the case at all. It is fairly easy once you get the hang of how it is supposed to look when it is done. It is supposed to look like it puffed up on the sides. If it looks exactly like it did when you put it on the pan, then it is not done.

People also think that tofu tastes horrible. It doesn’t. The unique thing about it is that it does not have it’s own taste. It takes the taste of what is around it so in this salad it tastes lemony and sweet because of the ingredients that are in he salad. That is why it is important to add enough dressing and strawberries so the tofu soak it up.

I am really into healthy plant-based foods and this one embodies everything that I want and need to eat. Since I avoid eating too much meat, I am worried that I do not get enough protein. Eating this salad completely eliminates that fear because of the tofu and edamame. 1/2 a cup of tofu (which is 1/4 of the package) gives you 8 grams of protein! 1 cup of edamame gives you 17 grams of protein! Add that together and you have 25 grams of protein in this salad alone. You can adjust the ingredients based on that depending on the amount of protein you want or need.

The other good thing about this salad is that most of the ingredients come in organic and non-gmo variety and are the same or similar price as the regular one. I used nasoya tofu plus which is fortified with vitamins and is non-gmo. I also used the 365 brand (from whole foods) of frozen edamame and it comes shelled and non gmo. This is really good because 90% of soybeans are genetically modified and it is hard to find ones that are not.

Here is the tofu recipe:

Ingredients:
extra-firm tofu
paper towels
2 plates
a heavy object such as a 28 ounce can of tomatoes

Procedure:

  1. Remove the tofu from the liquid it is kept in and drain it.
  2. Line a plate with paper towel and place the tofu on it. Put another dish on top of it followed by the can of tomatoes, or whatever you have to weight it down.
  3. Leave it like this for about 30 minutes. Water should start to be collecting around the tofu and completely fill the paper towel.
  4. Remove the tofu from the plate and cut it into whatever shape you want to use it for. For salads, I use cubes because you could then crumble it on top if you want too.
  5. Place the pieces of tofu on a baking sheet and place into an oven preheated to 350.
  6. Cook for 30-50 minutes depending on the consistency you prefer the tofu to be. Check on it and turn it every 10 minutes.
  7. Serve the tofu immediately or put in the refrigerator for later use.
  8. The tofu can stay for about a week in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Recipe for the salad:

Ingredients
Spinach/Kale/Lettuce

3 large strawberries
3/4 cup of frozen edamame
cooked tofu (see above recipe)
1 Medjool date
1 lemon
2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar

Procedure:

  1. Cut the strawberries into little square pieces and put them into a large bowl
  2. Cut the date into tiny pieces and place it into the bowl as well. These pieces will dissolve a little bit and give the salad a syrupy taste to it that pairs lovely with the tofu.
  3. Follow the ingredients on the package of edamame to cook them and run them under cold water to cool them and put them in the bowl
  4. Chop the spinach a little bit so the pieces are not too big and add that to the bowl.
  5. Throw the tofu into the large bowl.
  6. To make the dressing, squeeze 1 whole lemon and the balsamic vinegar into a cup and stir. This all depends on preference, so taste the dressing and add more ingredients if needed.
  7. Add as much dressing as you want into the bowl and toss to coat everything.
  8. And Voila! You have a delicious, super healthy salad packed with protein and flavor. Eat up!

Stay tuned for more healthy recipes with many nutritional benefits…

Have a glamorous day!
xoxo G

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