Smoked Tofu, Puy Lentil & Spinach Salad with Apple & Tamari Dressing
This hits every spot – taste, freshness, nutrition… you name it! It’s also a very low-fat, healthy dish. If you want gluten-free, using tamari soya sauce gives you a gluten-free alternative. However, most brands of smoked tofu are not gluten-free because they are seasoned with shoyu-type soya sauce, which contains wheat. The exception to this is Clear Spot smoked tofu – but as always, check any label carefully.
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Ingredients
- 100g/4oz Puy lentils, washed OR 1 tin of Puy lentils, drained and rinsed OR 240g/scant 9oz home-cooked
- 1 tsp vegan bouillon powder, eg Marigold red tub
- 1 bay leaf 220g/8oz smoked tofu, sliced in strips
- 200g/7oz baby spinach leaves
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 50g/1¾oz green pitted olives
- 50g/1¾oz beansprouts, washed
- 4 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 tbsp tamari (very strong soya sauce) fresh chives, chopped, for garnish
Apple and tamari dressing:
- 200ml/7fl oz apple juice 50ml/
- 3 tbsp tamari
- 2cm/1inch cube of fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp apple juice concentrate
Instructions
1. If using tinned or your own pre-cooked lentils, go straight to no. 3. If cooking lentils from scratch, wash and cover water. Stir in the vegetable bouillon powder and add the bay leaf.
2. Bring to the boil and simmer for 25-35 minutes until the lentils are just cooked.
3. Meanwhile, dry roast the sunflower seeds in a heavy or non-stick frying pan for a few minutes – stir continuously with a wooden spatula so they don’t burn and until most are golden in colour.
4. Add 1 tbsp tamari and stir in well to coat seeds before removing from heat.
5. Prepare the vegetables.
6. Make the dressing: mix the apple juice, apple juice concentrate and tamari in a jug.
7. Grate the ginger or squeeze it gently in a garlic press and add the juice from this to the dressing.
8. Drain the lentils, remove the bay leaf and set aside.
9. Serve the salad on individual plates. On each plate make a bed of spinach leaves, top with a few spoonfuls of Puy lentils, some smoked tofu, decorate with slices of avocado, cherry tomatoes and green olives, sprinkle with beansprouts and tamari-roasted sunflower seeds.
10. Pour on the dressing and garnish with the chopped chives.
11. Serve with wholewheat bread or cooked wholegrains such as quinoa or brown rice.
Optional extras / notes
35 minutes or less if using tinned or your own pre-cooked lentils
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