crunchy rainbow ramen salad with sesame ginger dressing

I bet you've never used uncooked ramen in a salad before! Toast it on the oven with a little sesame oil and it makes the perfect crunchy addition to a salad.

This salad is delicious, balanced, nutrient-dense, and dairy-free! I baked crispy tofu for protein but you can add the protein source of your choice. There are sesame seeds and avocado for heart healthy fats, carrots and cabbage for fiber and phytonutrients, and mandarin oranges for a little sweetness.

Hope you enjoy! xo

ingredients for the salad

14 oz extra firm tofu

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1 small head of cabbage

4 large rainbow carrots

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

juice of 1/2 lime

1 package ramen (just the noodles)

1/4 cup chopped or slivered almonds

1 tbsp sesame oil

15 oz can mandarin oranges

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1/2 avocado, diced

1 large cucumber, diced

ingredients for the sesame ginger dressing

1/4 cup coconut aminos (can also use low sodium soy sauce)

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp sriracha

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp minced ginger

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp sesame seeds

juice of 1/2 lime

recipe (makes 6 servings)

1. preheat oven to 375F

2. cut tofu into 1" thick cubes

3. toss tofu cubes to coat in tapioca starch, lay flat onto a pan with parchment paper, and place into the oven

4. bake tofu for 45-50 mins, flipping over halfway through

5. while the tofu cooks prep your salad starting with shredding carrots using a peeler or grater, and thinly slicing cabbage to create the slaw base

6. add rice wine vinegar and lime juice to slaw and toss to coat

7. make your dressing by whisking tofether coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, honey, sriracha, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, salt, sesame seeds, and lime juice and set aside

8. take tofu out of the oven and use ~3/4 of the dressing to coat the tofu

9. add avocado, cucumber, mandarin oranges, and tofu to your salad

10. on a pan over low heat add sesame oil

11. crumble uncooked ramen noodles into smaller pieces and add to the pan along with almonds

12. roast ramen and almonds for 5-8 mins, stirring continuously

13. add crispy ramen and almonds to the salad, top with another pinch of sesame seeds, drizzle the remaining dressing, and enjoy!

prep time: 1 hour

nutrition per serving: 390 calories, 16g protein, 35g carbohydrate, 19g fat, 9g fiber, 780 mg sodium.

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