Kale & Quinoa Salad with Maple Mustard Tempeh

GFGluten Free

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This vegan Kale & Quinoa Salad with Maple Mustard Tempeh is packed with healthy veggies, plant based protein, and tastes absolutely delicious!

I love Salad. I know I’ve said this before, but I really do. If you make a Salad right, it should be hearty, satisfying, and not just taste like a bucket of grass.

This Kale & Quinoa Salad is packed with vibrant veggies, plant-based protein, and whole grains. Not only is it SO good for you, but it’s a beauty to look at too!

This Kale & Quinoa Salad with Tempeh is an easy and healthy vegan dinner idea! #vegan #salad #quinoa #kale #plantbased #glutenfree

Have you ever had Tempeh before? It’s one of my favorite sources of plant based protein, made from fermented soy beans! It’s not only a great prebiotic food (soy), but because it is fermented, contains healthy probiotics as well. Regular consumption of probiotics can help to regulate your overall gut health and digestion. Plus it tastes delicious, so it’s a win-win!

You can find Tempeh in most grocery stores, usually in the alternative meat section. Mine is located right by the Tofu!

This Kale & Quinoa Salad with Tempeh is an easy and healthy vegan dinner idea! #vegan #salad #quinoa #kale #plantbased #glutenfree

I eat Tempeh 3-4 times per week, but to be honest, I usually stick with my tried + true Smoky Tempeh recipe. However, many of you all asked me for MORE recipes with Tempeh, so I challenged myself to come up with this Maple Mustard variety! I was very pleased with how the final product came out  (read: saucy, flavorful, golden brown), so I think this variation is going to have to make more of a regular rotation in my kitchen as well.

The secret to perfect Tempeh is to boil or steam it first, which “puffs” up the Tempeh and allows it to absorb more flavor. Personally I’m a one-pot gal (and I think most of you are too), so we’re going to accomplish this step by adding some Vegetable Broth to our marinade — this allows the Tempeh to steam for a bit, then as the liquid in the Maple Mustard marinade evaporates, all we’re left with is some sticky, yummy, lip-smackin’ Tempeh. YUM!

This Kale & Quinoa Salad with Tempeh is an easy and healthy vegan dinner idea! #vegan #salad #quinoa #kale #plantbased #glutenfreeAnyways, I will get off my semi-educational high horse now and take you to the recipe…after a few short notes!

A Few Final Thoughts:

  • As Kale holds up well in the fridge, this salad would be perfect for meal prep – if you double it, it should last you for the school or work week, as long as you pack a few extra snacks 😉
  • I paired this Salad with my favorite (and super simple) Tahini Dressing, but if you have another dressing that you prefer, feel free to use that!
  • As always, if you don’t have a certain veggie, do not fret. This will work well with most produce and substitutions are welcome.

If you’re looking for more Salad recipes, you’ll also love this Kale Waldorf Salad and this Roasted Vegetable Salad with Smoky Tempeh!

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

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Kale & Quinoa Salad with Maple Mustard Tempeh

This vegan Kale & Quinoa Salad with Maple Mustard Tempeh is packed with healthy veggies, plant based protein, and tastes absolutely delicious!

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 2 people 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Maple Mustard Tempeh:

  • 1 8 oz. package Tempeh
  • 1/3 cup Vegetable Broth
  • 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 tbsp Tamari
  • 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
  • 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika

For the Rest of the Salad:

  • 2/3 cup Quinoa, dry
  • 1 bunch Fresh Kale, de-stemmed and chopped
  • 1 cup Sprouts (I used Sunflower Sprouts)
  • 2 cup Cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 2 Medium Carrots, grated
  • 4 Small Radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup Fresh Dill, chopped

For the Dressing:

  • Juice of 2 Lemons
  • 3 tbsp Tahini
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. First, add the Quinoa and 1 1/3 cups of Water to a medium pot and cook according to package instructions.
  2. In the meantime, add all of the ingredients for the Tempeh Marinade into a bowl and mix well. Chop your Tempeh into 1/3 – 1/2″ slices, and prep your vegetables. 
  3. Add the Tempeh slices to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the Marinade into the skillet, and cook the Tempeh until all of the Marinade has evaporated and/or been absorbed by the Tempeh, flipping the slices occasionally to ensure they are evenly coated in the sauce. This should take about 10 minutes in total. 
  4. To assemble the Salad, place the chopped Kale into a large bowl, then add the Tahini and Lemon Juice on top of it. Use your hands to massage the Dressing into the Kale for 1-2 minutes, then add Salt to taste. Add in the cooked Quinoa, Chopped Vegetables, and Fresh Dill to the bowl and mix well. Divide evenly into two bowls, and top with the cooked Maple Mustard Tempeh.

Notes

Tamari may be substituted with Liquid Aminos, Coconut Aminos, or Soy Sauce (not GF!).

Quinoa may be substituted with another grain of choice, but keep in mind that this will affect the overall recipe time, and be sure to follow the package cooking instructions.

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This Kale & Quinoa Salad with Tempeh is an easy and healthy vegan dinner idea! #vegan #salad #quinoa #kale #plantbased #glutenfree

About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing a very flexible recipe. This was a quite tasty way to prepare tempeh!

  2. Love this! As someone who doesn’t normally like to eat salad, this is one I look forward to having. Plus, this tempeh is great with recipes other than just this salad.

    1. Salads on the surface don’t always sound so appealing and then you eat a good salad and wonder why you don’t eat more of them!

  3. This recipe was awesome, especially the tempeh! I swapped out a lot of things because of the apocalypse and limited supplies (endive instead of kale, lentils instead of quinoa, no sprouts or cucumber and I added some walnuts in there). It was almost a different recipe hahaha but the tempeh was bomb! Would love to see other ways to use it.

    1. Hey – if the recipe helped guide you to making something then it works! Glad you could use what you have!

  4. This salad was amazing. It was rich and filling, unlike most of the salads I have made in the past. Yum!

  5. 5 stars
    This is the first time I’ve ever tried tempeh (new to veganism) and this recipe is phenomenal! Great job!

  6. 5 stars
    This recipe was fantastic: so quick and simple! I love how innovative your recipes are. It is so much fun to break from routine and discover new ingredients and ideas. Thank you, Caitlin!

  7. 5 stars
    I have never enjoyed tempeh until this recipe and now I can’t get enough!! Thank you thank you Caitlyn, for turning me on to a new exciting food! 🙂

  8. 5 stars
    I made this for dinner last night and my boyfriend and I loved it! I skipped the sprouts and added some red onion. So delicious and filling! Would love to try marinating the tempeh overnight and baking it next time.