Very original single dish summer salads (with vegetable protein)

With the heat you don’t feel like cooking so much, you want more fresh and quick things, and that doesn’t have to mean eating worse. We can do complete summer saladsto serve them as a single dish, without repeating, and without always being lettuce and tomato.

The trick to make a salad complete is to add protein ingredients such as legumes and derivatives (tofu, textured soybeans, tempeh, etc.) and other ingredients that provide us with more satiety, such as pickles and nuts, along with cereals, raw or cooked vegetables and a touch of fresh dressing that is not always limited to oil and vinegar.

With a few ingredients that we can find in any supermarket, we can prepare very good salads, filling and rich in vegetable proteins. Take a look at the recipes original summer salads what we propose:

Mediterranean-style pasta salad

Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked pasta (chickpea, lentil or soy) 200 g of extra firm hard tofu 1 lettuce head a handful of lamb’s lettuce 6-8 cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup of pitted black olives 1/2 red onion or spring onion

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar 1/4 teaspoon a dash of cumin 1/4 teaspoon paprika a few leaves of fresh basil, parsley or coriander

Preparation:

Cut the tofu into cubes and put it in a bowl with the pasta. Wash the heart well and cut it into 5 or 6 pieces. Undo the leaves at the bottom so it doesn’t become a block. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Cut the olives in half. Cut the onion or spring onion into thin slices. Mix everything in a bowl or salad bowl. Add the ingredients for the dressing while stirring well. Taste it and add salt or lemon if necessary. Serve cold.

(Recipe by Virginia Garcia)

American style chickpea and tempeh salad

Ingredients:

200 g chickpeas, cooked and drained 200 g tempeh 200 g cabbage 1 carrot 1 apple 3 tablespoons regular or red cabbage sauerkraut (drained) 50 g peeled walnuts

For the sauce:

Half of the chickpeas 3 tablespoons of olive oil 1 tablespoon of tahini 50 ml of vegetable drink (whatever you want, but that is not sweet) 1/2 teaspoon of old-fashioned mustard 1/2 clove of garlic 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Preparation:

Cut the tempeh into julienne strips or grate it with a large hole grater.Chop the cabbage, carrot and apple into julienne lines.Mix everything together in a bowl. Add half of the chickpeas, the sauerkraut and the nuts. To make the sauce, beat the chickpeas in a blender, gradually adding the tahini, olive oil, vegetable drink, mustard, garlic and lemon juice. It has to be an easy-to-mix cream, like a smooth mayonnaise or liquid cream. Taste it and adjust the salt to your liking. Pour the sauce over the top and serve cold.

(Recipe by Virginia Garcia)

German potato salad with tofu

Ingredients:

800 g boiled or steamed potatoes 300 g smoked tofu 1/2 red onion 1/2 cup pickled cucumber (drained) fresh chives

For the dressing:

3/4 cup vegetable mayonnaise 1 teaspoon old-fashioned mustard 1 tablespoon tahini 3 tablespoons vegetable broth (runny, homemade) (optional) 1 small bunch of fresh dill

Preparation:

Finely chop the onion. If you want it to be softer, leave it in a bowl with cold water and a squeeze of lemon. Also chop the gherkins. Cut the tofu into cubes. Chop a handful of dill and mix it in a bowl with the vegetable mayonnaise. Gradually add the mustard, tahini and broth (optional) while stirring. Leave it in the fridge.If your potatoes have skin, peel them.Cut the potatoes into cubes like tofu or a little larger so they don’t fall apart.Put the potatoes in a bowl and add the tofu, the onion (drained if you left it in water) and the gherkins and mix carefully. Add the dressing and mix well. Chop the chives and put it on top. Chop the rest of the dill and decorate with it as well (optional). Taste it and rectify salt if you see it as necessary. Serve it cold. Whatever you have left over, store it in a closed container in the fridge, it will last 3-4 days.

(Recipe by Virginia Garcia)

sinatun salad

Ingredients:

For the textured soy:

1 cup of fine or medium textured soybean1/2 sheet of nori seaweeda piece of kombu seaweed (approx. 5x5cm)4 tablespoons of soy sauce1/2 teaspoon of sagepinch of black pepper and white pepper powder1 teaspoon of liquid smoke1 tablespoon of olive oil olive 1 tablespoon flax oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

For the rest of the salad:

2 tablespoons capers (drained) 200 g ripe cherry tomatoes 1 stalk celery 100 g sweet corn 1/2 red bell pepper 1/2 cucumber

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons vegetable mayonnaise 1 tablespoon tahini 1 teaspoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1-2 tablespoons water (optional) 1/4 teaspoon saluna pinch ground black pepper a small bunch of parsley

Preparation:

Toast the nori seaweed in a pan or over the heat (being careful not to burn it) until crisp. Mix by hand in a bowl or container. Add 2 cups of very hot water, the kombu seaweed, soy sauce, sage, peppers, smoke, oils, salt and sesame seeds and mix. Add the textured soybeans into the mixture, stir well and let it hydrate (about 15 minutes). You can also leave it overnight for more flavor. Once the textured soy is hydrated, remove the kombu seaweed and drain the textured soy very well (you can leave it in a colander with some weight on it, like a couple of plates for example). Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters. Cut the celery into thin slices. Dice the pepper. Dice the cucumber. Drain the corn well. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl along with the drained textured soybeans. Separately, mix the dressing ingredients well, adding a little water if you see it necessary (depending on the consistency you want). Add the dressing and mix well. Leave it in the fridge until serving time.

