They’re a meal prep staple for me because they’re healthy, crunchy, and outrageously easy to make. All you need are walnuts + a smidge of olive oil + salt & pepper, and you have yourself a salty, savory snackable sensation rich in heart-healthy omega-3s.

Add them to salads and grain bowls, yogurt and oatmeal, creamy soups, and more!

Ingredient notes

• Walnuts: It’s hard to find a nut that gives you better nutritional bang for your buck than walnuts. They’re packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory polyphenols, and they’re the ONLY nut significantly high in a superhero omega-3 called ALA which is linked to heart health. (Nutrition nerds should check out this compelling study on the positive impact of adding 1 ounce of walnuts to your usual diet!)

• Extra virgin olive oil: The oil does two important jobs here: (1) it helps the salt and pepper stick to the nuts, and (2) it prevents the nuts from drying out in the oven. A little goes a long way—less than a tablespoon for 1 ½ cups of walnuts!

• Salt & pepper: Just like in my roasted pepitas, good ol’ s&p are all we need to heighten the walnuts’ roasty toastiness. Sticking to simple seasonings also helps keep these walnuts versatile and ready to work seamlessly in so many meals!

Step-by-step instructions

1. Combine the chopped walnuts, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl, tossing well to coat the nuts in the oil.

2. Spread out on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan (for easy cleanup!).

3. Roast on the middle rack of a 350ºF / 175ºC oven for 5 minutes, then toss to ensure even roasting.

4. Roast for 5 more minutes, or until the walnuts are uniformly golden brown.

Tips for making roasted walnuts

Keep an eye on them as they roast

In the final 5 minutes of the roast (after you’ve tossed them), don’t walk away, especially if your oven runs hot.

Your eyes (and nose) are the best indicator of doneness—roast until the walnuts are uniformly golden brown, which may mean taking them out a minute before or after the time suggested in the recipe. They will also smell roasty and nutty! 

Don’t skip the salt

Raw walnuts have a distinct earthiness and slight bitterness to them. The roasting process helps release walnuts’ natural glutamate content and makes them an umami powerhouse, but they still need salt to complete the transformation and taste their absolute best.

Alternate with roasted pepitas

If you want to be my meal prep twin, alternate making a batch of these roasted walnuts with a batch of my roasted pepitas. The walnuts are high in omega-3s, while the pepitas are high in protein and iron, so you get a nice variety of nutrients. And you’re never without crunch!

How to use roasted walnuts

A rule to live by: if it could use some nutty, salty crunch, reach for these toasty morsels.

• Sprinkle them on creamy soups! Add fun texture to my creamy vegan broccoli soup, butternut squash soup, creamy cauliflower soup, or red lentil soup.

• Scatter on salads! A favorite is shredded Brussels sprouts + creamy balsamic vinaigrette + shaved fennel and pears + roasted walnuts! Or, try showering them over my roasted butternut squash kale salad, this wintry kale and brussels sprouts salad, or my fennel orange salad.

• Use as a topper for grain bowls! Follow this blueprint for an irresistible bowl: brown rice or farro + baked or air fried tofu + these roasted walnuts + roasted veggies of your choosing + a creamy sauce—try a dollop of hummus or vegan aioli, a drizzle of lemon tahini dressing, a bit of easy pesto, or a spoon of vegan ranch.

• Top veggie dishes: Here’s a fun formula: (1) smear a creamy dip across the plate (think Silky Beet Dip, Whipped Tofu Ricotta or Whipped Feta, see page 208 of Big Vegan Flavor); (2) top with roasted veggies (think carrots, beets, broccoli, butternut squash, cauliflower); (3) scatter on these roasted walnuts, a drizzle of your best olive oil and vinegar (or lemon juice), and chopped fresh herbs. 

• Breakfast bowl toppers: I love tossing these on chia pudding, oatmeal, and yogurt & fruit bowls in the morning. The salty savoriness adds a bit of interest to sweet-leaning breakfasts—though they’d also be a lovely complement to savory oatmeals like this one.

• Make your own trail mix! My personal favorite combo = these roasted walnuts + dried cranberries/blueberries/cherries or chopped dates + dark chocolate chips

• Eat ‘em by the handful! Having a batch of these in the pantry makes it easy to reach for something wholesome and nutrient-dense when you’re feeling peckish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these nutty roasted walnuts helping you hit your daily crunch (and nutrition) quota? I want to hear all about it! Leave a rating and review below

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Roasted Walnuts

These super snackable roasted walnuts are the simplest way to add salty crunch (and a nutritional boost) to your week! Just 10 minutes in the oven yields toasty, umami-forward morsels ready to be scattered across soups, salads, grain bowls, and so much more!

Course Condiment

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 13 minutes minutes

Servings 12 (1 1/2 cups total)

Calories 97kcal

Author Nisha Vora

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups (168g) chopped walnuts
• 2 ½ teaspoons (11.5g) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 scant teaspoon kosher salt (see Note 1)
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350ºF / 175ºC. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, oil, salt, and a generous amount of pepper, tossing well to coat. Spread out on the lined sheet pan.
• Roast in the oven for 5 minutes, then toss the nuts around. Roast for another 5 minutes, or until toasty and golden brown, checking a minute early if your oven runs hot.
• Transfer the parchment paper to a flat surface to cool. Once cool, funnel into an airtight container or jar and seal. Store in the pantry for 1 to 2 weeks.

Notes

1. If using table salt, use half the amount: a scant ½ teaspoon. If using Morton’s kosher salt or sea salt, use ½ teaspoon.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 15mg

The post Roasted Walnuts appeared first on Rainbow Plant Life.

Before I made these confited tomatoes, I’m not sure I had described a tomato as “ethereal.” So, it’s fair to say that these have rocked my world—and are about to rock yours.

By slowly roasting cherry tomatoes in an olive oil bath with a mix of flavorful spices and sliced garlic, they transform into deeply caramelized flavor pearls, hyper-concentrated with the sweet-umami essence of tomato. I’m not exaggerating when I say that eating these is a happy-dance-eliciting, transcendent tomato experience.

These confited tomatoes make a luxurious condiment to spoon onto grain bowls or atop pizza, and are equally at home as a sandwich spread or an effortlessly elegant pasta sauce. 

Bonus: the spice-infused confit oil in which the tomatoes cook can be used to level-up vinaigrettes and sauces, cook other veggies/proteins, or finish dishes with a luxurious drizzle.

What is confit?

Confit (pronounced “kon-FEE”) comes from the French verb confire, meaning “to preserve.” It refers to slowly cooking food—whether it’s vegetables, fruits, or meat—in a liquid. With vegetables, the liquid is typically oil, and if you want great flavor (and heart-healthy fats), you can’t do much better than olive oil.

In a traditional confit, the veggies are completely submerged in a large quantity of oil as they cook. This is what I do in my ridiculously good Herby Shallot-Garlic Confit (p. 163 of Big Vegan Flavor) which, if you haven’t tried it, my goodness, you are missing out on one of life’s greatest joys.

But in my many tests of this tomato confit, fully submerging the tomatoes in oil didn’t work as well, likely due to the high water content of tomatoes. It yielded oily tomatoes that hadn’t absorbed the flavors of the salt and spices the way I wanted them to.

Hence, the method in this recipe: I use enough olive oil to roast them without burning and, once they’re almost done, I add a bit more oil and finish them so they’re juicy, rich, caramelized, perfectly sweet, and deeply infused with flavor. And one of life’s greatest pleasures. 

Ingredient notes

Cherry tomatoes

This recipe uses cherry tomatoes instead of larger tomato varieties because they’re a more concentrated package of tomato flavor, meaning the resulting confited tomatoes are that much more flavorful.

Obviously, this recipe will be most delicious in summer when tomatoes are at their peak. However I tested this recipe in November through February and still got great results. 

Tomato Tips

Choose cherry tomatoes over grape tomatoes (which are less sweet).

If you have a choice between different colors of cherry tomatoes, opt for golden tomatoes. These tend to be a bit sweeter and, in my tests, led to the best batches!

Extra virgin olive oil

AKA, the all-important fat source in which we slowly cook these tomatoes—this is what defines the confit cooking technique, as mentioned above.

I’ve made this recipe with a grocery store brand of olive oil with good results, so feel free to use the olive oil in your budget. That said, a higher quality, fruitier olive oil will enhance the deliciousness of your results.

Garlic

I can’t imagine cooking tomatoes without garlic—hence, the garlic in this recipe. You’ll slice it (not too thinly so it doesn’t burn) and it gives these tomatoes this otherworldly bite of sweet-savory goodness.

❗Safety note: To minimize the risk of food-borne botulism, garlic stored in oil must always be refrigerated, not stored at room temperature. Please carefully read the information in the Tips section on safe storage, as well as the storage instructions in the recipe card.

Spices

You can take this recipe in many directions (a more traditional route might use thyme and Herbes de Provence), but here, I’m giving things a Middle Eastern twist with the dynamic duo, za’atar & Aleppo pepper.

Za’atar is an aromatic Middle Eastern seasoning blend that tastes citrusy, herbaceous, and slightly nutty (if you’re a fan, you’ll love this 20-min dinner). Aleppo pepper is mildly spicy but also has a lovely fruity and smoky chile flavor. It’s originally from Syria but is popular in many Middle Eastern dishes.

Shopping tip: You can find za’atar at well-stocked supermarkets, Middle Eastern grocers, and online (my favorite is by Z&Z, but you can also try the homemade blend in Big Vegan Flavor, p. 179).

Aleppo pepper is less-frequently found in standard supermarkets, but easy to find at Middle Eastern grocers, spice shops, and online (like this or, sourced from my favorite spice purveyor, Burlap & Barrel!)

Substitute: Don’t have Aleppo pepper? Use another mild chile flake OR, if using red pepper flakes, use far less than the recipe calls for—¼ to ½ tsp at the most.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half.

2. Add the tomatoes to a baking dish closely packed in a single layer. Add the sliced garlic, za’atar, Aleppo pepper, sugar, salt, and pepper.

3. Toss everything until the tomatoes are well-coated.

4. Drizzle the tomatoes with half of the olive oil (3 tablespoons).

5. Toss the tomatoes and seasonings in the olive oil. 

6. Roast at 350ºF/175ºC for 50 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and shake the pan to evenly distribute.

8. Bake for 15 additional minutes, until caramelized, soft, and wrinkly.

Tips for making confited tomatoes

Use cherry tomatoes (and halve them!)

This might not be obvious, but cherry tomatoes ≠ grape tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are sweeter and work best in this recipe, so only use grape tomatoes if they’re all you can find.

Don’t be tempted to keep the tomatoes whole—slicing them exposes their interiors, which are much better-equipped to absorb the salt and spices.

Use the Goldilocks of pans

Translation: not too big, not too small. You want a pan that can hold the tomatoes in roughly a single layer, but packed closely together.

The amount of tomatoes called for in the recipe fits in an 8×8” (20×20 cm) square baking pan perfectly. If you use a larger pan, you will need to use more oil.

