Wow, where did summer go?! I’ve been holding on to the last of it with my smoothie bowls and salads, and here’s my last ditch effort at preserving summer. What makes this salad special is that Napa cabbage is the main star. It’s crunchy and delicious when shredded, and is a great calcium source that often gets overshadowed by calcium-rich kale and bok choy. This Baked Tempeh Asian Cabbage Salad with Ginger Sesame Dressing is simple to prepare and uses fermented Apple Cider Vinegar as a base (also see Beet Apple and Kale Salad with Walnuts and Dill) which is something we could all eat a little bit more of. I hope you love this salad as much as I do. Here’s to finishing dinner while the suns still up.
“Napa cabbage, also known as Sui Choy, is a relatively good source of calcium with 60mg per cup when raw. It’s low oxalate content makes this source of calcium more bioavailable and easily absorbed”
Getting your calcium intake from greens may or may not be as hard as you think. Most of us need about 1000mg of Calcium per day and we can get our day’s supply of calcium from 3 oranges, a very large salad (three cups each of kale, napa cabbage and romaine lettuce), three tablespoons of sesame tahini, one-half cup of almonds and 5 figs. If you like seaweed or tofu then maximising calcium sources is even easier (see 10 Surprisingly Non Dairy Sources of Calcium and Maximising Calcium on a Dairy Free Diet). If your looking for more ways to use sesame tahini in recipes, try these other favourite salad recipes Summer Tofu Salad Bowl with Savoury Dressing and Japanese Salad Bowls with Miso Tahini Dressing.
I love using apple cider vinegar in salad dressings, like in the baked tempeh salad, and I’ve talked about the benefits of using fermented foods in other posts including 5 Ways To A Healthy Gut, 3 Tips To Maximize Gut Health and 5 Tips On How To Improve Gut Health Naturally – Prebiotics, Probiotics and Fermented Foods. Make sure your apple cider vinegar is unpasteurized to access all the live and friendly bacteria. I hope your enjoy this Baked Tempeh Asian Cabbage Salad with Ginger Sesame Dressing, enjoy the rest of your summer and see you when the leaves are yellow.
Asian Cabbage Salad with Tempeh and Ginger Sesame Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 packages (450g total) tempeh organic
- 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari organic
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 4 cups Napa cabbage finely shredded
- 4 small carrots grated
- 1 red pepper deseeded and finely sliced
- 4 green onion sliced thinly on a diagnoal
- 1 cup cilantro roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews*
- 1/4 cup pepitas or sunflower seeds optional
For the dressing
- 1 " cube (or 1 tbsp) ginger finely diced
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar unpasteurized
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp honey raw
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari organic
- 1/3 cup water
- squeeze lime juice optional
Instructions
- First cube the tempeh and let marinade in the soy sauce or tamari, sesame oil and rice vinegar for at least 10 minutes.
- Prepare all the ingredients for the salad and mix together in a large bowl. Top with nuts and seeds.
- To cook the tempeh, heat a medium frying pan to medium heat. Remove the tempeh from the marinade and fry for about 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Pour the leftover marinade over the tempeh while cooking.
- While the tempeh is cooking, make the dressing by placing all the ingredients in a magic bullet and blend until well combined. Alternatively put all ingredients in a mason jar with a tightly closed lid and shake until well combined.
- To serve, place the salad into individual bowls, add dressing and top with hot tempeh. Enjoy!
Notes
Add more protein: Sprinkle salad with 2 extra tbsp hemp seeds per serving.
Omit the soy: Serve salad with 2 boiled eggs per serving in place of tempeh, use Braggs Aminos or Coconut Aminos in place of soy sauce.
Nutrition
Rachel Dickens, The Conscious Dietitian, is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She graduated with her Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2010 from Griffith University. She strives to provide evidence-based nutrition information with a focus on plant-based nutrition and share some of her favourite seasonal recipes and sustainable eating tips.
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