Honestly y’all, I haven’t been a big fan of salads for a while. For the longest time, I saw them as more of a supplement/something I need to consume because greens are nutritious, but I never really looked forward to them and joked with my husband about how gross they are…until now!
I made this fall salad with apples and candied pecans from Cadry’s Kitchen last week, and it was so good that I already made it again this week, and I made a double batch of the baked apples and pecans so I could have the salad for a few days instead of devouring it all at once. The first time I made it (pictured) I used baby spinach, and the last time I used baby spring mix like you’re supposed to. Both times I somehow forgot to add green onions even though I had some, but they weren’t essential to me, and the latest time I used walnuts instead of pecans because I had a bunch already, which was really good as well.
The salad calls for tofu chèvre from Keepin it Kind, and the chèvre takes the salad to the next level. The mix of sweet and crunchy pecans, apples, tofu cheese, and cider vinaigrette reminds me of the goat cheese salads I used to make and love before going vegan. The chèvre takes a bit of planning and prep since you have to press the tofu overnight, and then let the log set in the fridge for a few hours the next day, but it’s so worth the extra effort. Next time I need to make a double batch of it because it doesn’t last more than a day or two–I end up snacking on it later after the salad either on toast or gluten free crackers. It doesn’t taste exactly how I remember goat cheese tasting (which I’m cool with), but it’s really good and has a similar texture. I also love that’s it’s basically just tofu, so it’s high in protein.
Seriously y’all, this salad is delicious, if you’re a salad fan (or even if you aren’t), you should probably make it ASAP.
Have you made an good salads lately that I should try? Now that I’ve found one I really like, I’m open to experimenting with salads more!