Know thy oven (and pan)

If your oven runs hot, check earlier than the 50 minutes listed on the recipe card for the first roast—you don’t want the tomatoes to burn or dry out.

If using a metal pan or cast iron skillet, which conduct heat differently than a glass pan, you’d be safest checking at 45 minutes. 

🚨Store correctly — please read, for safety reasons!! 🚨

Never store these confited tomatoes at room temperature.

Garlic should never be left in oil at room temperature because of the risk of botulism, a rare but potentially fatal form of food poisoning. The bacterium that causes this will not change the look, smell, or taste of the confit, meaning you can’t rely on your senses to detect its presence. 

For this reason, it’s extra important to know how to store this confit so you can enjoy it safely!

Short-term storage

If you’re not eating the tomato confit now, let the tomatoes cool for a bit (but not for a long time because the botulism-causing bacteria grows at room temperature). Then transfer them, along with all of their oil, to a sterilized jar (see FAQ for sterilization instructions). Refrigerate and use within a couple days. 

Long-term storage

Just like for short-term storage, let the tomatoes cool for just a bit before transferring them with their oil to a sterilized jar. Now, make sure the tomatoes are covered in oil so they are not in contact with any air. You may need to drizzle more olive oil on top to achieve this.

Refrigerate for up to 4 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months. Always use a clean spoon when digging into the confit and—say it with me—Do. Not. Store. At. Room. Temperature.

If the oil solidifies in the fridge

This is likely to happen after several days of refrigeration. To return it to a liquid state, fill a bowl with warm (not hot) tap water and set the jar of confited tomatoes in it for 5 – 10 minutes, refreshing the water if necessary. The oil will melt quickly and the garlic won’t get warm enough to be a concern.

How to use confited tomatoes

As a mind-blowing pasta sauce

So simple, and so exceptional. Just pair this tomato confit with freshly-cooked pasta for a simple yet delicious dish. Check out the first FAQ for instructions for an easy pasta recipe.

While not quite pasta, this tomato confit would also be amazingggg spooned over polenta (see p. 513 of Big Vegan Flavor for my Oven-Baked Polenta with Tomatoes & White Beans).

As the be-all and end-all of condiments

Spoon this confit tomato onto virtually any grain bowl or dinner bowl for a rich and flavorful finish. Seriously. You cannot go wrong here.

These tomatoes + bread = BFFs

They’re a match made in heaven.

• Say hello to upgraded bruschetta! Shmear this over toasted sourdough (or bread of choice), smashing the tomatoes to create a luxurious spread. For a more filling open-faced sandwich, start with a layer of my whipped tofu ricotta and then add the confit.
• Make fabulous flatbreads—start with the confit, top with arugula and thinly-sliced red bell peppers, then drizzle with leftover confit oil and finish with a squeeze of lemon or a splash of red wine vinegar! YUM.
• Smash the tomatoes and oil into a sandwich spread. I can’t think of a sandwich this WOULDN’T vastly improve.

Turn it into a dip

• Serve it in a shallow bowl as a dip for bread when you’re hosting—I guarantee it won’t last long.
• Or spoon the tomato confit over creamy coconut yogurt and drizzle confit oil on top, as shown in the photos. Scoop up with crusty bread. 

Blend it!

You can blend leftover tomato confit into a rich sauce that makes an excellent pasta sauce! Or, stir the blended goodness into soups (this would majorly upgrade any tomato soup) or risotto at the end of cooking.

Leveled-up salads

• Fold the tomato confit into a white bean salad, lentil salad, or corn salad.
• Use leftover confit oil in vinaigrettes, like red wine vinaigrette.
• Pair the tomato confit with slices of vegan mozzarella or dollops of whipped tofu ricotta for an elegant vegan spin on a burrata salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did these confited tomatoes rock your world with their intensely tomatoey goodness? Let me know by leaving a rating and review below—I’d love to hear your favorite ways to use these!

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Confited Tomatoes

These confited tomatoes are a transcendent tomato experience. Olive oil-roasted cherry tomatoes transform into caramelized pearls concentrated with the sweet-umami essence of tomato (and garlic!). Use them in grain bowls, flatbreads, and toast, or as a sandwich spread or pasta sauce (P.S. Use the leftover confit oil in vinaigrettes or to cook veggies/proteins!).

Course Condiment

Cuisine French-Inspired, Mediterranean

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 102kcal

Author Nisha Vora

Equipment

• 1 8×8” (20×20 cm) baking dish

Ingredients

• 12 oz (340g) cherry tomatoes, halved (see Note 1)
• 4 fat cloves garlic, sliced (not too thinly to prevent burning)
• 1 ½ teaspoons za’atar
• 1 ½ teaspoons Aleppo pepper (see Note 2)
• ½ teaspoon organic cane sugar (see Note 3)
• ¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see Note 4)
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 6 tablespoons (84g) extra virgin olive oil, divided

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
• Grab a 8×8” (20×20 cm) baking dish or other oven-safe pan that can hold the tomatoes in roughly a single layer, packed closely together (a pan that’s too big = you’ll need to use more oil than listed).

  Add the halved tomatoes, garlic, za’atar, Aleppo pepper, sugar, salt, and several cracks of black pepper to the pan. Toss well with your hands to coat the seasoning into the tomatoes.
• Drizzle on 3 tablespoons (42g) olive oil, and toss again to coat. Spread out in a single layer or mostly single layer.
• Transfer to the oven and roast for 50 minutes, or until soft with some browning on the edges.

  TIPS: If using a metal pan or cast-iron skillet, you may want to check 5 minutes earlier.

  TIPS: If you wish to store these for more than a few days, sterilize a glass jar while the tomatoes roast (see storage instructions below).
• After 50 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and shake everything around a bit.

  Pour 3 tablespoons (42g) olive oil over the tomatoes and shake to evenly coat the tomatoes.

  Return to the oven to roast for 15 minutes, or until tomatoes are caramelized, soft, and wrinkly and edges are browned.

Storage Instructions

• For longer storage (up to 4 weeks in the fridge; 3 months in freezer):

  Let the tomatoes cool a bit before transferring them and the oil to a sterilized or clean jar. Remember: don’t let the confit sit out at room temp for too long, as garlic shouldn’t be left in oil at room temperature for food safety reasons.

  Make sure the tomatoes are completely covered with oil so that air doesn’t enter the jar; you may need to drizzle with a bit more olive oil on top.

  Refrigerate and always use a clean spoon when digging into the confit.

  NOTE: The olive oil may solidify in the fridge after several days. If that happens, fill a bowl with warm (not hot) tap water and set the jar of confited tomatoes in it for 5 to 10 minutes. The oil will melt quickly and the garlic won't get warm enough to be a concern.
• If using tomato confit within a couple days:

  Let the tomatoes cool a bit before transferring them and the oil to a clean or sterilized jar. Remember: don’t let the confit sit out at room temp for too long, as garlic shouldn’t be left in oil at room temperature for food safety reasons.

  Refrigerate for a few days and always use a clean spoon when digging into the confit.

Notes

1. In my experience, the sweetest tomatoes are golden or yellow cherry tomatoes. Try to use cherry tomatoes as opposed to grape tomatoes, as cherry tomatoes are sweeter.
2. You can substitute with any mild chili flake of choice. If all you have is red pepper flakes, use a lot less, as they’re much spicier, ½ teaspoon at the most.
3. If you are using peak summer tomatoes that are very sweet, you can omit this. Otherwise, I recommend including it.
4. If using sea salt, use a scant ½ teaspoon. If using table salt, use a heaping ¼ teaspoon.

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 126.3mg | Potassium: 109.7mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1.4g | Vitamin A: 417IU | Vitamin C: 8.06mg | Calcium: 8.3mg | Iron: 0.2mg

The post Confited Tomatoes appeared first on Rainbow Plant Life.

These roasted pepitas are a masterclass in the brilliance of simplicity: two ingredients (plus salt and pepper) + 15 minutes of mostly hands-off oven time, and you get an outrageously nutrient-dense, salty-crunchy delight.

Toss a handful of these onto grain bowls, shower your salad with them, or sprinkle on creamy soups or roasted veggies (they’d be amazing on this broccoli and chickpea dish 👀). Or, just scoop out a handful mid-afternoon to get your crunchy snack fix.

One of my meal prep MUSTS

I care a lot about texture, so much so that I devoted an entire chapter to it in my cookbook Big Vegan Flavor. Texture adds so much variety and interest to food—and crunch, in particular, is a texture the human brain is wired to crave. 

And the crunch of these delectable roasted pepitas means your brain will have you coming back for more (and their nutritional content means your body will thank you for it!). 

We meal prep these high-protein, iron-rich bad boys every other week, alternating with roasted walnuts (which are lower in protein and iron but higher in omega-3 fatty acids). 

This post has lots of ideas for enjoying them, but you should feel free to reach for them whenever you want a salty crunch and delicious pop.

Ingredient notes

Pepitas

Pepitas are pumpkin seeds, but not all pumpkin seeds are pepitas.

Pepitas (“little seeds of squash” in Spanish) are seeds that come from specific thin-skinned, hulless pumpkin varieties. They grow without a husk, unlike the shell-encased seeds you scoop out of your jack-o’-lantern.

They’re rich in protein, fiber, magnesium, antioxidants, and polyunsaturated fats (the heart-healthy kind!).

Shopping Tip

You can get pepitas at virtually any grocery store, but for the absolute best flavor, seek out these pumpkin seeds made from Styrian pumpkins (also known as European premium pumpkin seeds). They have a darker color, making it harder to evaluate when they’re done toasting, color-wise, but their flavor is incredible. And 9g protein per serving! 💪🏽

Extra virgin olive oil

Tossing the pumpkin seeds in the tiniest bit of oil pre-roast has two benefits: it keeps the pepitas from drying out in the oven, and it helps the salt and pepper stick to the seeds.

And I mean it when I say “the tiniest bit”—I’m talking just 2 ½ teaspoons for 1 ½ cups of pumpkin seeds!

Salt and pepper

In terms of seasoning, this is a case where simplicity is king. Salt and pepper are really all these pepitas need for flavor!

Step-by-step instructions

1. Combine the pepitas, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss well to coat all the pepitas in the oil.

2. Spread out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup).

3. Roast in the middle rack of a 350ºF / 175ºC oven for 8 minutes, then toss the seeds a bit.

4. Roast for another 5 to 11 minutes, until golden brown. After 5 minutes, stir them every 2 minutes to avoid uneven browning. Cool slightly, then enjoy.

Tips for making roasted pepitas

Keep an eye on them towards the end

After roasting for the first 8 minutes and tossing, roast for another 5 minutes. From there, it’s best to roast in 2-minute intervals because (1) every oven is different and (2) this helps you get the most evenly browned seeds.

Trust your eyes—roast until they’re golden brown in most spots for the toastiest flavor.

