High-Protein Vegan Salad Bowl
on Aug 09, 2023, Updated Apr 21, 2026
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This high protein vegan salad packs 31g of plant-based protein per serving from tofu, tempeh, chickpeas and hemp seeds. It’s a combination I land on when I want something filling and nutrient-dense. The arugula and broccoli base keeps it light while the baked tofu and marinated tempeh add plenty of protein. I’ve been making versions of this since 2018 and it’s still in my regular weekly rotation.
Featured Review
Lindsay
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is not just one of my favorite salads but one of my all time favorite recipes! It’s such a delicious, healthy, easy combo.
🔍 Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Servings: 4
Nutrition: 596 calories | 31g protein | 14g fibre
Diet: Vegan, gluten-free option, dairy-free.
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients and Substitutions
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Tempeh: Since we’re adding a marinade, plain tempeh is best though if you prefer you can use your favourite prepared packaged tempeh instead of adding your own marinade
- Tofu: Use firm or extra-firm are all suitable. If you don’t have both tofu and tempeh, you can double one or the other.
- 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. Edamame would also work well.
- Hemp Seeds: Swap for sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds) but hemp seeds provide the most protein. Pecans, almonds or walnuts also work well.
- Arugula: Substitute any green such as spinach, baby spinach, kale, mixed greens, etc. If you’re using kale, I’d suggest massaging it with a little olive oil to soften.
- Maple Syrup: Honey (not vegan) or agave syrup are suitable substitutes.
- Soy Sauce: Use gluten-free tamari if you need the recipe to be gluten-free.
- Avocado: Optional but delicious!
Protein Sources in this Salad
This salad gets to 31g of plant-based protein per serving by combining four high-protein ingredients rather than relying on one, plus some extra protein coming in from the broccoli. Here’s how it breaks down:
- Tempeh contributes the most protein per gram of any ingredient here. Roughly 11g per 85g serving. It’s a fermented soy food with a firm, chewy texture that holds up well to baking and absorbs the balsamic marinade deeply. Don’t skip marinating it, even for 20 minutes.
- Tofu adds around 10g of protein per 100g of firm tofu. Pressing it before baking removes moisture so it crisps up properly in the oven. The cornstarch coating helps with this too.
- Chickpeas contribute approximately 5g of protein per ¼ cup serving. They also add fibre, slow-digesting carbohydrates, and texture.
- Hemp seeds are the most efficient protein source by volume, 3 tablespoons adds around 10g of protein with no prep. They have a mild, slightly nutty flavour that blends into the salad without overpowering it. If you substitute with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, the protein contribution drops but you’ll still get healthy fats.
Together these four ingredients form a complete amino acid profile, meaning you’re getting all nine essential amino acids in one bowl.
Variations and Addition
- Tempeh: This garlic herb marinated tempeh or almond butter marinated tempeh make a yummy alternative to the balsamic tempeh.
- Tofu: Try this spicy baked tofu, sweet chili tofu or bbq tofu.
- Low-Carb Option: For a lower-carb meal with close to the same amount of protein, omit the chickpeas.
- Roasted Chickpeas: For crunch, try these roasted chickpeas instead of plain chickpeas.
- More Carbs: For a heartier bowl with more carbohydrates, add up to 1/2 cup roasted butternut squash, roasted sweet potato or a grain like brown rice or quinoa.
- Cauliflower: Try roasted cauliflower instead of or in addition to the broccoli. You could also add this buffalo cauliflower or burrito-style cauliflower.
- Additional Veggies: Other veggies that work well in this salad a are roasted Brussels sprouts, grated carrot, snap peas, red or green cabbage, green beans, tomato or radish.
- Additional Texture & Flavour: Experiment with bold ingredients like dried cranberries, capers, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, pickled red onion or olives.
- Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
How to Make a High-Protein Vegan Salad
Step 1. Prep the tofu and tempeh. It’s optional to press the tofu and marinate the tempeh for 20-30 minutes before baking. If you don’t have time, you can skip it or just do as long as you have time for.
To make the tempeh, cube it and mix it with the marinade ingredients. If marinating, let is sit for 20-30 minutes, tossing occasionally. In the meantime, add the block to tofu to tofu press or fold it between a dish cloth and place a heavy object on it.
Step 2. When you’re ready to bake, cube the tofu and mix it with the soy sauce (or tamari), garlic powder and and a pinch of pepper.
Quick Tip: Add 1 tbsp cornstarch to the the tofu mixture for a crispy baked finish!
Step 3. Transfer the tofu and tempeh cubes to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for about 30 minutes until browned.
The tofu will get crispy and the tempeh will have a browned but gooey coating.
Step 4. Prepare the rest of the ingredients.
If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them. I used 1/4 cup chickpeas per serving (1 cup total) but you can use more or less to suit your nutritional needs.
There’s about 1.5 cups in 15 oz can, so if you want to use them all up, go ahead and use the whole can.
Chop up the cucumber and broccoli and gather your greens and hemp seeds.
Step 5. Prepare a dressing. You have the option to prepare a salad dressing of choice or just use some tahini and lemon to top your salad.
Best Dressings for this Salad
- Maple Dijon Dressing: Sweet and tangy, just 4 simple ingredients, oil-free.
- Almond Satay Sauce: No blending needed, just a few simple ingredients.
