Smoky roasted mushrooms and tofu mingle nicely with garlicky dressed kale and crunchy seasoned bread crumbs. It’s a hearty vegan salad idea that takes about 40 minutes to prepare. Smoked firm tofu, available at many grocery stores, is roasted alongside mushrooms and a quick spice blend for simple, maxed out flavor. Most of my personal tofu consumption is smoked these days!
I had a different version of this dish queued up for you a few weeks ago, but I decided against it at the last minute. I loved the roasted mushrooms and tofu, but the other components were a bit fussy and ultimately the finished dish was quite beige-looking. Not a deal breaker for my tastes, but I just wasn’t feeling it in general.
So I picked the idea up again recently, testing it out in a kale salad setup. This solved my beige situation, and it really works flavor wise! Kale is tender after a little massage with lemon juice and olive oil (do not skip this!). The simple roasted mushrooms and tofu are made even better with the crisp bread crumbs, which share the same spice blend.
The blended garlic cashew dressing has some Caesar-adjacent flavor going on. A hint of lemon, vegan Worcestershire to bump up the umami, and nutritional yeast for a slight cheesy essence. It’s creamy, dreamy, and easy to love!
While the tofu and mushrooms roast, I have you make up the other components. Just don’t forget to soak your cashews ahead of time. Once you have that step locked in, you’re on easy street. This one really is for the lovers of smoky flavor!
Smoky Roasted Mushrooms & Tofu Kale Salad
Ingredients
Spice Blend
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Mushrooms & Tofu
- 454 grams mushrooms, sliced
- 180 gram block smoked firm tofu, diced into ¾ inch cubes diced into ¾ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon spice blend
- salt and pepper, to taste
Garlic Cashew Dressing
- ⅓ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- ½ cup water
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper, to taste
Bread Crumb Topping & Kale
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs (see note)
- 1 teaspoon remaining spice blend
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 cups chopped kale, packed
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Equipment
Notes
- I used a mix of cremini and small oyster mushrooms in the photos. I sliced the creminis and tore some of the bigger oyster mushrooms in half.
- I blitzed up a big slice of whole grain sourdough in the food processor to get ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Make the spice blend
- In a small bowl, stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and dried thyme. Set aside
Roast the mushrooms & tofu
- On a large baking sheet, combine the sliced mushrooms, cubed tofu, olive oil, spice blend, salt, and pepper. Toss with your hands to combine, evenly coating all the pieces of mushroom and tofu. Spread everything out as much as you can and pop it in the oven. Roast for 25 minutes, flipping and stirring at the halfway point. The mushrooms and tofu are ready when they’re browned and tender.
Make the garlic cashew dressing
- In an upright blender, combine the cashews, water, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth and fluid, about 1 full minute. Set aside.
Make the bread crumb topping
- Set a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, pour in the olive oil and swirl it around. Add the bread crumbs, remaining spice blend, salt, and pepper. Stir regularly until the bread crumbs have turned deep golden brown and have dried out a bit, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool a bit.
Assemble the salad
- Place the kale in your serving bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Using your hands, rub/“massage” the kale until it has softened up a bit.
- Drizzle half of the garlic cashew dressing over the kale and toss lightly. Sprinkle half of the bread crumbs. Arrange the roasted mushrooms and tofu on top and drizzle the remaining dressing over that. Finish with the remaining bread crumbs and enjoy!
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