Keep the seasonings simple

We tested these roasted pepitas with spice blends and, unfortunately, the spices give the pepitas a dry mouthfeel and reduce their crispiness. For the best texture, stick with salt and pepper!

How to use these roasted pepitas

The short answer? Any time your meal could use a crunch!

Soup topper

• These shine atop all manner of creamy soup. Think Creamy Broccoli Soup, Cauliflower Soup, Spicy Instant Pot Carrot Harissa Soup, or Red Lentil Soup.
• Or, use these as an alternative to the spicy peanut chili topper in my Thai Pumpkin Soup

Salad topper

• They’d add some fun crunch to my Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad (and dial up the crunch even more in my Vegan Broccoli Salad and Actually Good Quinoa Salad). 
• My personal go-to salad: little gem lettuce + shredded kale + red wine vinaigrette + shaved fennel + these roasted pepitas (optionally, vegan feta) 

Grain bowl topper

• Brown rice or farro + baked tofu or air fried tofu + cilantro cashew cream + roasted pepitas + roasted veggies of choice = a fool-proof formula for satisfaction!

Breakfast topper

• I sprinkle these over my yogurt & fruit bowls, as well as chia pudding or oatmeal. Trust me on this one—the bit of salt and pepper adds interest and contrast to these breakfasts that lean naturally sweeter. And feel free to sprinkle them over a savory oatmeal like this! 

Make trail mix

• Trail mix is a very personal matter, but for an irresistible combo, mix together these roasted pepitas + dried cranberries/blueberries/cherries or chopped dates + chocolate chips 😋

Frequently Asked Questions

Have these roasted pepitas earned a spot in your meal prep routine? Leave a rating and a review below, and let me know your favorite way to enjoy them! I always love hearing from you 🥰

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Roasted Pepitas

These roasted pepitas are one of the simplest ways to upgrade your meals throughout the week! Just two ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and very little hands-on work means it’s never been easier to make a batch of irresistibly crunchy nutrient-boosters to sprinkle atop your salads, grain bowls, soups, and so much more!

Course Condiment

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 18 minutes minutes

Servings 12 (1 ½ cups)

Calories 108.8kcal

Author Nisha Vora

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups (210g) pepitas (AKA shelled pumpkin seeds)
• 2 ½ teaspoons (11.5g) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 scant teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see Note 1)
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350ºF / 175ºC. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, combine the pepitas, oil, salt, and a generous amount of black pepper, tossing well to coat the pepitas in the oil.
• Spread out on the lined sheet pan. Roast in the oven for 8 minutes, then toss the seeds around. Roast for another 5 to 11 minutes, or until toasty and golden brown.

  NOTE: I typically check at 7 minutes, then continue roasting in 2-minute intervals until they’re golden brown in most spots (it usually takes me the full 11 minutes), but every oven is different and you might like them less toasted.
• Carefully transfer the parchment paper to a flat surface to cool. Once cool, funnel into an airtight container or jar and seal. Store in the pantry for 1 to 2 weeks.

Notes

1. If using table salt, use half the amount: a scant ½ teaspoon. If using Morton’s kosher salt or sea salt, use ½ teaspoon.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 108.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.6g | Protein: 5.2g | Fat: 9.6g | Saturated Fat: 1.6g | Sodium: 96.5mg | Potassium: 137.9mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 9.1mg | Iron: 1.4mg

The post Roasted Pepitas appeared first on Rainbow Plant Life.

If you want a healthy, nutrient-dense way to add major flavor and irresistible crunch to your meals, these Crispy Roasted Mushrooms are IT.

Even mushroom haters love these (I promise) because the method completely transforms the texture of mushrooms from what some describe as rubbery or soggy into crispy, crunchy, salty morsels. 

Plus, they’re so easy to make (most of the cook time is hands-off!) and all you need are mushrooms, oil, salt, and pepper.

Shower these umami-rich crispy bits over creamy soups or rice and grain bowls, serve with tofu in noodle salads or lettuce wraps, or simply scoop them up by the handful and snack on them like crispy vegan jerky bites!

How to convert a mushroom-hater

Longtime readers know that one of my missions is to transform disliked foods into something genuinely delicious. Particularly for foods that my partner Max dislikes.

He’s been a lifelong avid mushroom hater, and while I’ve gotten him to enjoy a few mushroom dishes, like my Mushroom Risotto and Mushroom Stroganoff, he’s still a bit squeamish about the texture.

Enter: these ridiculously good crispy-chewy roasted mushrooms. The method I developed—the dry heat of a hot oven plus simple ingredients with oil, salt, and pepper—transforms rubbery mushrooms into something radically different.

So radically different that Max now happily showers his pasta bowls with these little fun-guys (see what I did there? 😏).

PS: Looking for more salty, crunchy toppers? Try my heart-healthy Roasted Walnuts and protein-rich Roasted Pepitas!

Ingredient notes

• Oyster mushrooms: These are the best variety for this method, along with maitake and king oyster mushrooms—these varieties get genuinely, honest-to-goodness crispy when roasted. 
• Olive oil: Mushrooms are virtually fat-free, so in order to get them to crisp up and turn into their most flavorful selves, we need a fat source. I love using olive oil for its flavor and heart-healthy fats, but you could use any neutral-flavored oil you like (i.e. avocado oil, sunflower oil).
• Salt and pepper: You’d be surprised how far just salt and pepper go towards seasoning these. Just as in my roasted pepitas, that’s all the seasoning you need! Okay, fine….I also finish them with a pinch of flaky sea salt for that extra finishing pop.

Substitutes: If the only mushrooms you have access to are cremini/button or shiitake, they’ll be delicious but keep in mind they don’t really get crispy—rather, they’ll get chewy with a subtle crisp.

From a nutritional standpoint however, any edible mushroom variety will do good things for you. Mushrooms are loaded with antioxidants, B vitamins, and potassium, making them heart-healthy and supportive of brain health!

Shopping Tips

Luckily, oyster mushrooms are becoming more and more widely available.

You can find them at well-stocked grocery stores as well as Asian markets and farmers’ markets (the latter two often have many different varieties of mushrooms, including maitake and king oyster). 

Step-by-step instructions

1. While the oven preheats to 425ºF/220ºC (arrange racks in the top third and bottom), prep your mushrooms. Clean any dirt off with a clean dish towel or paper towel.

2. Slice off any thick bottom white stems, then tear the mushrooms into strips (the thinner they are, the crispier they get but they also burn more quickly). See the Recipe Card for more specific prep instructions for different mushroom varieties.

3. In a bowl, toss the torn mushrooms with the oil until well-coated. Season with kosher salt and a generous amount of black pepper, and toss again.

4. Divide the mushrooms across two oil-brushed sheet pans. It’s okay if they touch but they shouldn’t overlap too much on top of one another.

5. Roast for 15 minutes until the mushrooms are browned and have shrunken significantly. Take them out of the oven and consolidate onto one pan.

6. Roast for 10 more minutes on a single pan, or until deeply browned and crispy. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt if desired!

Tips for turning mushrooms into crispy goodness

Skinny mushrooms get crispiest…but also burn quickly

Tearing the mushrooms into skinny pieces maximizes their potential for crispiness, but makes them more prone to burning quickly. If you’ve got very thin mushroom pieces, watch them like a hawk in the oven. 

General guidance: For oyster mushrooms, I typically keep small pieces whole and tear larger pieces into a few strips. 

Visual learner? Here‘s my video on how I tear mushrooms. Under Vegetable Techniques, click the button that says “Mushrooms.” 

Check the mushrooms periodically

After consolidating the mushrooms onto one pan and returning them to the oven for the final portion of the roast, know that the 10 minutes listed in the recipe card is a guideline—check periodically and lean on your knowledge of your oven to decide when to take the mushrooms out.

General guidance: If your oven runs hot, peek in there a bit earlier than the recommended 10 minutes.

If you like your mushrooms extra crispy, keep an eye on them but feel free to add a few minutes to the roasting time.

Keep them simple

For the best texture, keep the seasonings simple—just salt and pepper. 

In developing this recipe, we tried roasting the mushrooms with spice blends and found that the spices gave the mushrooms a somewhat dry mouthfeel and reduced their crispiness (unacceptable for a recipe with “crispy” in the title).

That said, it’s not impossible to add spices. I do just that in the Mushroom Carnitas Tacos on page 540 of my cookbook Big Vegan Flavor—but you’ll need to temper the spices in oil in a frying pan first, then toss the spiced oil with the roasted mushrooms.

How to use crispy roasted mushrooms

There are so many ways to use these savory, salty morsels. You can snack on them like jerky, or add them to any number of meals. Here are some ideas! 

Shower these on soups

• Creamy soups like this Thai Pumpkin Soup or Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup
• Noodle soups such as this Creamy Umami Noodle Soup (this one already features crispy mushrooms as a topper!) or Malaysian Curry Noodle Soup
• Bean soups, particularly this Really Good White Bean Soup

Use as a topper for beans or lentils

• Sprinkle over a pot of beans—the meatiness of mushrooms brings out the natural savoriness of beans and lentils. Check out page 233 of Big Vegan Flavor for A Really Good Pot of Saucy Beans, and page 263 for Creamy Tahini Lentils.
• Also a fabulous topper for a bowl of polenta (see photo above). For my oven-baked polenta recipe, see page 513 of Big Vegan Flavor. 

Add a crunchy topping for grain bowls

My foolproof building blocks for a dynamite grain bowl:

• Whole grain of your choice: brown rice, farro, or wheat berries
• Pick your protein: baked tofu, fried tofu, or air fried tofu are my go-tos
• Gotta have a condiment: vegan aioli, avocado crema, spinach pesto, or roasted red pepper hummus would all be fabulous 
• Crispy action: these crispy roasted mushrooms 🎉🎉🎉
• Greens: broccoli sprouts, microgreens, or arugula to top

Top your savory oatmeal

• These are FABULOUS over my Savory Oatmeal with Chili Crisp (think: congee vibes)

Add to noodles and lettuce wraps

• A variation of these roasted mushrooms feature in these epic Crispy Sesame Tofu and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps
• They’re also delish in this Rainbow Veggie Noodle Salad, or as a topper for these weeknight-friendly Garlic Peanut Noodles and Sesame Noodles!

Frequently Asked Questions

Did these crispy roasted mushrooms upend your expectations about mushrooms? Let me know by leaving a rating and review! It makes my day to hear from you—and it helps other readers find recipes they’ll love! 💕

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Crispy Roasted Mushrooms

These Crispy Roasted Mushrooms are umami-packed, crispy-chewy morsels of pure savory delight! They couldn’t be simpler to make and are ideal for topping soups, grain bowls, lettuce wraps, or noodle salads—but I wouldn’t blame you for snacking on them by the handful like irresistible vegan jerky bites!

Course Condiment, Side Dish

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 116.1kcal

Author Nisha Vora

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds (24 oz / 680g) oyster, maitake, or king trumpet/king oyster mushrooms (see Note 1)
• 2 tablespoons (28g) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the pans
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see Note 2)
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Flaky sea salt, as needed

Instructions

• Arrange a rack in the top third and in the bottom of the oven. Preheat to 425ºF/220ºC.

