All the deliciousness of a big tasty chopped salad bowl, but in the cutest little jars to suit your on-the-go lifestyle. Guys these Easy Vegan High Protein Salad Jars are the bomb dot com! Packed with all your fav sources of natural plant based protein (hello crispy tofu!!), and a rainbow of yummy veggies.
O-M-G the lemon coriander herby hummus dressing is so good, you’re going to want to drink it! These salad jars are super simple, fun, and delicious. I’m so excited to share them with you.
Crispy all the way
I don’t know about you guys, but i am crispy texture OBSESSED. I joke that I won’t eat something unless it’s been crisped up within an inch of its life, but I’m starting to think it’s not a joke anymore…its just 100% true! Whether you’re as crisp-happy as me or not, you still just can’t beat some crispy texture magic in salads. It will take your high protein salad jars from sad and mushy to being the lunch envy of everyone around!
Now guys I couldn’t call myself the crispy connoisseur if I didn’t have the best cooking methods for achieving that perfect texture absolutely nailed. And I’m about to share with you my all-time top tips, so buckle up and get ready for some serious crisp action!
My Top Tips
Call me old school, but I’m an oven girl all the way. Don’t get me wrong, I love an air-fryer for when you need to be quick, but I just find the oven method is so much simpler. It just has that edge when it comes to crisping up your tofu, chickpeas and lentils. Honestly guys I think I would just be totally lost without my oven (and my big bottle of olive oil). I know they say that diamonds are a girls best friend…but mine? It’s gotta be the oven!
The recipe for fool proof crispy tofu and chickpeas is simple. Pre-heat the oven so its nice and hot, don’t over crowd the trays, and of course a good drizzle of olive oil. Voila! I wasn’t kidding when I said these high protein salad jars are easy.
The chickpeas go all lusciously crispy and the popped lentils are perfection. Thanks to all those flavoursome spices the flavour is absolutely spot on. My top tip for the tofu in this recipe is to cut them into tiny cubes so they crisp up super quick too. Without the need for any corn starch or flours.
The Salad Ingredients
In addition to the crispy chickpeas, tofu, and popped lentils, these high protein salad jars are made with a super simple but totally delicious mix of veggies. Fresh pepper and cucumber, vibrant red onion, and crunchy red cabbage. Plus some avocado for a boost of delicious healthy fats. And some roasted nuts and seeds, because i don’t think any salad is complete without them.
The best ever salad dressing
I just absolutely LOVE a proper tasty dressing. You’re going to want to be generous with the dressing in these salad jars so that everything is fully coated in all that lovely herby flavour.
This coriander and lemon hummus dressing is a tantalising mix of, you guessed it, hummus, lemon juice and coriander. Plus some extra fresh herbs, EVOO and red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar if you prefer). It’s totally packed with nutty, garlicky flavour thanks to the hummus, and perfectly balanced by the acidity of the lemon juice and vinegar. Add in plenty of fresh herbs to really stir up the magic and you’ll be in foodie heaven!
Vegan High Protein Salad Jars
INGREDIENTS
- 1 block extra firm Tofu, cut into 1cm small cubes
- 250g Cooked puy lentils
- 400g (250g drained) Chickpeas
- 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp Ground cumin
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Pepper, diced small
- 1 small Avocado, diced small
- 1 large Carrot, diced small
- 1/4 large Cucumber, diced small
- 150g Red cabbage, shredded
- 1 tbsp Chopped fresh herbs
- Optional nuts and seeds, toasted + chopped
Lemon Coriander Herby Hummus Dressing
- 1/4 heaped cup Hummus
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
- 3 - 4 tbsp Water
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp Lemon zest
- 1 - 2 tsbp Coriander, chopped
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 180 fan.
- Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Add the tofu, puy lentils, chickpeas (option to leave the chickpeas and lentils raw if you prefer and just toss with half the spices, salt, pepper and olive oil), spices, 1 tbsp olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to combine and bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, turning once, until crisp. Once cooked allow to cool.
- Prepare the dressing by mixing the hummus, lemon juice + zest, water, salt and pepper together in a bowl with a hand balloon whisk. Stir through the coriander.
- Add veggies, in layers with cooled tofu, lentils and chickpeas. Drizzle over 1 tbsp of olive oil and top with hummus dressing, fresh herbs and optional toasted nuts or seeds. Mix together before eating.
Nutrition (per serving)
