Miso Kale Salad with Roasted Tofu and Walnuts
Do you know what this is?
This is the best kale salad of your life. For realz. And, there’s a strong possibility that it’s the best salad in general, ever.
I’ve been making variations of this salad for a while now, but this is my favorite iteration, yet. It’s savory, slightly sweet, salty, umami-y (wait…does umami already have the “-y” in it? lol), and just basically hits your tastebuds in all the right places.
If you think you don’t like tofu, roast it like this and put it in this salad, and I will not believe you if you say you still don’t like it. Buuuuut if you just altogether refuse to eat it (*ahem* like Mikey), you could replace it with chicken, or leave it out altogether.
I think the ingredient that makes this salad absolute perfection is the cheese. (Sorry vegans, the salad will still be good without it…just not mind-blowingly so…) It adds a texture and flavor that just kinda round everything out. I like to use a grated blend of parmigiano reggiono and pecorino romano that I get from a local grocer that grates the cheeses themselves. I highly recommend using the real deal cheese instead of that weird, powdered stuff in the green can. Makes allllll the difference!
The walnuts are another key component because they offer a delicious crunch, plus they pair super well with the miso for some reason. I don’t even bother toasting mine, but toasted would be yummy too.
The best thing about kale salads is that they are still great 1, and even 2 days later due to the hearty leafy green.
I like to get a little creative with my leftovers, and the absolute best way I’ve found to enjoy this salad as something a little different is inside lightly buttered, and warmed-in-a-pan tortillas. It’s like little kale salad tacos! They’d also make awesome wraps 🙂
PrintMiso Kale Salad with Roasted Tofu and Walnuts
Yield: 4ish servings
Ingredients:
for the tofu:
- 14 oz. package extra-firm tofu, drained
- 2 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp light miso paste (I like using a chickpea miso that is soy-free)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- freshly-ground pepper
for the dressing & salad:
- 1 head lacinato kale
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp light miso paste (I like using a chickpea miso that is soy-free)
- 2 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (I use a freshly grated mixture of parmigiano region and pecorino romano)
Directions:
for the tofu:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
- Cut the tofu block in half lengthwise then into equal squares.
- In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Add in the tofu squares and gently toss to coat. Place the tofu on your baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Then flip the tofu squares over and bake for another 10 minutes. Set aside.
for the dressing & salad:
- Wash your kale. Remove the stem from the center of each leaf. If you pinch from the bottom and follow the leaf up, it should be super simple to strip the tender part off the stalk. Lay 3 to 4 stem-less leaves on top of each other at a time, roll up, and thinly slice (basically you're chiffonading the kale). Add the sliced kale to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, miso, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. While continuing to whisk, add in the olive oil in a stream.
- Pour the dressing over the kale and then get in there with your hands and massage it for a minute of two. Add in the cheese and walnuts, and toss to coat. Add the tofu on top.
recipe adapted from here (she has so many gems on her site!)
P.S. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway that I posted yesterday!
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This salad is amazing. It’s the greatest salad I’ve tasted in a long time… savory, salty, oddly sweet? And the cheese does really make it. And the tofu… I could just eat it straight. I made it a few weeks ago and since I still have miso paste left over, I am going to make it again. Usually salads leave me wanting more but this one is really satisfying. Thanks for the recipe!
Rachael replied: — February 24th, 2015 @ 4:52 pm
I’m SO glad you love it as much as I do! Is it not life-changing!? I’m way too obsessed with it!
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This salad is everything good! Thank you so much!
Rachael replied: — May 31st, 2015 @ 8:38 pm
You’re welcome, Erin! I hope you love it as much as I do!