Spinach Salad with Blackened Tofu & 5 Minute Creamy Hummus Dressing

A spinach salad but with summer flavours like pickled jalapeno, roasted corn, zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Paired with the easiest, no blender creamy hummus dressing. I love using hummus for sauces and dressings because it already has so much flavour and needs just a touch of vinegar or sometimes even just water to thin it out to make the creamiest dairy free dressing. 

We don't usually think of spinach for a summer salad, but I like the way it adds depth and grit to the salad like a lettuce just can't. Spinach is such a nutritious ingredient we should be fitting it into our diet all year long anyways! Did you know by adding lemon (or any vitamin C rich fruit or vegetable) to your iron rich ingredients like spinach or beans, increases your bodies ability to absorb the iron? Food pairing is pretty cool.

I'm big on making salads a meal and there's only one way to do that efficiently and that's to add a protein source! For this salad I added a blackened tofu because there is something about a blackened protein that is just so flavourful and satisfying! It's also simple to make and unlike marinades or sauces, the dry spice for blackening the tofu adds next to no calories, keeping this a really healthy, balanced, and meal prep friendly spinach salad option.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

It's well balanced with fibre, healthy fats, and protein.

The dressing takes 5 minutes and you don't even need to mess up a blender.

It's great for meal prep or a quick summer dinner. 

It has all the elements a good salad should have: something pickled, something crunchy, and something creamy.

What You'll Need

Extra firm tofu, or a preferred protein source. You could try tempeh here too!

Hummus for the dressing. I usually go for a pre-made hummus because it makes this coming together so much easier. I also just always have hummus stocked in my fridge because it's up there for my favourite dips or sauces. 

Spinach and vegetables or your choosing! I went for tomato, zucchini, and corn, but you can mix and match your favourites. 

Pumpkin seeds are packed with protein, magnesium, zinc, and iron! But you can of course use whatever nut or seed you have on hand. They're all nutritionally dense!

 

Substitutions

This is a spinach salad, so substituting the spinach for lettuce seems a little silly, but definitely okay if that's your preference. 

If you're soy free you can try a fava bean tofu and make the blackened tofu the exact same! There is also chickpea and lentil tofus out on the market these days, so whatever soy free option you prefer. Alternatively, skip the effort entirely and use a seitan sausage.

I haven't tried this, but I would imagine you could use tahini in stead of hummus for the dressing. It would definitely increase the calories and how rich it is, but tahini mixes well with all the other dressing ingredients. You may just need to add water until you reach a good consistency.

 

Storing For Meal Prep

I use these glass meal prep containers for all my meal prep needs. They keep the food fresh and safe in the fridge for the maximum amount of days. This salad will last in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days, just keep the dressing on the side or at the bottom of the container. 

This was a part of my weekly meal prep series where I also made breakfast oats, a baked pasta for dinner, and chocolate crunch bars for dessert. Want access to weekly high protein vegan meal plans with grocery lists? Join us in Bite Club and I'll send you a new meal plan every Friday!

Please note: All macros have been calculated to the best of my ability but may vary slightly.

Spinach Salad with Blackened Tofu

Recipe makes 4 servings

Macros per serving:

466 cals - 22g fat - 36g carbs - 31g protein 

 

Ingredients:

• 525g extra firm tofu 
• 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon + 4 cups water, or 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp dried parsley 
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt 
• 2 cups chopped zucchini , cut into 1/2 inch rounds 
• 2 cups frozen organic corn kernels
• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes 
• 1 tbsp avocado oil, or preferred cooking oil 
• 8 cups spinach or preferred greens
• 1/2 cup pickled jalapeno slices 
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, I love these regenerative ones from Prana Foods, so chewy!

 

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup pre-made hummus, I buy this one from Costco
• 2 tbsp lemon juice, this is a cheaper way to buy it then squeezing your own lemons and has no sulphites added!
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 2-4 tbsp water

 

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F and prepare one small baking tray and one medium size tray. Set aside.
2. Add vegetable bouillon and water (or vegetable broth) to a pot and bring to a boil.
3. Chop the tofu into mismatched chunks and add to the boiling broth.
4. Boil the tofu in the broth for 15 minutes, then drain.
5. To a mixing bowl add: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, black pepper, and salt. Mix to combine.
6. Add boiled and drained tofu chunks to the seasoning bowl and toss well to coat.
7. Spread the seasoned tofu across the small baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly crispy around the edges. Set aside to cool.
8. Add the chopped zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and frozen corn kernels to the medium size tray and drizzle with 1 tbsp avocado oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then toss well coating the veggies in oil, salt, and pepper.
9. Bake the veggies for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

 

Dressing:

To a bowl or cup add: hummus, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add 1 tbsp at a time water, whisking each time, until desired thickness. The amount of water will depend on which hummus you use, and your personal preference for dressing consistency.

 

Plating:

For meal prep - pour the dressing into the bottom of 4 meal prep containers and layer with pickled jalapeno, tofu, roasted vegetables, spinach, then pumpkin seeds. Seal and refrigerate until ready to eat.

To enjoy right away - layer each bowl with spinach, then roasted vegetables, tofu, pumpkin seeds, pickled jalapenos, then dressing. Toss to combine.

 

 

Let us know in the comments how this recipe went for you! Your comments and reviews help the blog grow, so thank you!