Spinach Salad Recipe with Kale and Fried Tofu
Use Spinach to Increase the Nutrient Content of Your Salads
Mar 4, 2009
For many people, salads are synonymous with iceberg lettuce, which has a nice, crisp taste and texture, but offers very little in the way of vitamins or minerals. Why not substitute that iceberg lettuce with other leafy greens that have higher nutrient content? Spinach and kale are two great options that will increase a salad’s nutrient content while adding a unique flavour.
Spinach is a Super Food
Spinach is somewhat of a super food, packed with a high concentration of beta-carotene, folate (vitamin B9), iron, and vitamins A, B, C, and K. Spinach also has a reasonable amount of vitamin E and calcium. Kale is a great source of beta-carotene and vitamins A and C.
Ingredients for the Ultimate Spinach Salad Recipe:
- 1/2 bunch spinach
- 1/2 bunch kale
- 1 large avocado
- 1/4 cup flax seeds
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 red pepper
- 1 tomato
- 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
- 150g tofu
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Directions:
- Chop the tofu into small strips or cubes and put in a frying pan with sesame seeds, soy sauce, and about one teaspoon of olive oil. Stir fry until slightly browned. Set aside to cool.
- Cut the avocado, red pepper, and tomato into small pieces and put in a large salad bowl with the flax seeds, hemp seeds, cranberries, olive oil, and vinegar. Stir well.
- Wash spinach and kale and tear into bite-size pieces.
- Mix everything together in a large salad bowl.
- Enjoy
- Throw all vegetable waste into your worm composter.
Do Spinach Salads Need Dressing?
The above spinach salad recipe really doesn’t need dressing. The combination avocado, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and feta cheese is more than enough. Nothing spoils the crisp and refreshing taste of a fresh spinach salad like a blob of creamy salad dressing.
Adding Protein to Salads
Adding protein to salads is a great way to balance your meal. This spinach salad recipe uses tofu (soy protein), but there are many other ways to increase the protein content of a salad. A few ideas:
- grilled chicken breast
- hard-boiled eggs
- cashews
- bacon (fatty!)
A Note About Washing Spinach
Unless it’s pre-washed, spinach tends to be very sandy straight off the shelf. Just rinsing it under running water doesn’t usually do the trick. The best way to wash spinach is to fill a large bowl with water, dunk the spinach, stir it around a bit, and then spin it dry. The sand and grit will sink to the bottom of the bowl.
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