This 15-Minute Vegan Chopped Salad with Smoked Tofu is about to be your go-to lunch or light dinner! It’s packed with protein and fiber from canned chickpeas and smoked tofu that we use straight from the package, tossed in my quick, garlicky herby vinaigrette and comes together FAST. Fresh, flavorful, and shockingly easy!
Say goodbye to boring salads and hello to your new favorite lunch: this actually tasty Vegan Chopped Salad!
It’s tossed in my quick, garlicky herb vinaigrette that comes together in minutes and makes every bite totally irresistible!
What I love most as a Registered Dietitian is that it’s the kind of salad you ACTUALLY look forward to eating: hearty enough to keep you full, crunchy and briny in all the best ways, and only takes 15 minutes to make! Oh, and did I mention it’s perfect for meal prep?!
Plus, if you’ve got extra sun-dried tomatoes on hand, don’t miss my 20-Minute Pasta Salad with Sundried Tomato Pesto to use them up in the most delicious way!
Sweet, Slightly Spicy, Briney Goodness!
This vegan chopped salad is a party in every bite: briny olives bringing the briney-ness, pepperoncini turning up the heat, sundried tomatoes adding a pop of sweetness, and romaine delivering that epic fresh crunch.
Because everything’s finely chopped, you get a little bit of everything in every single forkful. Finish it off with a cheesy sprinkle of nutritional yeast and a herby dressing that ties it all together. It’s basically an Italian grinder salad gone vegan, and it couldn’t be more delicious!
Never Used Smoked Tofu?
Not to fear, it literally couldn’t be easier to use as an ingredient! It’s basically pre-seasoned smoked tofu that you buy as-is from the grocery store in the same refrigerated section as regular tofu. You can use it straight from the package, no cooking required!
Now, I have also tested this recipe by baking the smoked tofu, and while I love it that way as well, you seriously can’t beat the ease of adding the smoked tofu straight from the package!
Can’t find smoked tofu? No problem! I’ve also tested this recipe using my super delicious Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets instead of smoked tofu, and it’s equally as scrumptious!
A Complete Meal on Its Own!
Whenever I’m mixing up a new and delicious salad recipe in the kitchen, I want to make sure it’s as nutritious as possible, while obviously still tasting amazing!
The best part about this chopped salad recipe is it’s a well-balanced main dish recipe on its own, since it’s packed with plant-based protein, delicious, crunchy veggies, fiber from the chickpeas and healthy fats in the dressing, so you don’t have to worry about pairing it with anything else!
That said, I have been known to serve this up with my Healthy Grilled Teriyaki Tofu Skewers and it’s definitely a winning combo!
Let’s Get Chopping!
15-Minute Vegan Chopped Salad with Smoked Tofu
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 batch The Best Herby Salad Dressing with Apple Cider Vinegar you may not need all of it
- 1 romaine heart finely shredded (about 5-6 cups shredded romaine)
- ½ English cucumber diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut into quarters
- 1/4 medium red onion small dice (about ¾ cup diced red onion)
- 1 cup of cooked chickpeas I used canned that were drained and rinsed
- 90 g of smoked tofu cubed, or about 1/2 block
- 1/2 cup pitted olives chopped fine, I use green olives
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers stems removed and chopped fine
- 3 sundried tomatoes minced
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Make a half batch of The Best Herby Salad Dressing with Apple Cider Vinegar. You can also make a full batch and save the rest for leftovers!
- In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, chickpeas, smoked tofu, pitted olives, pepperoncinis, sundried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, aslt and pepper. Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad 1-2 tbsp at a time until it's dressed to your liking. Enjoy!
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