Black Pepper Tofu Quinoa Salad
This black pepper tofu quinoa salad features marinated tofu, quinoa, and crunchy veggies like carrots, cucumber, and spinach. It's healthy and colorful and comes with a bright, herby, and tangy pesto lime dressing!
Ingredients
Baked Tofu
- 7 ounces firm tofu
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Salad
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked
- 1/2 cup cucumber chopped
- 1 carrot shredded
- 1/2 red onion finely diced
- 3-4 sun-dried tomatoes diced
- 1 cup baby spinach
Pesto Dressing
- 5 tbsp vegan pesto
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Baked Tofu
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the tofu into rectangles of about 2x1-inch and 1/2-inch thickness. Alternatively, you can simply cut it into bite-size cubes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and arrange into an even layer, making sure the tofu slices don't overlap each other.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, soy sauce, oil, and black pepper. Generously brush the tofu slices with half of the sauce. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Using a fork, flip each tofu slice and brush with the remaining sauce. Bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Salad
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the quinoa, and cook until tender, according to the package instructions. If you have already cooked quinoa, use about 3 cups.
- Prepare the dressing: in a small bowl, mix the vegan pesto, olive oil, lime juice, maple syrup, garlic, and salt.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the cooked quinoa, chopped cucumber, shredded carrots, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, baby spinach, and baked tofu. Pour in the dressing and stir well to coat everything. Serve at room temperature, or let it chill for about 2 hours in the refrigerator.
- This quinoa salad will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Use leftover quinoa. Instead of cooking quinoa specifically for this salad, you can use leftover quinoa! Not only will it be already cold, but it will also save you time.
- Add dried fruits or nuts. You can add some crunch and extra sweetness by adding nuts like walnuts, almonds, and cashews or dried fruits like raisins or chopped dates.
- Chill in the refrigerator. I recommend refrigerating the salad for at least 2 hours. This will allow flavors to merge and the salad to cool a bit.
- This recipe serves 3 as a main meal or 4-5 as an appetizer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 528 kcal | Carbohydrates: 56.3 g | Protein: 21 g | Fat: 24.7 g | Fiber: 6 g | Sugar: 12.3 g