Maggie's Asian Salad with Sesame Dressing

Last summer I kept looking for new ways to eat food that also involved the least amount of heating in my kitchen I could handle. For me, the obvious solution was meal-sized salads, but I had to do a bit of Shana convincing... When I got a begrudging approval for a salad as dinner, I knew it had to be a good one. Luckily, I found a winner with this salad, filled with beautiful colors, lots of texture, and Asian-inspired flavors.

The recent hot streak we experienced this summer was the perfect impetus to see if this salad was still a dinner time success. It still was! Mix and match ingredients to your own tastes, buy a pre-made salad dressing if you find one you like, or do whatever - this salad will still be delicious.

Maggie's Asian Salad with Sesame Dressing
Ingredients
Romaine lettuce, chopped
2 T. canola/vegetable oil
1 T. sesame oil
2 T. tamari
1 T. seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/2 T. toasted sesame seeds
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. powdered ginger (optional)
1/16 tsp. jalapeno or cayenne powder

Optional toppings
chopped red pepper, sliced red or green cabbage, wonton strips and/or chow mein noodles, green onions, mandarin oranges, cooked and chilled edamame, baked or dehydrated tofu, sliced almonds

Directions
1. Chop romaine lettuce and any toppings you've chosen that need to be chopped
2. Mix all other ingredients (minus toppings) in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well to combine
3. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss gently to combine, or toss lettuce with dressing and allow people to dress their own salads.

Helpful Hints

• Adding both edamame and baked/dehydrated tofu (recipe coming soon!) will significantly increase the protein content of this salad. You can often buy baked and Asian-flavored tofu in grocery stores. 
• If you need to make this soy-free, do not add the edamame and tofu and use coconut aminos in place of the tamari. 
• If you do not add the wonton strips or chow mein noodles, this is a gluten-free dinner. 
• Check the ingredients of chow mein noodles, as many include egg. 

The post "Maggie's Asian Salad with Sesame Dressing" first appeared on Maggie's LesVegan Kitchen.