Meatless Monday Recipe: Avocado Corn Salad with Lime Almond Dressing

Meatless Monday Recipe: Avocado Corn Salad with Lime Almond Dressing

By: Lynne Bereza

With spring finally in the air I am finding myself ready for salads again. I’m talking about big, hearty, meal-size salads that have plenty of flavour and can be thrown together in minutes. This one is the latest I’ve tried from Deryn Macey’s Running on Real Food blog. Deryn is a Vancouver blogger I started following shortly after starting my vegan journey and her recipes have been a lifesaver. Her salad recipes are especially delicious, but this one is definitely a new favourite. The combination of greens, chickpeas, roasted corn, avocado, and red onion is topped with tofu feta and a really tasty salad dressing. This dressing has a base of almond butter, which I don’t usually have on hand, but I bought a jar specifically for this recipe and am so glad I did! The way the lime juice and almond butter flavours meld together is so fresh and tangy, I’m sure you will love it too.

Speaking of tofu feta, Deryn says it’s optional, but it’s so simple to make and keeps well – at least 5 days in in the refrigerator – that I say go for it. I know I will be throwing it into other dishes for the rest of the week. Since becoming vegan, feta cheese is one of the few dairy products I miss and this tofu feta is absolutely a spot-on replacement.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE LIME ALMOND DRESSING

3 tbsp almond butter
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

FOR THE TOFU FETA

1 package firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed for at least 30 minutes
1/4 cup each water, fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder

FOR THE SALAD (PER SERVING)

1/4 of an avocado, diced
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/3 of a cucumber, diced
1/2 cup chickpeas
1/2 cup roasted corn (I used frozen corn but fresh or canned would also work)
big handful of mixed field greens, spinach or arugula

INSTRUCTIONS

• To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
• To make the tofu feta, crumble the tofu in a shallow container, add the rest of the ingredients, shake well to combine then let sit for a few hours up to 5 days.
• To make the roasted corn, turn your oven on to broil (500 F) then place the corn on a baking tray and sprinkle with a little chili powder, salt and pepper. Place the tray in the oven close to the top and roast for 5-10 minutes until starting to brown.
• To assemble the salad, start with the greens then add the chopped cucumber, chickpeas, roasted corn, diced red onion, avocado, tofu feta and top with desired amount of dressing.

Note: to press tofu, simply wrap in a couple of paper towels or a dish towel and set a couple of heavy books on top for ½ hour or more.

NUTRITION

Serving Size: 1
Calories: 478
Fat: 22 g
Carbohydrates: 53 g
Fiber: 14 g
Protein: 21 g

Original recipe from: https://runningonrealfood.com/avocado-corn-salad-lime-almond-dressing/

If you like this recipe I encourage you to try these (and other) salad recipes from Deryn’s blog:

https://runningonrealfood.com/vegan-roasted-beet-salad-marinated-chickpeas/
https://runningonrealfood.com/roasted-potato-kale-salad/

Lynne Bereza is a freelance communications specialist and occasional blogger in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Her vegetarian journey began in 2016 and she transitioned to a completely plant-based diet in 2017. When not working Lynne enjoys yoga, trying new vegan recipes, gardening, and spending time with her family. You can find Lynne atwww.breezecommunications.ca.