This Butternut Bliss Fall Salad is a healthy-delicious vegan meal for fall!..
Butternut Bliss. Spicy-sweet maple tofu cubes, hot from the stove, are tossed over top cool baby spinach greens. Savory peppered shiitake mushrooms mingle with tender, pan-wilted baby kale. Roasted butternut squash cubes, all caramelized and sweet, pair with crunchy walnuts and a sprinkling of sweet-tart, perky, dried cranberries. A green fan of luscious lemon-splashed avocado on the side. Maple-Apple dressing over top. Dive into these fall flavors and let salad bliss takeover...
And check out the nutritional info - this bowl is loaded with protein, vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids and more..
It always boggles my mind when people non-chalantly say "I hate salads." Or when they are ordering dinner at a restaurant and say "I should probably order a salad too, I guess." or the worst one.. "Maybe I will just have a salad."
..JUST have a salad? Salads are not "just" salads. Or at least MY salads are never just salads. Salads really are one of my favorite meals! I crave them. They make me feel good. They make me happy! So hearing someone say they will "just" have a salad sounds kinda like.. "Maybe I'll JUST have a slice of double chocolate fudge cake."
So yes. I am a proud salad lover. And every season deserves a few go-to salad bowls. Make your salad into a meal by adding grains, beans and bean-based foods like tofu and tempeh, roasted veggies, nuts, seeds, fruit and more.
Healthy Salad! This salad is packed with healthy-delicious ingredients...
avocado, rich in healthy fats..
butternut squash, roasted until sweet and tender. walnuts too..
Nutritional Info (per recipe, excluding optional dressing)
Calories: 464kcal, Fat: 22g, Carbs: 50g, Protein: 29g, Fiber: 12g
Vita A: 526%, Vita C: 318%, Calcium: 72%, Iron: 48%
Also rich in potassium, magnesium, manganese and selenium.
I hope you enjoy this blissful (super food infused) recipe..
Butternut Bliss Fall Salad
vegan, serves 1-2
Maple Chipotle Tofu:
8 ounces firm tofu, cubed
1 teaspoon grade B maple syrup
salt + pepper + chipotle powder or cayenne to taste
spray of cooking oil for pan
Roasted Butternut Squash Cubes:
Β½ butternut squash*
1 tablespoon grade B maple syrup
pinch of salt
*you will have some leftover squash - I used about 1 cup of cubes for this salad
Mushrooms:
4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
Β½ teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
pepper to taste
spray of cooking oil for pan
2 cups baby kale (or finely chopped kale any variety, stems removed)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 cups baby spinach
ΒΌ avocado, sliced + splashed with lemon juice and pepper
1-2 tablespoon raw walnuts
1 teaspoon dried cranberries
Optional dressing to drizzle over top - whisk together:
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon grade B maple syrup
pinch of salt + pepper
1 teaspoon tahini (optional)
Directions:
1. SQUASH. Roast the squash. You can do this 1-2 hours ahead of time, or you can do it the night before if you'd like chilled butternut squash cubes on your salad. Your choice. Turn the oven to 400 degrees. Slice oven your squash into long halves, clean out the seeds. Brush some oil, drizzle of maple syrup and pinch of salt over the squash. Place on a baking sheet, face up, and roast for about one hour or until tender and caramelized. Remove from oven and cool well before handling. Slice into cubes for the salad.
(Start these steps just about ten minutes before plating/serving your salad.)
2. TOFU. Prep the tofu by squeezing it dry with a paper towel and slicing into rectangles or cubes. Warm a saute pan to high heat and add some oil to the pan. Add in the tofu, maple syrup and spices over top. Cook for bout 2-3 minutes on each side, or until the edges begin to brown and crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. GREENS. Add the kale greens to the tofu saute pan (after tofu has been removed.) Add a drizzle of oil if you'd like. Turn heat to medium and wilt the greens until tender. Add in the lemon juice to speed up this process. Transfer the greens to your serving bowl. You can also add in the fresh baby spinach greens alongside.
3. SHROOMS. Add the sliced shiitakes to the same pan and saute them until tender. Again, using as much or as little oil as you'd like. I just added in the tamari to de-glaze the pan and create some steam and that was enough cooking liquid for me. Transfer cooked mushrooms to your salad bowl.
4. Continue assembling your salad by adding the tofu, butternut squash cubes, walnuts, dried cranberries and sliced avocado over top. Drizzle the dressing over top as desired. Serve while components are still warm.
More Salad Chatter. I love creating salads that pair up contrasting ingredients. Hot with cold. Salty with sweet. Spicy with cool. Perky with mellow. This way my salad is suddenly popping with personality, complexity and fun.
To me, a salad is definitely more than just a side dish. And I am passionate about this fact!
How do YOU make your salads shine and become worthy of ogling eyes and growling tummies???
PS .... I have a big, fun, super awesome salad-related announcement for you next week. Hint: And one of my readers (maybe YOU!) will be winning an AMAZING, AH-MA-ZING prize. So be sure to check back next week.. π
Theresa "Sam" Houghton says
All I can say is -- HELLO LUNCH! π
Sarah Kader says
I know this post is from a while ago but I just made this and it was SO freakin delicious. I don't like mushrooms so I roasted brussel sprouts instead, with the squash, and it was crazy delicious. Thank you for this recipe!
