Lemon-rosemary salad

Easy Vegan’s Lemon-Rosemary Dressing originated as the dressing that brings together our Red Quinoa Salad, but it is a tasty addition to almost any salad! This recipe gives you an outline from which you can create your perfect salad.

start with a grain

Our salad uses 3/4 cups red quinoa. Some other grains you might want to swap in include:

• rice (almost any variety!)

• quinoa

• pasta (we loooovee the idea of a pasta salad with this dressing!)

• barley

Add some veggies

Our salad uses grated carrots, beets, and zucchini - perfect for fall, but less perfect for island-available produce in late winter/early spring. Here’s a list of veggies that we know would go exceptionally well with this dressing:

• Roasted squash - the perfect winter addition! The creamy sweetness of the squash will balance out the acidity of the dressing.

• Avocado - we know we know, these are not locally grown ever, but we still use them here and there because they are so good! The creaminess of the avocado will balance the dressing in the same way the squash will if paired with a slightly sweet veggie too.

• Roasted carrots or parsnips - yum! These add an earthy sweetness - perfect pairing if you’re going the avocado route. Sprinkle a little cumin on either of these to take them up a notch.

• Mild greens. Add spinach, butter lettuce, or some massaged kale for a fresh green pop to your salad.

• Radishes - these will give you a little crunch in there.

add your protein

We use cannellini (white kidney beans) as an added protein in our version. We love a can of beans because they’re so easy, so nutritious, and delicious! Here’s some other options if you’re not feeling like a legume today:

• Crumbled tofu. If you’re looking for a fresher, light feeling salad in the sun, try simply crumbling some tofu on top. This can have a “feta” texture and we think is a really underrated way of using tofu!

• Baked tofu. Feeling more like a “bowl” than a salad and turning the oven on for roasting veggies any way? Tear or cut up your tofu, toss lightly in some oil, nutritional yeast, and thyme and pop in the oven (we usually bake at about 400 F for about 20 minutes).

• Nuts & seeds. A sprinkling of your favourite nut(s) is a great way to add protein and crunch to a salad.

Whew, that’s a lot of options and potential combinations!

We’re so curious what you ended up building! Share your version of the Lemon-Rosemary Salad on socials and tag us @easyvegan.ca!!