(Recipe by Virginia Garcia)

Aragonese salad with bulgur

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bulgur 200 g white beans, cooked (and drained) 250 g cooked potato (without skin) 1/2 onion 5-6 romaine lettuce leaves 1 small cucumber 1 garlic clove 2 tomatoes 1 cup green and black olives

For the dressing:

olive oilvinegar

Preparation:

Soak the bulgur in 1 cup of boiling water. Cut the potato into slices or cubes and put it in a bowl. Cut the onion into thin slices. Go adding the ingredients as you cut them.Cut the lettuce into medium pieces.Cut the cucumber into medium slices.Chop the garlic very finely.Cut the tomatoes into 6 parts.If the olives are pitted you can leave them like that or cut them in half .Add the beans and the bulgur and mix everything well. Season to your liking with oil, vinegar and salt. Leave it in the fridge until serving time.

(Recipe by Virginia Garcia)

Levantine salad with smoked tofu

Ingredients:

200 g smoked tofu 1 bunch of parsley (about 100 grams) 3-4 mint or mint leaves 2 tomatoes 1/4 cup bulgur (or 1/2 cup cooked quinoa) 1 red Italian pepper 1/2 spring onion or sweet onion 2 tablespoons olive oilthe juice of half a lemon1/4 teaspoon of salt1/4 teaspoon of 7 Lebanese spices

Preparation:

Soak the bulgur in 1/2 cup of boiling water for 15 minutes. Then leave it in the fridge. Finely chop the parsley and the mint. Chop the tomatoes into small cubes, the pepper into julienne strips or cubes, and the onion finely. Drain the tofu and dry it well with kitchen paper. Grate it with a grater Make large holes in the bowl with the parsley and mint and mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the bulgur (or quinoa) and mix well. Adjust the salt to taste. Leave it in the fridge until serving time.

(Recipe by Virginia Garcia)

Grilled peach salad with cashew feta

Soaking: 4 hours – Preparation: 20 minutes – Cooking: 10 minutes

Summer fruit makes a great addition to salads because of its juicy texture. Peaches are ideal. They can be prepared on the grill or raw for a faster version.

Feta cheese is easy to make at home, but we can also buy it. The same salad is very tasty with raw berries instead of peaches.

Ingredients (4 people):

200 g lamb’s lettuce or other green leaves 2 peaches olive oil for cooking 1 handful of pine nuts

For the cashew feta:

140 g raw cashews 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon 1-2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon white miso salt

For the vinaigrette:

4 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon 2 teaspoons maple syrup or a pinch of stevia 1 teaspoon mustard black pepper salt

Preparation:

To make the cashew cheese, you have to leave them to soak. To make it, put them in a bowl, cover with water and leave at room temperature for about 4 hours. If you’re in a hurry, add the cashews to a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook for about 15 minutes.To make the cheese, drain the cashews well. Add to a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients and blend until you get a chunky paste. If necessary, add another tablespoon of water. Taste and save. To make the salad, first prepare the vinaigrette. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat with the help of a fork. Taste the taste and save.Wash the lamb’s lettuce and divide among 4 plates.Wash the peaches, cut in half and remove the stone. Cut into quarters and each into porridge. Prick the peach with oil. Heat a griddle-type skillet without oil. Add the pine nuts and toast. Remove the pine nuts from the pan and set aside. Cook the peach porridge on all sides, about 2 minutes each. Let cool a little. To finish the salads, place the peaches on the leaves, on top the feta, add the vinaigrette and sprinkle with the pine nuts.

(Recipe by Marketa Kadlecova)

Crispy Lentil and Watermelon Salad

Preparation: 15 minutes – Cooking: 30 minutes

For a contrast of textures, the salad has crunchy lentils, which are prepared in the oven. But if you don’t feel like lighting the fire, that’s okay. Add the simply cooked lentils.

Ingredients (4 people):

200 g beluga lentilshalf a watermelon200 g rocket1 cucumber1 handful mint50 g toasted and salted pistachios4 tablespoons coconut yogurt1 teaspoon olive oila pinch of garlic powdera pinch of onion powdersalt

For the vinaigrette:

4 tablespoons of olive oil 2 tablespoons of Modena vinegar black pepper salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. In a bowl, mix the well-drained lentils with the oil and spices. Pour into a baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes until crisp. Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Cut the watermelon into slices, remove the skin and cut into cubes. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and into half moons. Wash and dry the arugula and the mint.Prepare a simple vinaigrette by mixing the oil with the vinegar and salt.Divide the arugula and the mint leaves in four plates, put the cubed watermelon and cucumber on top, and pour the vinaigrette on top . Sprinkle with the lentils and…