Orange Ginger Tempeh and Brown Rice Salad with Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette
These healthy, satisfying salad comes together quickly and easily in about 15 minutes. It’s vegan and gluten-free as written, and it’s easily adaptable based on the vegetables you have on hand and need to be used; fresh, frozen, or canned. Use any seasoning or spice blend you enjoy such curry, garlic, onion powder, 21 Salute, Mrs. Dash, etc. and add these to either the vegetables while cooking or to the vinaigrette. Use tofu, beans, chicken or tofu nuggest, pre-cooked chicken strips, meatballs, in place of or in addition to the tempeh. Try making marinade with lemon juice rather than orange juice and I’d add a bit of honey (or agave) for a lemon-honey vinaigrette.
3 ½ to 4cupsdiced vegetable medleyred cabbage, green cabbage, broccoli, carrots, radishes, jicama, green bell peppers, celery
1teaspoonground ginger
1teaspooncumin
generous sprinkling of salt and pepperto taste
optional spices and seasoningscurry, garlic, onion powder, 21 Salute, Mrs. Dash, etc.
1orangehalved
Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette
juice from half of 1 orangeabout 3 tablespoons
1tablespoonbalsamic vinegaror more to taste
1teaspoonground gingeror to taste
1teaspooncuminor to taste
pinchsalt and pepperto taste
pinchsugaroptional and to taste
Instructions
Orange Ginger Tempeh and Brown Rice Salad – To a large non-stick skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the tempeh and sear it over medium-high heat, flipping as needed. Searing will take about 2 minutes. Add tempeh to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
To the skillet (you don’t have to wash it), add 1 tablespoon olive oil and over medium-high heat warm the rice, stirring as needed. Warming will take about 2 minutes.
Add the rice to the mixing bowl with the tempeh and set aside.
To the skillet (you don’t have to wash it), add 2 tablespoons olive oil, add the vegetables, and sprinkle with ginger, cumin, salt and pepper, optional seasonings. Stir to evenly coat the vegetables. Cook over medium to medium high, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until softened but not mushy.
Add the cooked vegetables to the mixing bowl with the rice and tempeh.
Slice half the orange into bite-sized pieces and add to the mixing bowl.
Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette – Over a small bowl, squeeze the juice from the orange halve. Add the remaining dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. ( I prefer more robustly seasoned food and if you don’t, scale back to 1/2 teaspoon each ginger and cumin. Alternately, add other or additional seasonings, to taste.)
Pour dressing over the contents in the mixing bowl, tossing gently to combine. Serve immediately.