  Brush two rimmed sheet pans with oil to prevent sticking.
• For oyster or maitake mushrooms: Cut off the tough white stem at the bottom and use your hands to tear the mushrooms into strips.

  For small or skinny mushrooms, keep them whole.

  The thinner the strips, the crispier they will get, but you'll need to pay closer attention to prevent burning.
• For king trumpet mushrooms: Slice the caps off. Grip each stem with one hand and start shredding with the fork in the other hand. Once you get a decent amount of shredding done, you can switch to shredding with your hands. Slice the caps about the same thickness as the stems (see Note 3).
• In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms and oil, tossing well to coat. If they seem dry, add a touch more oil. Season with 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see Note 2) and with a generous amount of pepper and toss again to coat.
• Divide the mushrooms between the two oiled pans, spreading out as best you can. It’s okay if some mushrooms touch, but they shouldn't overlap too much on top of one another.
• Roast in the oven for 15 minutes (if your oven runs hot or your sheet pans are well worn, check at 12 minutes), or until the mushrooms are somewhat browned and have shrunken in volume quite a bit.
• Remove from the oven and stir with a spatula. Consolidate all the mushrooms onto one pan and spread them out.

  Roast on one pan for 10 more minutes, or until mushrooms are deeply browned and crispy. Taste, adding a pinch of flaky sea salt as desired.

Notes

1. You can use this method with any mushroom, including cremini/button mushrooms and shiitake. However, they will get more chewy rather than crispy. Still delicious though! If using these methods, slice the mushrooms thinly, but not paper thin. Remove any shiitake stems that are tough. 
2. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is less salty, teaspoon for teaspoon, compared to most salts. If using table salt, use ½ teaspoon. If using sea salt or Morton’s kosher salt, use a heaping ½ teaspoon.
3. Here are my video instructions on prepping mushrooms. Under Vegetable Techniques, click the button that says “Mushrooms.” 

Nutrition

Calories: 116.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.8g | Protein: 4.9g | Fat: 7.3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 281.7mg | Potassium: 479.4mg | Fiber: 4.8g | Sugar: 1.9g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Iron: 1.2mg

The post Crispy Roasted Mushrooms appeared first on Rainbow Plant Life.

There are two types of salad dressing in this world:

• Ho-hum dressings you resort to because your salad greens are about to expire; 
• Razzle-dazzle dressings that make eating salad genuinely exciting.

Not only does this Miso Dressing fall into the latter category, it pretty much wrote the book on how to be a razzle-dazzle dressing. 

Its East Asian-inspired flavor profile is a symphony of delightful notes—nuttiness, tanginess, slight sweetness, umami—and it comes together quickly and easily.

Turn to this versatile salad dressing to jazz up all manner of crunchy salad, and watch yourself fall in love with salad. 

Out of the archives, onto the blog 🎉

I am very excited to finally share this recipe.

When I first started writing Big Vegan Flavor 5+ years ago, I planned to devote a whole chapter to salads and salad dressings. But when my editor told me that my first manuscript was too long (it would’ve been a 1,000-page book 😱), I had to relegate many, many recipes to the archive of my Google docs. 

This darling dressing was one of them (along with my savory oatmeal, and several recipes we’ve since published on our Meal Plans website).

But it’s simply too good to languish in the archives—so, after many years, I’m delighted to share this Miso-Sesame Dressing with you all.

Ingredient notes

• White miso: Miso is fermented soybean paste (made from soybeans, salt, and a koji starter). White miso is a slightly sweet variety of miso and it supercharges this dressing with savoriness and umami, which keeps you coming back for more (and more salad). 
• Rice vinegar (AKA rice wine vinegar): This contributes a pleasantly mellow acidity to the dressing, giving it brightness without sharpness.
• Toasted sesame oil + neutral oil: Every vinaigrette needs a fat source to emulsify (and to taste good), and here I use a mix of a neutral-flavored oil and toasted sesame oil. We want the latter for its rich, irresistibly nutty flavor, but if we used solely toasted sesame oil, it would overwhelm the other flavors in the dressing.
• Dijon mustard: This is chiefly here as an emulsifying agent, encouraging the oil and water-based ingredients to combine into a smooth dressing that doesn’t split or break.
• Maple syrup: I almost always add a bit of sweetener to vinaigrettes to temper any sharpness from the acidic elements and. You can also use agave.
• Soy sauce: Since we’re leaning on East Asian flavors for inspiration, we turn to soy sauce instead of salt to provide saltiness and an additional hit of umami (enhancing the miso).

Shopping Tips and Substitutes

• White Miso: Sold in well-stocked grocery stores, East Asian grocers, or online. May also be called “shiro miso.” Not to be confused with darker misos, like brown or red miso, which have been fermented for a longer period of time and have a more intense flavor.
• Rice vinegar: You want unseasoned rice vinegar. If all you have is seasoned rice vinegar (which contains added sugar and salt), use less maple syrup and soy sauce to begin with, then add more to taste.
• Toasted sesame oil: Not all brands are created equal! I love Otoki (Korean brand) and Kadoya (Japanese brand). Beware: some western supermarket brands do NOT taste good!
• Neutral flavored oil: Use what you have, such as avocado oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, etc.
• Gluten-free? Use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Add the miso and rice vinegar to a bowl (or a jar for which you have a lid).

2. Whisk well until no large miso clumps remain and the mixture is mostly smooth.

3. Add the garlic, ginger, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and soy sauce.

4. Whisk well to combine. 

5. Stream in the neutral oil and toasted sesame oil, whisking as you go, until smooth and emulsified. Or, simply add to the jar, seal, and shake vigorously to combine everything. 

6. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Tips for making this recipe

Whisk the miso well

To avoid little clumps of miso in the dressing, make sure to whisk the miso with the vinegar as well as you can in step 1 of the recipe, until no large chunks of miso remain.

For a smoother consistency, blend

If you prefer a completely smooth consistency, you can add all of the ingredients to a food processor or small-capacity blender (there’s not enough volume to blend this in a large blender). 

Alternatively, put everything in a wide-mouthed jar or measuring cup and use an immersion blender on high-speed to blitz it up.

Double the recipe

This recipe yields a scant ¾ cup (170g), about 6 servings. If you are feeding a crowd or plan to use it multiple times throughout the week, simply double the ingredients.

How to use this dressing

One of the many selling points of this dressing is its versatility. It works
great with virtually any crisp and crunchy veggies or lettuces:

• Any kind of cabbage—napa cabbage, green cabbage, red cabbage, etc.
• Hearty greens such as shredded kale or shaved Brussels sprouts 
• Crisp lettuces like romaine, Little Gem, or iceberg
• Non-lettuce salads, like cucumber, carrot, or radish salads

Here are a few of my favorite ways to use this miso dressing:

• A standout slaw (version 1): shredded red cabbage + shredded carrots + chopped cilantro and mint + roasted peanuts + mandarin segments; optionally, fold in edamame or baked tofu for protein
• Another standout slaw (version 2): shredded green or napa cabbage + thinly sliced radishes and scallions + roasted cashews + diced avocado
• Rainbow crunch salad: chopped romaine or Little Gem lettuce + thinly sliced red and yellow bell peppers + sliced snow peas + shredded red cabbage + cubed or sliced avocado + crispy wonton strips or roasted sunflower seeds
• Cucumber salad: smashed or sliced cucumbers + thinly sliced scallions + chopped cilantro + roasted white and black sesame seeds + cubed or torn avocado
• Tofu salad: baked tofu, fried tofu, or air fried tofu + thinly sliced radishes + microgreens or baby arugula + roasted sesame seeds + sliced avocado
• Roasted veggie salad: roasted sweet potato cubes + roasted broccoli florets + edamame + pickled onions + roasted pepitas or cashews
• Noodle salad: soba noodles (or noodles of choice) + shredded carrots or cabbage + blanched broccoli or green beans + baked tofu, fried tofu, or air fried tofu + scallions + roasted sesame seeds

Frequently Asked Questions

More dressings to fall in love with salad 

• Red Wine Vinaigrette: a classic dressing but upgraded
• Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette: another majorly upgraded classic
• Lemon Tahini Dressing: nutty, creamy, lemony, and SO good
• Vegan Ranch Dressing: the creamy dressing of your childhood made vegan 

Is this Miso Dressing leveling up your salad game? Leave a rating and review below, and let me know your favorite ways to use it!

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Miso-Sesame Dressing

This Miso-Sesame Dressing is a tangy, sweet-and-savory dressing that’ll make you fall in love with salad. Relying on heavy-hitting East Asian pantry staples like white miso and toasted sesame oil, it comes together in 10 minutes with no fancy equipment and is perfect for meal prep. Easy to double!

Course Condiment

Cuisine East Asian Inspired

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 (170g/scant ¾ cup total)

Calories 111kcal

Author Nisha Vora

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (17g) white miso
• 2 ½ tablespoons (37g) unseasoned rice vinegar (see Note 1)
• 3 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
• 1- inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or smashed into a paste)
• 1 ½ tablespoons (30g) pure maple syrup or agave nectar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce (or tamari for GF)
• 2 ½ tablespoons (35g) sunflower oil (or neutral-flavored oil of choice)
• 1 ½ tablespoons (21g) toasted sesame oil (see Note 2)

Instructions

• Add the miso and rice vinegar to a jar for which you have a lid (or a bowl). Whisk until mostly smooth and there are no large miso clumps.
• If using a jar to combine: add the garlic, ginger, maple syrup or agave, mustard, soy sauce, and both types of oil. Seal the jar with its lid and shake vigorously until the mixture is smooth and slightly creamy.
• If using a bowl to combine: add the garlic, ginger, maple syrup or agave, mustard, and soy sauce and whisk well to combine. Combine both types of oil in a measuring cup or glass, then stream into the other ingredients, whisking as you go to emulsify. See Note
• Taste for seasonings, adding more soy sauce (or salt) for salty savoriness, more maple syrup for sweetness, more mustard for creamy tang, or more sesame oil for richness.
• Store leftovers in the fridge in a sealed jar for up to 5 days.

Notes

1. AKA rice wine vinegar. If you have seasoned rice vinegar (which contains added sugar and salt), use less maple syrup and soy sauce to begin with, then add more to taste.
2. Not all toasted sesame oil brands are created equal! I love Otoki (Korean brand) and Kadoya (Japanese brand). Beware: some western supermarket brands do NOT taste nearly as good.
3. If you prefer a completely smooth dressing, add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend until emulsified. Or, add the ingredients to a wide-mouth jar or measuring cup and use an immersion blender on high speed to blend.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.9g | Protein: 0.6g | Fat: 9.6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.7g | Sodium: 221.1mg | Potassium: 30.8mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 3.5g | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.1mg

The post Miso-Sesame Dressing appeared first on Rainbow Plant Life.

