Chimichurri Salad with Sesame-Lime Tempeh

This salad is for those of us who love the punchy flavors of garlic, onion, vinegar, and citrus. The creamy avocado, earthy brown rice and savory tempeh tie it all together. Best of all, you can make the rice and tempeh ahead of time, leaving you pr… — This salad is for those of us who love the punchy flavors of garlic, onion, vinegar, and citrus. The creamy avocado, earthy brown rice and savory tempeh tie it all together. Best of all, you can make the rice and tempeh ahead of time, leaving you prepped and ready to go when it’s salad time. (Photo source: Alec Tilly)

| Yield: 2-3 servings | Time: 30 minutes, plus marinade time |

Ingredients

rice

1/2 cup brown rice

1 cup water

tempeh

2 tablespoon avocado or other oil of choice

1 block tempeh

2 tablespoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 large lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)

1/2 orange, juiced (about 3 tablespoons)

2 teaspoons maple syrup

dressing

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/2 orange, juiced (about 3 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

salad

1 large head lettuce, or 4-6 cups mixed lettuce greens

1 carrot

1 small red onion, finely sliced

1/4 small red cabbage, finely sliced

1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 avocado, cubed

Preparation

Marinate the tempeh. Cut the tempeh into cubes, and place in a storage container. Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a bowl and pour over the tempeh. Shake, cover, and leave in the fridge for at least one hour, preferably overnight.

Make the brown rice. Rinse the rice and place in a medium pot with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, the reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook until the water has absorbed, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam with the lid on for 10 minutes before fluffing the rice with a fork. Set aside.

Cook the tempeh. Place the avocado oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the tempeh cubes, reserving the leftover marinade liquid. Cook the tempeh for 3-5 minutes per side to sear all around, then add the remaining marinade. Stir occasionally, letting it bubble and cook off, until the tempeh is nicely glazed. Set aside.

Make the dressing. Finely mince the garlic, and add to a small bowl or small glass jar with the olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Whisk or cover and shake to combine, set aside.

Prepare the salads. Tear apart the lettuce into individual serving bowls. Use a vegetable peeler to create carrot ribbons. Distribute the carrot ribbons, onion slices, cabbage slices, parsley, and cilantro evenly among the bowls. Distribute the brown rice evenly among the bowls, the toss each bowl with an equal amount of dressing.

Top each salad with an equal portion of the reserved tempeh and cubed avocado.

Zero waste tips

Put the vegetables straight into your shopping bag to avoid plastic, or reuse plastic you already have at home. This is easily done at your local farmers market.
Reuse glass containers and jars for salad dressings and other sauces. Recycle when you have too many.
Buy grains, beans, and spices from the bulk section of a grocery store with your own container. You can even do this with oils and vinegars at some places. If inaccessible, buy in large bulk containers — this is cheaper in the long run anyway.
Make pesto with a combination of the leftover herbs.
Compost whatever scraps you can’t use — yes, you can even do this in a small urban apartment!