Well, hello again, friends!
It’s been some time since I have been blogging. I thought it was about time I shared a summertime salad recipe with you!
I don’t know about you, but during this pandemic, I have needed to prioritize my time in different ways. Living in these uncertain times has required me to be more mindful of including relaxing moments into my every day life. This has included many more nature walks (almost every day), lazy mornings sipping my coffee while listening to the birds, all while trying to stay afloat with my work commitments. I hope that you are finding some time to catch your breath during these challenging times.
I headed up to Maine in late May to my little cottage by the beach. I do feel quite fortunate that I have a change in scenery and get to enjoy beach walks, regularly. Last week, Russ and I headed to Moosehead Lake to explore a new Maine location, while we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary and my b-day. It was such a well-needed break! And Moosehead lake area is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S! And, yes, we saw a moose!
And now, for a plant-based recipe for the summertime! I was inspired by my neighbor Julie to try to make a marinated tofu dish that tastes like feta cheese to top on my salad. I do love feta cheese (it’s low FODMAP), but I realize some of you follow a vegan diet or can’t tolerate dairy. This marinated tofu is so delicious–with a nice lemon-y miso flavor—you’ve got to try it!
I used firm tofu and miso–both low FODMAP soy-based foods in this recipe. Some soy foods such as silken tofu and most US soy milks are high in FODMAPs. Processing, fermentation, water-content and maturity of soy play a role in how much FODMAPs remain in the final product.
Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients
- 400 g firm tofu
- 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- 1 tablespoon oregano (dried)
- 1/4 cup garlic infused olive oil
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water
- dash of red pepper flakes, optional
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 cup lettuce greens
- 20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 20 green beans, trimmed, raw
- 1 red bell pepper, de-seeded, cut in strips
- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
Instructions
- Press excess water out of tofu by placing tofu on a plate, in between two paper towels and place something heavy on top. Leave in place for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare marinade in medium bowl, add juice of one lemon, miso, oregano, 2 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil, nutritional yeast, if using, apple cider vinegar, water, red pepper flakes, if using and salt and pepper, to taste. Whisk mixture with a whisk or fork until blended.
- Cut firm tofu, into bite size pieces. Add tofu to bowl with marinade. Gently stir tofu, covering in marinade. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate for about 1-2 hours.
- Prepare salad by arranging lettuce, cherry tomatoes, raw green beans, red bell pepper slices and olives. Top with marinated "feta-style" tofu on top. (I didn't use it all, you can save some extra tofu and use for another dish, or top it all on the salad. Just keep your portion at around 2/3 cup of firm tofu per serving)
- Dress salad with remaining lemon (cut and drizzle lemon juice) and garlic infused oil, over vegetables, along with salt and pepper, if desired.
Carolyn R
Definitely going to try this! How many servings does the recipe provide?
katescarlata
Sorry I missed your comment, Carolyn. The recipe provides 4 servings.