If you ask me, your go-to salad dressing must have these qualities (all of ‘em!):

• Versatility—great on many types of salads and grain bowls
• Ease & simplicity—quick to whip up, with no special equipment required
• Dynamite flavor—something that actually makes you look forward to eating salad 

And this Lemon Tahini Dressing fits all criteria (and more).  

You can think of it as a zippy-vinaigrette-meets-creamy-tahini-sauce, and it’s the salad dressing I meal prep most often (…..okay, maybe it’s a three-way tie between this, my Red Wine Vinaigrette, and the Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette on p. 164 of Big Vegan Flavor).

So, I figured it was high time I shared it with you!

The dressing I make on repeat 🔁

As much as I love variety (we’re testing new recipes in the RPL kitchen quite often!), I have a few go-to recipes I always meal prep—and this lemon tahini dressing is one of them.

It’s the perfect balance of indulgence, brightness, and tang; it uses ingredients I always have on hand; it makes a generous amount so I can use it all week long; and I never get tired of it.

And not for nothing—it’s the dressing that has gotten renowned salad-skeptic Max to eat leafy greens and to not only not complain about it…but to even ask for seconds!

Ingredient notes

• Tahini: This star ingredient is a smooth, unctuous paste made purely of ground sesame seeds. It’s a sneaky source of protein and iron, and the natural oils from the sesame seeds contribute a lovely richness to the dressing. You can find it at well-stocked grocery stores, Middle Eastern markets, or online (see my recommended brands, below).
• Fresh lemon juice: All (good) salad dressings need acidity. Lemon juice was a natural pick here because it complements, enlivens, and brightens tahini—and it’s the acid traditionally used in Middle Eastern tahini sauces!
• Apple cider vinegar: While lemon juice is the primary source of acidity, I also include a small amount of apple cider vinegar for a punchy, fruity kick.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Unlike a classic tahini sauce, the kind you find drizzled over falafel or other Middle Eastern foods (check out Big Vegan Flavor, p. 197–198, for three phenomenal tahini sauce recipes), this is a salad dressing. To achieve the consistency and mouthfeel of a dressing, some amount of oil is helpful.
• Garlic: Do I need to explain myself here? Garlic in a salad dressing is a no-brainer.
• Dijon mustard: From a texture perspective, mustard acts as an emulsifier, helping the oil and acids bind together in a creamy mixture; from a taste perspective, it lends a sharp tang that kicks things up a notch.
• Maple syrup: A little bit of sweetness helps to soften the subtle bitterness in tahini and temper the acidity, so the maple syrup does double duty here.

Recommendations + Substitutes

• Look for tahini made from hulled sesame seeds (unhulled produces bitter tahini).
  • My favorite brands: Al Kanater, Beirut, and Al Arz.
• Prefer an oil-free dressing?
  • If you are oil-free (or want to use just a tiny bit of oil), check out the first FAQ for modifications.

Step-by-step instructions

1. In a wide-mouthed jar or bowl, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, tahini, mustard, garlic, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.

2. Whisk well to combine.

3. Stream in the olive oil while whisking continuously until the dressing is emulsified.

4. If too thick, stream in cold water, one tablespoon at a time, to reach your desired consistency. Taste, adding more salt, lemon juice, or vinegar as desired.

For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.

Tips for making this recipe

Use a tahini you like!

I’ve included my preferred tahini brands in the Ingredient Notes, but if you can’t find those brands, the only guideline that matters is to use a brand of tahini whose taste you enjoy.

If the brand you’ve got on hand is bitter or has a strange flavor (I’ve tried a lot of brands of tahini, so I know those ones are out there…), it might be best to wait until you can purchase another option to try out this dressing. 

Stir the tahini, if needed

Some brands of tahini are well incorporated, while in others, the oil and fat are separated. If the latter is the case, you’ll want to give it a vigorous whisk to get a homogenous texture. 

Tahini Tips

When you buy tahini, store the jar upside down (well-sealed, of course). That way, the oil doesn’t settle on the top.

If this trick doesn’t do the job or your tahini is seriously separated, you can add the contents of the jar to a food processor and blend until homogenous.

Thin out the dressings, as needed

Tahini sauces (as well as salad dressings made with olive oil) will thicken as they rest, so if you’re keeping leftovers, you’ll need to thin out the dressing.

Add a few teaspoons of cold water or ice water, whisk to combine, then continue to add water as needed until you reach your desired consistency. Depending on how much water you add, you may want to add a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon juice to boost the flavors.

And don’t stress—if you accidentally add too much water, you can always add more tahini to compensate!

How to use Lemon Tahini Dressing

This dressing works particularly well with:

• hearty greens like kale and cabbage
• peppery greens like arugula
• crisp lettuces like romaine, Little Gem, and butter lettuce.
  
  Since it is a relatively creamy salad dressing, I wouldn’t use it exclusively with a soft lettuce like baby spinach or mixed greens—instead, if you’ve got soft lettuces to use up, combine them with something crisp or hearty like the varieties listed above.

Want more specific salad ideas? This dressing would shine on any of these:

• My go-to simple salad: Shredded and massaged kale + chopped romaine + roasted chickpeas (p. 236 of Big Vegan Flavor) + parsley or basil + sauerkraut
• Superb slaw, version 1: Shredded red cabbage + shredded carrots + chopped basil or parsley + roasted almonds
• Superb slaw, version 2: Shredded green cabbage + finely chopped romaine + diced cucumber + roasted sunflower seeds + chunks of avocado 
• Greek salad: Sliced cucumbers + halved cherry tomatoes + sliced red onion + green or kalamata olives + capers
• Fall salad: Thinly shaved Brussels sprouts + thinly sliced tart apples + dried cranberries + toasted walnuts or pecans + optionally, vegan feta 
• Winter salad: Shredded and massaged kale + shredded carrots + thinly sliced tart apples or citrus segments + pomegranate seeds + roasted pistachios
• Triple green salad: Chopped baby kale + microgreens, pea shoots, or broccoli sprouts + chopped parsley + shredded carrots + toasted walnuts + diced avocado

P.S. This dressing is also fantastic on grain salads and grain bowls!

Flavor variations

While I adore the base flavor of this dressing, feel free to add additional flavorings!

• For a hit of sweet umami and depth of flavor, add a bit of white miso.
• For a stronger punch of citrus, zest in some of the lemon before juicing it. 
• For an herbaceous twist, fold in finely-minced fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, dill, or basil.
• Or, try replacing some or all of the lemon juice with pickle juice (thanks to reader Craig for this tip!).

Frequently Asked Questions

More splendid salad dressings

• Red Wine Vinaigrette: another upgraded classic
• Vegan Ranch Dressing: the nostalgic salad dressing of your dreams
• Lemon Tahini Dressing: zingy, lemony, nutty and SO good
• Miso-Sesame Dressing: umami, nutty, sweet, and zippy

If you enjoyed this Lemon Tahini Dressing, I’d love it if you’d leave a rating and review below! It makes my day to hear from you!

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Lemon Tahini Dressing

This Lemon Tahini Dressing is bound to become your new go-to salad dressing. It’s a bright, zippy, and creamy vinaigrette featuring tahini and fresh lemon, and it couldn’t be easier to whip up—all you need is a bowl and whisk! Drizzle over salads, grain bowls, wraps, and more.

Course Condiment

Cuisine Middle-Eastern Inspired

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 (1 cup/230g total)

Calories 117.4kcal

Author Nisha Vora

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (60 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup (56g) tahini, well-stirred (see Note 1)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 fat clove garlic, grated or very finely minced
• 1 tablespoon (20g) pure maple syrup (see Note 2)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• ¼ cup (56g) extra virgin olive oil (see Note 3)
• Cold water, as needed

Instructions

• In a wide-mouth jar for which you have a lid (or a bowl), combine the lemon juice, vinegar, tahini, Dijon mustard, garlic, maple syrup, salt, and pepper to taste. Whisk well to combine.
• Now stream in the olive oil, whisking as you go, until emulsified.

  NOTE: If it feels too thick, whisk in cold water, one tablespoon at a time.
• Taste, adding more salt as desired. For more acidity, add more lemon juice or vinegar. For sweetness or balance, add more maple syrup.
• Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for 7 to 10 days. It will thicken, so stream in some cold water, whisk, and continue you reach your desired consistency.

Notes

1. My preferred tahini brands: Al Kanater, Beirut, and Al Arz.
2. The sweetener helps balance the acidity from the vinegar and lemon, but if you prefer less sweet things, start with 1 teaspoon. 
3. If you want to make this dressing without oil or with less oil, check out the first FAQ.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 117.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.3g | Protein: 1.6g | Fat: 11.2g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.8g | Sodium: 65.1mg | Potassium: 46.1mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1.7g | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.6mg

The post Lemon Tahini Dressing appeared first on Rainbow Plant Life.

This fresh Italian condiment is so dynamic and dazzling, it’s hard to believe it’s made from just four ingredients—-parsley, lemon zest, garlic, and salt. 

It’s the perfect herby, lemony topping for soups and stews, rice and pasta dishes, grain bowls, proteins, and more! You’ll be stunned by how easy it is to make, wowed by its bright, zingy punch, and delighted by its versatility and customizability.

Why Giada lives rent-free in my head

I remember when I first learned about gremolata. I was watching Everyday Italian, the Food Network show hosted by Giada De Laurentiis, and I recall being more than a little skeptical that something so simple—parsley + lemon zest + garlic—could be, well, anything special.

As it turns out, something so simple can be extraordinarily delicious.

Over the years, I’ve shared various versions of gremolata (including some nontraditional spins) in RPL recipes like pasta salads and soups, but I’m excited to finally share a dedicated classic gremolata recipe. Bookmark this and come back to it when you want to add pizzazz to your soups, bowls, proteins, and more!

Ingredient notes

• Flat-leaf parsley. Don’t you dare use curly parsley. That should be reserved solely for decorating crudités boards. You’re looking for flat-leaf parsley, AKA Italian parsley. 
• Lemon Zest. The majority of the lemon aroma actually lives in the peel, not the juice, so we zest the peel to infuse the gremolata with that lovely floral, slightly sweet flavor.
• Garlic. The garlic needs to be very finely minced or grated—the last thing you want is to chomp down on bits of raw garlic. 
• Flaky Sea Salt. Some classic Italian versions do not contain salt, but salt is what makes food taste like food 🤷🏽‍♀️ The flaky sea salt amps up the intensity of the parsley, garlic, and lemon while simultaneously taming the natural vegetal bitterness of parsley.

Substitutes: Not a fan of parsley or don’t have all these ingredients on hand? Check out the Gremolata variations section for alternatives.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Finely chop the parsley.

2. Using a microplane, zest the lemons on top of the parsley. 

3. Grate the garlic on top as well.

4. Mix to combine, making sure the garlic is not clumping. Sprinkle with a few pinches of flaky sea salt. Taste, adding more salt as needed.

5. NOTE: If you want an herb oil rather than a dry gremolata, drizzle in olive oil and lemon juice and stir well, adding salt to taste (and, optionally, a pinch or two of chili flakes for heat) and more olive oil until slightly spoonable.