- Tahini Ranch Dressing: Tahini sauce with herbs.
- Lemon Tahini Dressing: Classic lemon tahini sauce.
- Balsamic Dressing: Balsamic vinaigrette with simple ingredients.
- Zesty Italian Dressing: Tangy herb dressing, no blending needed!
- Miso Tahini Dressing: Delicious umami tahini dressing with miso paste.
My first choice is the Maple Dijon, the sweetness balances the peppery arugula and the tangy balsamic tempeh perfectly and it’s also very easy to make. Other than that, any of the tahini sauce options work well!
Step 6. Time to assemble your salad! Prepare 4 bowls and start with a handful of greens, then divide the rest of the ingredients evenly between servings.
Drizzle each with tahini, hot sauce and lemon, or a salad dressing of choice.
Deryn’s Testing Notes
- The key things I’ve learned: don’t skip marinating the tempeh even for 20 minutes, the cornstarch on the tofu is worth it for the crispy texture, and the maple dijon dressing is the best match for the balsamic tempeh flavour.
- The cornstarch is optional but adds a crispy coating to the tofu. I’ve skipped it and the tofu will be softer but still taste good!
- I prefer to assemble each serving separately so the ingredients are evenly divided but you can also just mix everything up in a large bowl and serve from there.
- 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.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, double the tofu instead. The protein count will drop slightly (tempeh has more protein per gram than tofu) but the salad will still be well over 20g protein per serving.
Sure! Any beans or lentils can be substituted for the chickpeas.
Yes, swap the soy sauce for gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos in both the tofu seasoning and the tempeh marinade. Everything else in the recipe is naturally gluten-free. Check your mustard label if you’re coeliac.
Any green works, such as spinach, baby spinach, Swiss chard, mixed greens, or kale. If you use kale, chop it finely and massage it with 1 teaspoon of olive oil first to soften the texture. Arugula is my preference because the pepperiness stands up to the strong flavours of the tempeh and tofu, but spinach is the most neutral option if you want a milder salad and kale holds up best if you’re making this ahead of time.
31g of plant-based protein per serving, coming from tempeh, tofu, hemp seeds and chickpeas. It’s a complete protein combination so you’re getting all nine essential amino acids in one bowl.
Meal Prep and Storage
- Meal Prep Tip: Add greens last so they’re on top or keep them to the side to prevent them from getting soggy. You’ll also want to leave the avocado off until you’re ready to eat your salad.
- The assembled salads can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
- It’s recommended to store the dressing separately and leave the avocado off until just before serving.
- Let the tofu and tempeh cool before sealing and storing.
- 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.
If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
More Recipes to Try!
High-Protein Vegan Salad
Ingredients
For the Marinated Tempeh
- 250 g block tempeh, cubed
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 60 ml
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari, 30 ml
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup, 30 ml
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- pinch of salt and pepper
For the Baked Tofu
- 350 g block firm or extra-firm tofu
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp cornstarch, optional for crispier tofu
For the Salad
- 4 cups chopped and lightly steamed broccoli
- 4 cups or big handful of fresh arugula, spinach or mixed salad greens
- 2 cups diced cucumber
- 8 tbsp hemp seeds, 1-2 tbsp per salad
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- tahini for drizzling over top or 1 batch maple dijon dressing or lemon tahini dressing
- fresh lemon, for serving
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- To make the marinated tempeh, mix the marinade ingredients together in shallow dish then add the cubed tempeh. Let sit for 20-30 minutes. Option to press tofu during this time. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Once it's baked, spoon any remaining marinade over the cubes.
- To make the baked tofu, toss the cubed tofu with the soy sauce, garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cornstarch if using and toss again. Transfer to a parchment-paper lined baking pan and bake at 400 F for 20-30 minutes until browed. You can bake it at the same time as the tempeh.
- You can leave the broccoli raw but it's suggested to steam it. Bring water to a boil then add the broccoli in a steamer basked, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- If you're making a dressing for the salad, prepare that now.
- Prepare 4 bowls with a handful of arugula or other greens of choice. Divide the rest of the ingredients between the 4 servings. Drizzle each with tahini and lemon or a dressing of choice and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published August 24, 2018.
I made it with kale! Delicious!
This is not just one of my favorite salads but one of my all time favorite recipes! It’s such a delicious, healthy, easy combo.
Thanks so much, Lindsay! I’m honoured!
Delicious and makes you feel good too.
Thanks, Amanda!
Love this recipe you fill so good after eating it thanks for sharing 😃
Wow! This one is worth it for the tempeh recipe alone! This was the only time I’ve ever cooked tempeh and enjoyed it!!! I have been taking this salad to work everyday (keeping greens separate as advised) this week and it’s been great. I paired it with the Lemon Tahini dressing that is linked, which is also very good. If I could give this receipe 100 stars I would!
Thanks so much! So glad you loved it and thank you very much for the review.
For the tofu, what ingredient is 2 TBs?
I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you mean but the ingredient that calls for 2 tbsp is soy sauce.
Fabulous recipe, very filling and just what I need for someone out of hospital. Lots to protein!! Made it a couple of time now, never fails.
We changed up the recipe just a bit, we just went with Tofu in place of both. Was still delicious. I have yet to find a recipe that was not on the site!!
Thank you, Jason! Glad it was enjoyed!