Warm Weather Salads Fit to be Meals

Hot summer days and salads go naturally together, and just about any ingredient can be incorporated into a salad.

Start with fresh greens and keep flavors on the tart side. Citrus or vinegar can set the tone, along with oil. Not much oil is needed — just enough to make the dressing cling to the salad ingredients. You can cut back on oil by adding more vinegar and water with a small amount of sweetener to balance the tart tones.

Composed or layered salads begin with lettuce or greens and include vegetables, fruit, hearty foods such as tofu or beans, and a garnish. Use an assortment of vegetables and fruits, dry or fresh, and keep it simple. For vibrant colors, layer sliced tomatoes, carrots, peppers, beets, radicchio, or red cabbage. For texture contrasts, try crispy carrots, toasted nuts, or crunchy croutons and soft avocados, marinated tofu, or roasted asparagus.

Serve your salad with crusty bread, or crackers, chips and dip. Vegan cheese, nuts, seeds, marinated tofu, barbecue tempeh, rinsed canned beans, or quinoa can make an infinite variety of salads.

Shiitake mushrooms add intriguing texture and deepen the flavor of this salad. You can also use button mushrooms if shiitake are not available.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, stir and cook until the mushrooms soften. (Button mushrooms will release liquid before they are done.)

Pour in olive oil and add shallot or onion. Stir and cook until shallot or onion begins to brown. Add pickled peppers, stir, and cook for a few minutes. Remove from heat. Add quinoa. Stir in balsamic vinegar.

In a large bowl gently mix mushrooms, quinoa, and celery. Gently blend in lettuce. Serve topped with vegan cheese and cashews.

The first potatoes of the season, new potatoes are delicate, slightly sweet, and tender. These potatoes are small with thin skins; take care not to overcook them. See the cover of this issue for a photo of this salad.

Steam potatoes just until tender. Do not overcook. While potatoes cook, combine wine or vinegar, olive oil, vegan aioli, and mustard in a small bowl. When potatoes are done, rinse under cold water.

Place potatoes in a large bowl and combine with cherry peppers, onion, kidney beans, and salad greens. Pour dressing over all and gently mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together olive oil, mustard, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl. Place bread in a medium mixing bowl and pour olive oil and mustard mixture over it. Mix well, then put bread on a baking sheet and toast. Turn once or twice, until golden and dry, 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Gently toss spinach, onions, and kidney beans in a medium-size bowl. In another small bowl, blend vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, and agave nectar. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste. Toss croutons and salad dressing with beans, onions, and greens before serving.

Place black beans, corn, and tomatoes in a medium-size bowl. Whisk together lime juice, vinegar, sugar, olive oil, cumin, garlic, jalapeño, and salt. Pour over bean mixture and stir. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Serve over chopped Romaine or spinach. Top with avocado and tortilla chips.

This version of 3-bean salad contains less sugar than commercial variations. Paired with arugula, this salad is one of the most nutritious salads around. If you can't find arugula, use spinach or chopped baby kale.

Steam fresh green beans for 10 minutes or until tender. Place garbanzo and kidney beans in a serving bowl. When green beans are tender, rinse with cold water, drain and add them to the garbanzo and kidney beans.

Whisk together mustard, agave nectar, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil until smooth and creamy. Add onions and herbs; then add salt and pepper to taste. Gently blend dressing with beans and arugula.

This salad can be made with marinated tofu from a natural foods store. Dice it, or make your own marinated tofu with the recipe below.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, stir and cook until they soften. Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook as directed. Drain and rinse when the noodles are slightly underdone.

While noodles cook, combine dark sesame oil, rice vinegar, tamari or soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and crushed red pepper flakes. Whisk until well blended. Gently toss with noodles, red pepper, carrots, celery, marinated tofu, and kale. Season to taste with smoked sea salt and pepper.

Make any salad more substantial with this marinated tofu.

Sauté tofu cubes in a nonstick pan in canola oil over medium heat, and cook for 10-12 minutes or until tofu begins to brown. Turn tofu and cook for 5-10 minutes. Turn again when bottom begins to brown. Remove and drain on a towel.

While tofu cooks, whisk together vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, chili powder, tamari or soy sauce, and olive oil. Place tofu in a glass bowl with a lid, and pour the marinade over the tofu. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Hint: To infuse the flavors, turn the tofu a few times so all sides are coated with the marinade.

Make the lemon-cashew dressing in the morning, and serve this green salad as a main dish later. Toast flax seeds in the oven at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes. Chop fresh or leftover veggies to add to this line-up if you want. Toasted seeds add texture and red cabbage brings color.

Preheat grill. Place eggplant, zucchini, and pepper in a grill basket. Baste with vinaigrette. Grill vegetables for about 8 minutes on each side. When peppers are charred on the outside and eggplant and zucchini are done, remove from heat and let cool. Chop vegetables before adding them to the salad.

Combine greens, red cabbage, garbanzo beans, and pickles; toss. Serve by layering with roasted vegetables and 2 Tablespoons dressing per serving. Sprinkle seeds over the top and garnish with avocado slices.

Look for chia seeds in the natural foods section of your supermarket or in natural foods stores.

Soak cashews in apple cider for a few hours or overnight. Place cashews, cider, lemon juice, chia seeds, garlic, onions, and dill in a blender. Purée until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for a few hours. Add water, if needed, to thin.

Calculated as 1 serving = 2 Tablespoons