Tips for making gremolata

Use the right tools

A microplane is the best tool for finely grating lemon zest, as it grates finely enough to leave behind the bitter white pith underneath the peel. 

For the garlic, you can use the same microplane, or a medium-etched grater. 

You can use a knife but you’ll want to super finely mince the garlic. 

Use just the leaves of the parsley

In other contexts calling for flat-leaf parsley, I’ll use both leaves and tender stems, but the stems can be a tad bitter, so for the cleanest flavor, use just the leaves. 

But save the stems! Throw them into a soup, stew, or broth.

Wash the lemons or use organic lemons

Since you’re consuming the entire outer layer of the lemon, I recommend using organic lemons and/or giving them a good wash and scrub before using. 

Turn it into an herb oil, if you want!

If you want an herb oil version of gremolata, drizzle your best extra virgin olive oil into the gremolata until it’s an herb sauce consistency, and squeeze in a bit of lemon juice for acidity as needed.

See the “Saucy version / herb oil” section in Gremolata variations for more details!

Gremolata variations

Herb variations

Here are some options for my parsley-haters (or anyone looking to riff on the classic flavor profile):

• Make a basil or dill gremolata! Instead of parsley, use 75% basil and 25% dill. 
• Make a hybrid gremolata by replacing half of the parsley with either fresh mint leaves or fresh basil leaves.

Saucy Gremolata / Herb Oil 

If you want a thick sauce consistency / herb oil instead of a dry gremolata:

1. Add the gremolata to a bowl;
2. Drizzle in a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil and a few teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, or enough olive oil until it’s spoonable;
3. If you want some heat, add a pinch or two of chili flakes.

You can turn any of the below flavor variations into an herb oil using this method! Be sure to use an olive oil whose flavor you like. I recommend a fruity olive oil that isn’t too assertive or bitter.

Bonus: Unlike a dry gremolata, which is best used fresh, you can store this version in a sealed jar in the fridge for a few days.

Flavor Spin #1: Preserved Lemon Gremolata

1. Use 1 ½ cups (24g) of a mix of fresh mint, basil, and/or flat-leaf parsley leaves.
2. Replace the lemon zest with 1 tablespoon (10g) minced preserved lemon peel. Add just a pinch of salt to start, as preserved lemons are preserved with salt.
3. Keep the garlic the same (as written in the recipe card).

Serving suggestions: Use in pastas and pasta salads, sprinkled over lentil soup or a tagine, or swirled into a savory yogurt sauce. For something really simple, make the herb oil version and use it as a dipping sauce for crusty bread or pita (or a sauce for potato salad).

Flavor Spin #2: Mint-Orange Gremolata

1. Use 1 ½ loosely packed cups (20g) of fresh mint leaves.
2. Replace the lemon zest with 1 tablespoon of zest from a navel orange.
3. Keep the garlic and salt the same (as written in the recipe card).

Serving suggestions: Use as a topping for roasted carrots or butternut squash, grilled or jammy zucchini, or grain salads (I’m thinking farro + dates or figs 😍).

Ways to use this gremolata

This super versatile condiment can punch up the flavor of so many dishes (read: experimentation is very much encouraged 😊).

But if you’re looking for a place to start, here are some of my ideas for ways to use this gremolata. Both the dry/classic version or the saucy/herb oil version would work beautifully in all of these!

• Sprinkle it over potato salad or roasted potatoes, as shown in the photos 
• Swirl it into a soup or stew — potato leek soup, white bean soup, mushroom and lentil stew or some stewed beans would all benefit!
• Sprinkle it over roasted vegetables (like carrots or zucchini– NYT Cooking gift link!) or grilled tofu
• Use it as a garnish for tofu scramble
• Use with pastas or pasta salads
• Liven up rich dishes like polenta or mashed potatoes
• Swirl some into a pot of lentils or beans, like the Really Good Pot of Saucy Beans from Big Vegan Flavor (p. 233)

Storage Instructions

While you can make it an hour or two ahead of time, gremolata is best used fresh and won’t hold up well in the fridge.

If you’re looking to extend the shelf life by a few days, I recommend making the saucy/herb oil version of it, where you add olive oil and a little bit of lemon juice. Store it in a jar and it will stay good in the fridge for several days.

Has this gremolata earned a spot among your favorite condiments? Let me know by leaving a rating and review—I’d love to hear how you’re using this gremolata!

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Gremolata

Gremolata is a bright Italian condiment that’ll give any dish a zingy pep in its step! Don’t let its simplicity fool you—though it’s made from just four ingredients, it will transform your soups/stews, rice and pasta dishes, grain bowls, veggies, proteins (and more!) with its garlicky-lemony-herby brilliance!

Course Condiment

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 to 8

Calories 5kcal

Author Nisha Vora

Ingredients

• 1 ½ loosely packed cups (20g) flat-leaf parsley (leaves only) (see Note 1)
• 2 cloves (8g once peeled) garlic or 1 very fat garlic clove
• 2 medium lemons (I prefer organic since we're using the peel)(see Note 2)
• Flaky sea salt

Optional ingredients for Saucy Gremolata / Herb Oil

• 3 to 4 tablespoons (42 to 56g) extra virgin olive oil, more as needed (see Note 3)
• 2 to 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 to 2 pinches red pepper flakes or chili flakes of choice

Instructions

• Finely chop the parsley. Using a microplane, zest the lemons on top of the parsley (this is about 2 loosely packed tablespoons of zest, or 4g).
• Using the microplane or a grater, grate the garlic on top as well.
• Mix to combine everything very well, ensuring the garlic is not clumping in areas (using a fork to break up the garlic helps). Sprinkle with a couple pinches of flaky salt. Mix well, then taste and add more salt as needed.
• If you want a saucy consistency / herb oil instead of a dry gremolata, add the gremolata to a bowl and drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice and stir well. Taste, adding more salt as desired and more olive oil as needed until it’s slightly spoonable. If you want some heat, add a pinch or two of chili flakes.

Notes

1. AKA Italian parsley. Do not substitute with curly parsley! For a simple variation, replace half of the parsley with fresh basil or mint leaves. For more variation ideas, check out the Gremolata variations section.
2. Use less lemon zest if you don’t love lemon as much as me!
3. I recommend a fruity olive oil here, nothing too spicy or bitter.

Nutrition

Calories: 5kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 30mg | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 6mg

The post Gremolata appeared first on Rainbow Plant Life.

Meet the dip destined to be the highlight of every party you bring it to: my jaw-droppingly gorgeous, light and silky beet dip.

It’s not just its vibrant hue that’s drool-worthy—this baby boasts an equally-stunning flavor profile, thanks to the subtly sweet earthiness of fresh roasted beets, a hit of nutty umami from deeply-toasted walnuts, and the coziness of warm spices. 

This easy appetizer with its divinely smooth texture (courtesy of secret ingredient silken tofu—don’t worry, you won’t taste it!), is make-ahead friendly and easy to scale up for large gatherings. 

Trust me—bring this scrumptious stunner to your next potluck and watch even the beet-skeptics come back for more.

A dip that’s hard to beet

…I couldn’t resist. But seriously, this beet dip is something special.

And I have to shout out Max for his help in getting it right. I knew something was missing in the first few versions I made, but Max nailed it when he said, “The flavor is too mild; it needs something else.”

(In my recent cabbage curry post, I gave him credit for his keen insight on that recipe too…if I’m not careful, he might steal my job 😅). 

Anyway, I added more roasted beets, took the walnuts to a deeper golden brown during the toasting phase, and scaled back the za’atar until we hit the sweet spot: earthy-yet-bright with a touch of nutty richness. Add a drizzle of good quality olive oil and a sprinkle of cooling mint on top, and you’ve got yourself a super silky dream of a dip.

PS: If you’re looking for a beet hummus rather than a light and silky beet dip, look no further!

Ingredient notes

Beets

They’re the star ingredient here, responsible for the dip’s main flavor component and its showstoppingly vibrant hue. 

Tip: Roast the beets fresh 

Roast whole beets yourself, rather than opting for store-bought, pre-cooked beets sold in the produce section.

You’ll be rewarded with incomparable flavor (and a gorgeous pink color instead of a muted shade of Pepto Bismol).

Silken tofu

Silken tofu is the most delicate variety of tofu due to its very high water-content. You’ll find two types of silken tofu sold in most grocery stores: refrigerated and aseptic (shelf-stable, the most common brand in the US is Mori-nu/Morinaga). 

Blending silken tofu into the dip lends it a lusciously creamy quality (plus a little extra protein) without changing the flavor in any way (this is also why it’s a great choice for blending into smoothies!).

Walnuts

Long-time readers of the blog know that I love to get on a soapbox about toasting walnuts. It is a transformative process—I find raw walnuts nearly unpalatable, yet toasted walnuts are excellent.

Tip: Hard toast the walnuts

Here you’ll do a “hard toast” of them—taking them all the way to a deep golden brown—to bring out a maximally nutty, umami-rich flavor. 

To prevent uneven toasting/burned spots, you’ll be toasting them in oil (and then incorporate the flavor-infused oil into the dip!).

After the first 2 minutes, you’ll want to stir more frequently to prevent burning.

Spices

An unspiced dip? I would never. You’ll add a warm blend of coriander, cumin, and za’atar, plus Aleppo pepper, optionally, for a hint of fruity heat.

Substitute: If you don’t have Aleppo pepper but want a bit of a kick, use half or quarter the amount of red pepper flakes, as they’re hotter than Aleppo pepper.

Lemon

The earthiness of the roasted beets needs a bit of acidity to balance it—lemon to the rescue! It balances, brightens and beautifully offsets the moodiness of the beets.

P.S. Roasted beets + acid is a dream-team combo—see the Glazed Torn Beets with Pistachio Butter & Mint in my cookbook, Big Vegan Flavor (p. 395), which are glazed with lots of vinegar!

Step-by-step instructions

1. Roast the beets: Tightly wrap fresh beets (stalks removed but skinny tails intact) in individual foil packets and roast at 450ºF for 45 min to 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into the center slides in easily.

2. Unwrap the beets. Once cool, peel and roughly chop or tear into chunks.

3. Toast the walnuts: Heat olive oil over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, then add the chopped walnuts and salt. Stir frequently for 4 to 5 min, then add the garlic and stir very frequently for 60 to 90 seconds.

4. Transfer the walnut-garlic mixture plus any remaining oil in the pan to a food processor or small-capacity blender Blend until a paste forms.

5. Add the silken tofu and lemon juice.

6. Blend until tofu is pureed and creamy (about 1 minute).

7. Add the cooked beets, coriander, cumin, za’atar, salt, and Aleppo pepper.

8. Blend until luxuriously creamy. Taste, and adjust the seasonings.

Tips for making this recipe

Fresh beets = best beets

If you’re going to take the time to make a beet dip, why not make the most vividly beautiful, robustly beety dip you can? And that starts with fresh beets.

