A few years ago I took a trip to the South of France, where I spent three glorious days in Nice. I stayed in a small apartment that we rented on AirBNB, right in the center of the city. It was a magical trip; the weather was amazing, the city buzzed with positive energy and the food…oh the food. It was beyond delicious!

Back then I wasn’t following a plant-based lifestlye, so my staple while we were there was Nicoise salads. They were almost always topped with seared tuna, a hard boiled and some cheese. Tasty, but that doesn’t really fit in my current lifestlye.

So today I’m sharing my plant-powered version of that classic French recipe and giving you this Tofu Salad Nicoise!

This felt like the perfect dish to end #saladweek with because it’s flavorful, simple, and looks pretty darn fancy. Maybe you’ll even make it for that dinner party you’re hosting this weekend? I can’t decide which is my favorite; the Asian Quinoa Power Salad and Vegan Cobb Salad are definitely right there with this one!

They all would certainly be crowd pleasers, but for this one since it seems more elegant, I’d say bring this. And no one would ever know it takes a few simple steps to put together.

We start our salad with the tofu; it’s just my basic recipe for baked tofu with a slight twist. All you’ll need is a block of extra firm tofu, which you will slice into “steaks”, then simply drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle with dried herbs, salt and pepper and pop them in the oven.

If you’ve never made baked tofu before, you’re going to die. It’s seriously the best thing ever. It gets crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and has this soft, almost pillowy texture to it. It absorbs flavors like nothing else and each bite kind of oozes with dressing. Gosh it’s so tasty!

Then for the other toppings, we’re keeping it pretty straightforward. Cherry tomatoes, green beans and olives.

I realized after I put this video together that I also wanted to include roasted potatoes, but I totally spaced. They definitely aren’t necessary, but I do think they would be a wonderful addition. They would also help bulk it up a bit if you wanted to enjoy this as a standalone meal.

But potatoes aside, this salad is everything. It’s light, flavorful and protein packed, and tastes like a healthier version of the classic. Which by now I’m sure you can tell, remaking classics with a healthy twist is something I absolutely LOVE doing!

And there we have it, friends! Salad Week is officially coming to a close and I’m going to take a nap This series was SUPER fun to put together for you and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! If you want to see more themed weeks like this, let me know in the comments!

xo Alyssa

Tofu Salad Nicoise

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

40 mins

Author: Alyssa Rimmer

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley/basil
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 6 - 8 cups chopped greens
• 2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes
• 2 cups green beans, lightly steaming is optional
• 1 cup chopped kalamata olives
• 1 batch Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
2. Slice the tofu into four equal steaks. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle half the hers on top and rub this mixture over the tofu to evenly coat. Flip and repeat with remaining oil and spices.
3. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, flipping halfway through until tofu is golden brown and crispy. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.
4. Assemble the salad by separating the remaining ingredients equally across four bowls. Slice each piece of tofu into strips and arrange on top. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 353 Fat: 25.5 Carbohydrates: 20.6 Sugar: 5.1 Protein: 19

3.5.3208

Check out what else we’ve shared for #SALADWEEK!

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