Melissa Schultz says
This was a wonderful salad. I am new to cooking with tofu(even though I have been a vegetarian for 24 yrs!) and it turned out really tasty. I love your recipes-it has really made the transition to Vegan easy:)
Hilary says
Just made the Pumpkin Chai Spice Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins, and now I'm moving to this salad! Such a vegan-inspired fall day π
celeste1234 says
Think I'll be making this tonigt-yum!
Carly Van Hof Thomson says
Delicious. I added a bit of olive oil to the dressing and whipped it up in the blender which made it super creamy and emulsified.
Found fresh peeled & cubed butternut squash in the produce section at *yuck* Walmart, which made this recipe super easy. It steams in the bag in the microwave in 3 minutes, then I threw it in with the tofu.
I also threw a few roasted pumpkin seeds on top, since we had them leftover from the carving fest this weekend π
The whole family (omni husband, veggie 5 year old, and I) all really enjoyed this meal.
Lizi says
I'm pretty sure I've never salivated over a vegan recipe that didn't involve chocolate before....so....that just happened. This looks delicious! I'm making my whole family eat it!!! π
Tianna says
drooling as I type - that salad looks amazing! Def going on my pinterest lol x
Natasha says
I only started eating salad this year. The salads my mom made and that are usually available at restaurants really are JUST salads and pretty boring. But my boyfriend makes really good salads. We love roasted butternut in salads. I'd never order a salad in a restaurant though, because they're never as good as the ones we make at home.
Kathy Patalsky says
Amazeballs. YES! Perfect word π
So glad u liked!!
Louise says
Ooookay...this is amazeballs. I used all spinach since I was out of kale and used a bag of pre-cut butternut from TJ's to skip a step. Thanks for sharing this..it's going into my fall rotation! π
Kathy Patalsky says
Ha, I hear you!! First my smoothies book next spring and then I want to do a full recipe book π thanks
ann chervin says
your recipes are awesome! you have to come out with a cookbook. i'd rather pay you for your recipes than pay for all the ink and paper that my printer has to use to print out the recipes!
Kathy Patalsky says
Dressings are easy once you try a few with success! Taste as you go to make sure you like the salt/sweet/spice/acid tones.
I love using my vitamix to really mix all the flavors together well. But for this dressing recipe you can really do a quick whisk and pour. Good luck!!
Abby says
Your salad recipes are so inspiring and make me crave salads too! Definitely adding in tofu and veggies makes it much more interesting. I'm a wimp when it comes to dressings since I don't buy any and have messed up making them in the past, but there's a few of yours I really really want to try!
Kathy Patalsky says
sure! I love tempeh too. You could even sub in whole beans if you'd like.
Diana Larry Winslow says
Wondering if you can use tempeh instead of tofu
Kathy Patalsky says
Aw thanks Laura! Such a sweet comment. I'm so glad you and your family enjoy my recipes!! π
Laura Klebs says
We are definitely having this for dinner tonight. I have everything for it and it is going to be delicious. I think I will stick to my family favorite maple mustard dressing though. It has the perfect balance of tangy and sweet for my kiddos! We just had your bbq chickpea wraps again last night and they get gobbled up every time. Thank you for all the recipes you give us. All the ones we have tried have been fantastic!
Aimee Brimmer says
THIS is gorgeous! I would eat this for ANY meal of the day! π
Kathy Patalsky says
Oh good! It is a pretty easy salad once you get the butternut cubes done. Enjoy!! π
Kathy Patalsky says
Thanks! π
Kathy Patalsky says
I only use organic non GMO soy. I love tofu and add it to my diet at least once a week. But I do not go overboard either. I personally take the "moderation" approach to soy.
For me it really depends on the quality and source. For example, low quality soybean oil and soy "fillers" are all over the supermarket in processed food products. Those "low nutrition" foods are not on the same level as a whole organic non GMO soybean I pluck from an edamame pod!
I don't like telling people what is right and wrong but for me, I embrace high quality soy in my diet (in moderation.) And I have for the past 11 years of my life. Soy is an excellent vegetarian source of complete protein and it is easy, fast and delicious when prepared with care.
And lastly, many of the anti-soy studies in the past have been encouraged by industries that despise the consumer growth of soy. Like meat and dairy brands. so you have to look at who is behind the study you may be referencing as well.
Hope that helps!! π
Mushrooms Canada says
What a fantastic salad! It's full of beautiful fall colours and those flavour pairings have my mouth watering...thanks for sharing!
-Shannon
Lindsay says
This looks incredible! I have a question: what are your thoughts on soy? I was under the impression that tofu and tempeh were not dangerous but my mother in law (massive carnivore and can't understand why i won't feed my family dead animals) was visiting recently and began a whole tirade against eating or giving my two small boys soy in any form. Is she right? Am I hurting my kids by giving them tofu?
Pomegranates&Princes says
I am not a veggie but occasionally eat and love vegetarian food. I will be having a meat curry tonight (one of my own recipes) but this salad sounds a perfect accompaniment.
Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This is the best thing I've seen all morning! so colourful and pretty.
kirstenskitchen says
This look SO good!! I think I might try to recreate it tonight for dinner π
Jo @ Including Cake says
love your colourful photos! I think the problem is that most people just don't think outside the box. They think salad = lettuce cucumber and tomato and therefore 'just' a side salad.....Oh how wrong they are π
Alexia Kulterer says
hello salad of my dreams! come on over for lunch, i promise to treat to well and truly enjoy the time with you π
amazing, i so wished this salad would stand right in fron of me now! perfect fall flavours! mhmmm