Here’s my 4-bullet-point pitch for roasting your own beets instead of buying pre-cooked beets:
• Roasting beets unlocks a beautiful earthiness and subtle sweetness in their flavor profile.
• The color of freshly roasted beets is 10x better. 
• It’s all hands-off time! Pop them in the oven and do whatever you want for 45 to 60 minutes!
• You can roast the beets ahead of time—see the tip directly below this one.

Prep ahead of time if you can

Do yourself a favor and roast your beets ahead of time—it makes the dip come together super quickly.

Simply roast the beets and, once they’re cool enough to handle, peel them (they’re much easier to peel when still warm). Store the beets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Also, feel free to make the entire dip several days ahead of serving. See the FAQs for storage instructions.

Tip for beet-freaks: Since you’re already roasting beets, why not roast a whole bunch? Then you can use them in grain bowls and salads (try my beet and fennel salad!).

Give the walnuts your full attention

Resist the urge to multitask when you’re toasting the walnuts in this recipe because they can go from perfectly roasty-toasty brown to straight-up burnt quicker than you think.

If the walnuts start to brown very quickly, reduce the heat—but you’ll only be able to catch this if you’re standing over the pan, so don’t walk away during this step!

Feel free to double

This beet dip, as written, yields about 2 ½ cups (580 grams) of dip, but if you’re going to a party with lots of guests (or a few very hungry ones) this is easy to double—just make sure your food processor or blender is large enough to accommodate the additional volume.

How to serve this beet dip

How about giving some of these ideas a try?

• Drizzle your best olive oil on top, garnish with fresh mint, and serve with warm pita.
• Serve with grazing bites, such as pita chips, crackers, toasted bread slices, and/or fresh-cut veggies.
• Slather onto crusty bread and top with pan-fried tofu and your favorite crisp veggies and sprouts for a delicious sandwich.
• Dollop on a grain bowl. It’s particularly good with farro + roasted winter squash or carrots + arugula + roasted chickpeas.
• Feeling gourmet? Smear this beet dip onto a shallow plate and use it as a base for roasted vegetables and proteins (cauliflower + chickpeas, cabbage + lentils).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the most beautiful dip you’ve ever laid eyes on? Let me know by leaving a rating and review—I love hearing from you!

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Silky Beet Dip

This super silky beet dip is as dazzling to look at as it is to eat! Fresh roasted beets combine with deeply-toasted walnuts, garlic, warm spices, and silken tofu for a light yet creamy dip. Easy to make ahead and to scale up, perfect for entertaining.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Middle-Eastern Inspired

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 10 (makes 2 ½ cups / 580g)

Calories 111.2kcal

Author Nisha Vora

Ingredients

• 2 medium or 4 small beets (see Note 1)
• 3 tablespoons (42g) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
• ¾ cup (84g) walnuts, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 8 ounces (227g) silken tofu, drained
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (see Note 2)
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander, more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, more to taste
• 1 ½ teaspoons za’atar, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper, plus more to taste (optional)
• 1 small handful (5g) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Instructions

• To roast fresh beets (see Note 1): Preheat the oven to 450ºF/230ºC.

  Slice off the stalks but keep any skinny tails intact. Tightly wrap the beets in individual foil packets. Place on a sheet pan or in a baking pan and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a paring knife inserted in the center of each slides in easily.

  Remove from the oven and unwrap. Once cool enough to handle, peel the beets (wear food-safe gloves if you want to avoid staining your hands). Tear the beets into chunks or roughly chop.

  You should have 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped beets (200 to 240g).
• Toast the walnuts and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add the chopped walnuts and 2 pinches of kosher salt.

  Stir frequently for 4 to 5 minutes (stirring very frequently once the walnuts start to change color), or until the walnuts are golden brown. Add the chopped garlic and stir very frequently for 60 to 90 seconds, or until walnuts are deeply golden brown and garlic is golden. If walnuts or garlic start to brown very quickly, reduce the heat.
• To prevent overcooking, transfer the walnut-garlic mixture (including all the oil in the pan) to a bowl to slightly cool, then add to a food processor or small-capacity blender.

  Blend the garlic-walnut mixture (including all reserved oil) until finely ground into a paste-like consistency.
• Add the silken tofu and lemon juice and blend the tofu is pureed and creamy, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides to incorporate the walnut mixture into the creamy tofu mixture.
• Add 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups (200 to 240g) cooked beets, coriander, cumin, za’atar, salt, and Aleppo pepper, if using.

  Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as you go. Taste, adding more salt, za’atar, or Aleppo pepper as desired.
• Spoon the dip into a serving bowl. Before serving, drizzle with a bit of good-quality olive oil and garnish with the mint.

Notes

1. Or use 1 ½ large beets. The beets can be roasted a few days in advance and stored in the fridge. You can use pre-cooked beets sold at some grocery stores, but the dip will have less flavor and the color won’t be nearly as vibrant.
2. The lemon juice brings balance to the flavor of walnuts and beets, but if you don’t love lemon, you may want to start with less lemon juice, about 1 ½ tablespoons, then taste and add more as desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 58g | Calories: 111.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.9g | Protein: 2.9g | Fat: 10.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Sodium: 126.4mg | Potassium: 145.4mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 1.5g | Vitamin A: 2.6IU | Vitamin C: 2.2mg | Calcium: 23.3mg | Iron: 0.7mg

The post Silky Beet Dip appeared first on Rainbow Plant Life.

I am not one of those people.

I want a balsamic vinaigrette that balances serious savoriness with slight sweetness. I crave something with depth, tang, and a garlicky bite. I want the kind of meal-prep hero that comes together in less than 10 minutes but stays good in the fridge for nearly 2 weeks.

So I made the creamy, nuanced balsamic vinaigrette of my dreams. Welcome to the world of exquisite vinaigrettes.

Table of Contents:
1. Ingredient notes
2. Step-by-step instructions
3. Tips for making this recipe
4. How to use this Balsamic Vinaigrette
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Recipe card with notes

A classic vinaigrette, upgraded

Balsamic vinaigrette is a classic for a reason, so I’m not here to overhaul this time-tested blueprint for salad dressing. Instead, my version is less about reinvention and more about optimization. 

In developing this recipe, I zeroed in on what I consider to be classic balsamic vinaigrette’s two areas of opportunity:

• It can be a little thin in texture
• Most versions could use a flavor upgrade

The addition of shallots in my version brings a depth of flavor to the finished product that kicks everything up a notch or two. And I use a blender (or food processor) to whip everything into unmatched creaminess, which makes for a richer mouthfeel and helps it stay emulsified, unlike a lot of standard vinaigrettes which “break” (separate) easily.

The result? A luxuriously creamy balsamic vinaigrette that sings with tangy-sweet-garlicky goodness.

Ingredient notes

Aged balsamic vinegar

The key word here is “aged.” Not all balsamic vinegars are created equal—not by a long shot. And since the dressing is named for this ingredient, it’s worth paying attention to the type of balsamic vinegar you’re using!

Tips for buying: Look for products labeled “Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP.” These have been aged and are typically in the $10 to $40 range. “IGP” stands for Indicazione Geografica Protetta and certifies at least one stage of production took place in the traditional balsamic vinegar-producing region of Modena, Italy.)

Splurge pick: My absolute favorite brand is Giuseppe Giusti. They’ve been making balsamic vinegar for centuries. Yes, centuries. And while you certainly don’t need a vinegar as high-quality as this to make a good vinaigrette, if you have the means for a splurge, it’s a great investment that I whole-heartedly recommend.

Grocery store budget pick: I also really like Whole Foods Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (1.3 density). The price to quality ratio is fantastic. 

Shallot

This ingredient does double duty here: it adds a bit of a sharp punch that perks up your palate, and it helps thicken the vinaigrette when blended. We love a multi-purpose ingredient!

Garlic

What can I say? You can’t go wrong with garlic in a vinaigrette.

Dijon mustard

Mustard is a pillar of this vinaigrette not just from a flavor perspective (although it contributes a sharp tang that complements the sweeter tang coming from the balsamic) but because of its critical role as the emulsifier of the dressing.

Science-y explanation: Oil and vinegar won’t combine without the presence of a “surfactant,” something that attracts both water and oil molecules and binds them. Mustard contains lecithin, which is an excellent surfactant.

Extra virgin olive oil

You knew this one was coming—vinaigrette may be named for the vinegar, but it needs oil just as much! While most classic vinaigrette ratios recommend using three parts oil to one part vinegar, I find that to be way too oily. 

I typically go with a 2:1 ratio of olive oil to vinegar, but in this recipe, I go down even further to a 1.5:1 ratio of olive oil to vinegar. 

High-quality vinegar is not as sour as its lower-quality counterparts, so you don’t need such large quantities of oil to soften that edge. 

Maple syrup or sugar

A little bit goes a long way here—we’re adding this primarily to balance the acidity of the dressing, not to make it sweet or maple-y in flavor. So here’s your opportunity to exercise your agency as head chef of your own kitchen: start slowly and taste as you go! 

Step-by-step instructions

Combine the vinegar, mustard, garlic, shallot, salt, pepper, and maple syrup in a blender or food processor.

Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

With the motor running, stream in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth and emulsified.

Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for 10 to 14 days.

Tips for making this recipe

The balsamic vinegar matters

When there are so few ingredients, as in this recipe, each element has to bring its A-game, flavor-wise. And balsamic vinegar is the star ingredient here. 

So leave that $3 bottle on the supermarket shelf. That stuff is imitation balsamic vinegar and it’s sour, watered down, and not worth buying. 

Instead, try an aged balsamic vinegar like these: 

• Splurge pick: A vinegar that will maybe change your life and definitely rock your world: Giuseppe Guisti’s Gran Deposito Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP
• Affordable pick: A high-quality vinegar at a lower price point: Whole Foods Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (1.3 density)

A good balsamic vinegar won’t just serve you in this recipe, but any time you need balsamic vinegar.

No blender or food processor? No problem.

If you don’t have a blender or food processor, use one of these two options:

Immersion blender: Add all the ingredients to a wide-mouth jar or a wide glass and use an immersion blender to blitz it together

Classic method: Finely mince the shallot and garlic (use a microplane/grater if you’ve got one), then add everything to a bowl except for the olive oil. Stream in the oil while whisking (vigorously!) to emulsify.

Double the recipe

This recipe yields ¾ cup (175g), about 6 servings. If you are feeding a crowd or plan to use it multiple times throughout the week, simply double the ingredients. 

It stays good in the fridge for 10 to 14 days, so you’ve got time to use it!

How to use this Balsamic Vinaigrette

We’ve reached my favorite part of the blog post—dreaming up the many delectable ways to use this dynamite dressing. Let’s dig in.

