Vegan Protein Salad

This healthy vegan protein salad features high-protein ingredients such as tofu, tempeh, chickpeas and hemp seeds and is easy to make for a delicious and filling plant-based meal.

About this Recipe

• high-protein – this meal provides 40 grams of plant-based protein alongside 25 grams of fiber
• dietary features – vegan, nut-free, oil-free and can be gluten-free
• customizable – for a low-carb salad, omit chickpeas and see below for additional substitutions that can be made

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Ingredient Notes

Full ingredient list and amounts is located in the recipe card below. Here are a few helpful notes regarding specific ingredients:

• tempeh – since we’re adding a marinade, plain tempeh is best…if you prefer you can use your favourite prepared packaged tempeh instead of adding your own marinade
• tofu – medium, firm or extra-firm are all suitable
• chickpeas – canned or home cooked both work great, any other bean or lentil would work here if you don’t have chickpeas, I’d suggest cooked green lentils, white kidney beans or black beans
• hemp seeds – swap for sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds) but hemp seeds provide the most protein
• arugula – totally fine to use any other green of choice, if using kale, I’d suggest massaging it with a little olive oil to soften though

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Step by Step Instructions

Step 1. Start with the tempeh and tofu. They can be baked at the same time but ideally you’ll marinade the tempeh for 30 minutes up to 2 hours. If you don’t have time to marinate, you can skip it or just do as long as you have time for.

• For the tempeh, cube it, mix with the marinade ingredients, let sit then bake at 400 F for 20-30 minutes.
• For the tofu, cube it, toss it with the listed tofu ingredients then bake for 30 minutes until browned.

Step 3. Prepare the rest of the ingredients. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse and chop the cucumber and broccoli.

Quick Tip: I prefer to lightly steam the broccoli rather than leave it raw. To steam, bring water to a boil stovetop then use a steamer basket to steam the broccoli for 5 minutes.

Time to assemble your salad! Add everything to bowl, top with tahini and lemon and dig in!

Notes and Tips

• Topping: I love nutritional yeast, sesame seeds, lemon, sea salt, pepper and hot sauce. For additional dressing, make my lemon tahini sauce instead of using plain tahini.
• Breakfast: Believe it or not, this is perfect for a savoury, high-protein vegan breakfast! Start the day right with all this nutrition.
• Tempeh: If you don’t want to do the balsamic tempeh, this almond butter marinated tempeh is amazing!
• Low-Carb Option: For a lower-carb meal with close to the same amount of protein, omit the chickpeas.

Storing

• Best enjoyed fresh but can be packed up and enjoyed the next day. When storing, add the salad greens last so they’re on top (prevents from getting soggy).
• Tofu and tempeh can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in a sealed container in the fridge.
• Cucumber and broccoli can be chopped and stored ahead of time for quicker assembly.

Related Recipes

• Tofu Kale Salad
• Vegan Roasted Beet Salad
• Mediterranean Farro Salad Bowls
• Vegan Roasted Beet Salad
• Tempeh Buddha Bowl

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Update Note: Originally published August 24, 2018. Updated with new photos and text on August 24, 2020.