Mustard-Rosemary Tempeh Salad
It’s here, my friends. Salad weather. You might want to prepare yourself – because it’s only 30 days and counting ’til my first CSA delivery of the season.
And that means my fridge will soon be bursting with a bushel of salad-perfect veggies EVERY week. The fresh lettuces, the baby greens, the arugula, the tetragonia and beet greens and carrot tops and… and it’s going to be delicious.
But all that organic salad goodness is still a month away. Sigh. Well, who says we can’t start practicing now?
This salad – much like Meg’s last pasta dish – was originally created from the random occupants of my fridge one day.
The cool, creamy avocado turned out to be a great match for the tangy mustard the tempeh cooks in. So good in fact, I’ve made this simple salad ever since.
Mustard-Rosemary Tempeh Salad
8 oz. tempeh (one package of LightLife Soy tempeh will do it), sliced into about 3-inch strips
3 Tbs Dijon-style mustard, plus more to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
1 ripe avocado
Baby spinach (grab enough to fill two big salad bowls)
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1. Coat the sliced tempeh well with the mustard. Don’t feel like you must stick to the recipe – use as much mustard as you need to give the tempeh a thick coating. Set aside.
2. Mince your garlic and heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. When it’s heated, add the garlic and rosemary and sauté, stirring, for about one minute.
3. Add the tempeh and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and the mustard seeds start popping. If the tempeh begins to stick, add a little more olive oil.
4. While the tempeh is cooking, cut open the avocado and cut it into wedges. Set aside.
5. Place spinach in two bowls, and lay the cooked tempeh on top. Add the red onion, and top with the avocado slices.
Serves 2