Superb salad suggestions

This dressing would zhuzh up even the simplest of green salads. But if you want to get fancy, try one of these combos:

• Roasted pumpkin or squash + arugula
• Shaved Brussels sprouts + sliced apples + chopped hazelnuts (as pictured in this blog post’s photos )
• Shaved fennel + beets + orange slices
• Shaved fennel + figs + arugula
• Radicchio + sliced pear + chopped walnuts
• Endive + blood orange segments + pumpkin seeds
• Strawberry + avocado

Dare to drizzle

This dressing would be absolutely exquisite drizzled over:

• A summer tomato salad (tomatoes + balsamic vinaigrette, a no-brainer)
• Avocados sprinkled with sea salt (for a decadent-seeming wholesome snack)
• A spread of gourmet vegan cheeses (for a crowd-pleasing appetizer)
• A roasted veggie sandwich (not to make your sandwich for you buuuuut I’m thinking eggplant, zucchini, red peppers, arugula ) on toasted sourdough or ciabatta
• Crostini, sweet or savory!
  • Sweet: Whipped tofu ricotta + figs
  • Savory: Whipped tofu ricotta + charred or grilled zucchini + basil

Dress for success

A few more mouth-watering ideas:

• Pour over a warm grain bowl with farro, roasted sweet potatoes, crispy roasted chickpeas, and greens. I am drooling as I type this, thinking about the sweet-savory-tangy combo.
• Spoon over roasted vegetables, especially those with natural bitterness like broccoli or Brussels sprouts

Frequently Asked Questions

More dressings to fall in love with salad

• Red Wine Vinaigrette: another upgraded classic
• Miso-Sesame Dressing: umami, nutty, sweet, and zippy
• Vegan Ranch Dressing: the nostalgic salad dressing of your dreams
• Lemon Tahini Dressing: zingy, lemony, nutty and SO good

Ready to usher in the era of exquisite balsamic vinaigrettes? Leave a rating and a review—I truly love hearing from you!

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Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

This balsamic vinaigrette is a tangy-sweet-garlicky game-changer! It’s optimized for unmatched creaminess and nuanced depth-of-flavor, and comes together in less than 10 minutes—add this to your meal-prep routine and get ready to drizzle exquisitely all week long!

Course Condiment, Dressing

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 minutes minutes

Servings 6 (makes ¾ cup / 175g)

Calories 144kcal

Author Nisha Vora

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (60g) aged balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic minced or grated (you can roughly chop if using a high-powered blender)
• 1 small shallot roughly chopped (see Note 1)
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (84g) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ to 3 teaspoons maple syrup or organic cane sugar

Instructions

• To a food processor (or small-capacity blender, see Note 2), add the following ingredients: balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, shallot, salt, a generous amount of black pepper, and 1 ½ teaspoons maple syrup or sugar.
• Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil and blend until the olive oil has emulsified the dressing. Taste, adding more maple syrup for sweetness and season with salt or pepper as needed.
• Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for 10 to 14 days. If the oil solidifies in the fridge, simply add the sealed jar to a bowl of hot water and wait until the oil liquefies. Then whisk again (or shake the jar vigorously) to re-emulsify.

Notes

1. If you are not sure how much a small shallot is, start with 2 tablespoons minced or sliced shallots. Taste, then add more as desired.
2. Since this is a small quantity, you will need a small-capacity blender cup (I use my 32-oz Vitamix jug). If you don’t have a food processor or small-capacity blender, you can (a) add the ingredients to a wide-mouth jar or wide glass and use an immersion blender to blend; or (b) finely mince the shallot and garlic; add all the ingredients to a bowl except for the olive oil; stream in the olive oil, whisking as you go, until emulsified.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.5g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 14.1g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.21g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.55g | Sodium: 257.1mg | Potassium: 20.1mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 4.6g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 3.08mg | Calcium: 5.8mg | Iron: 0.1mg

The post Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette appeared first on Rainbow Plant Life.

So think of this Spinach Pesto as my version of fan-fiction. I love traditional pesto so much, I penned a new chapter in the pesto canon: the superfood chapter.

Where traditional pesto is made with pine nuts ($$$) and basil, this version is made with heart-healthy, omega-3-rich walnuts and an entire bag of baby spinach, but retains the indulgent profile of the original, with nutritional yeast for cheesiness and extra virgin olive oil for the luxurious texture you expect in a pesto.

Bonus? This recipe makes a huge batch, and that’s on purpose! When it comes to adding flavor and nutrients to your meals, I want you to be able to dollop away with reckless abandon (and also have multiple uses for every condiment!).

Table of Contents:
1. Ingredient notes
2. Step-by-step instructions
3. Tips for making spinach pesto
4. How to customize spinach pesto
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Recipe card with notes

My meal prep secret weapon

I originally developed this spinach walnut pesto recipe for our meal plan subscription, Meal Plans by Rainbow Plant Life, where I share weekly meal plans with an emphasis on maximizing shared ingredients and components across the recipes.

This pesto was a breakout star in the meal plan community, so I knew I needed to share it on the blog too.

It’s everything you love about rich, herby, versatile pesto but with a significant boost in nutrient value courtesy of walnuts and spinach. And since it makes over 2 cups, I can plan a ton of meals around it.

We use it on pasta (of course) and as a sandwich spread (also, of course) but it’s also incredible as a topper for my tofu scramble, as a base for cauliflower steaks or other roasted vegetables, and stirred into pots of lentils or saucy beans (page 233 of Big Vegan Flavor).

These days, we’re loving it on flatbreads or lavash topped with handfuls of lightly dressed seasonal greens and dollops of my tofu ricotta (check out the video here!).

Trust me–make a big jar of this stuff and watch your meal prep go from boring chore to fun galore!

Ingredient notes

Walnuts

I hope Pesto Purists will forgive me for what I’m about to say: I think of pesto more as a formula rather than a specific recipe (*braces for collective wrath of Italian nonnas everywhere*).

Pine nuts are one of the core ingredients in traditional pesto (you’ll find them in my traditional vegan pesto recipe!) but they can be pricey and I don’t always have them on hand.

So for me, there are three benefits of a walnut pesto:

1. I always have walnuts in the pantry or freezer because we roast them every few weeks during meal prep (instructions in this YouTube video).

2. They are packed with anti-inflammatory omega-3s which support brain and heart health, making them a bona fide superfood.

3. They are soft like pine nuts, meaning they blend well and contribute to the rich, nutty texture of the pesto.

Baby spinach

Cartoon sailor Popeye really did the legwork in terms of convincing the public that spinach is healthy, so there’s not a lot for me to do here on that front. Instead, I’ll say that I love a recipe that allows you to use up an entire bag of baby spinach, so I made this one of those recipes. No need to blanch or sauté it–just dump it into the food processor raw. 

Basil

This is where I’m going to start winning back points in the eyes of the Pesto Purists: I use a mix of baby spinach and basil in this recipe. Basil is one of the quintessential flavors of pesto, and I wanted this version to feature that classic flavor.

Substitute: If basil is not in season, I recommend using flat-leaf parsley or a mix of parsley and dill.

Nutritional yeast

Traditional pesto features parmesan, so you would think the best plant-base swap would be vegan parmesan. But nutritional yeast is jam-packed full of umami (when the yeast is deactivated, it produces naturally occurring glutamates, and glutamate is shorthand for umami) and provides a lovely savory, slightly cheesy flavor.

Bonus: Our beloved nooch is packed with protein and nutrients (antioxidants, B vitamins, fiber)!

Extra virgin olive oil

Pesto Purists, I’m confident I’ll win you over with this take: every pesto needs extra virgin olive oil. It takes pesto from a gritty herb paste into a luxurious, spoonable sauce.

Tip: Since the olive oil isn’t being cooked and will lend its full flavor to the pesto, this is an occasion to break out your best-quality olive oil. In applications like this, I typically reach for Brightland olive oil or Bono Sicilian Olive Oil.

Lemon

Lemon zest adds a zippy floral brightness that puts a pep in the step of pesto. And the acidity in the lemon juice beautifully brightens the walnuts and spinach.

Step-by-step instructions

In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast the walnuts for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until toasty in aroma and a few shades darker. 

Add the toasted walnuts and garlic to a food processor. Pulse into a fine crumb.

Add the spinach and basil to the food processor and blitz until you have a coarse paste, adding in batches as needed. 

Add the nutritional yeast, lemon juice + zest, chili flakes (if using), and salt and pepper and blend into a paste.

With the food processor running, stream in the olive oil until the paste becomes a thick, spoonable sauce. If using the capers, pulse them in now. Taste and adjust salt, lemon, and olive oil accordingly.

Tips for making spinach pesto

Always toast the nuts

I get it–this is the step you’re going to want to skip. It feels like a whole thing.

But if you take only one thing away from this blog post, let it be this: toasting walnuts is transformative. 

• It brings out the nut’s essential oils, giving them a much more complex flavor profile which translates to more nuanced pesto.

• Walnuts can be slightly bitter raw (I refuse to eat them raw). Roasting them dials up their innate umami flavor and dials down the bitterness. 

• It takes 5 minutes to do, and wiping out the pan takes 10 seconds. Easy and quick!

If Nike hadn’t beaten me to the punch, I’d be spearheading a global campaign for Toasting Nuts: Just Do It.

ALWAYS TOAST THE NUTS

…Sometimes we need to read things twice to fully internalize them. I’m not kidding about toasting the nuts. Spend the time and, I guarantee, you will be handsomely rewarded for your effort.

Halve the recipe, if needed

This recipe makes quite a lot (over 2 cups / about 500g), so if you’re cooking for just one or aren’t sure you’ll eat it all within a week, feel free to have the recipe!

Or, feel free to freeze the pesto for several months! 

How to customize this spinach pesto 

If any of the following sentences occurred to you while reading this blog post, here are my corresponding tips so you can still make your pesto the best-o.

“I hate walnuts.”

You’ve got options–use pine nuts, as in traditional pesto, or half pine nuts + half walnuts for a more classic pesto vibe. You could also sub cashews or pistachios (speaking of which, check out my Mint-Pistachio Pesto recipe, page 178 of Big Vegan Flavor for a very fun pesto spin).

The only nuts I don’t recommend using are almonds, since they’re a crunchy, firm nut and will not blend as well into the pesto.

“I’m allergic to walnuts.”

Use 1 cup (140g) pepitas. Just be sure to toast them first–you can use the same instructions for the walnuts listed in the recipe card, but no need to chop the pepitas.

“I have all this baby kale and zero spinach.”

Use it! Just blend it with the nuts and the garlic, in the first blitz, because it has a tougher texture than spinach.

“I don’t want to use olive oil.”

I’m going to have to stand firm on this one–at least some olive oil is a must in pesto. Without it, it’s just herb paste.

If you want to use less oil, you can replace half of it with some ripe avocado or, for a slightly lighter pesto, use ⅓ cup (75g) of olive oil and stream in 2 tablespoons of water.

“I can’t tolerate spice.”

No worries–the recipe includes red pepper flakes for a subtle kick, but just leave them out!

“I can’t get ENOUGH spice.”

Add in half or a whole jalapeño or serrano pepper and thank me later

Frequently Asked Questions

If this spinach pesto seriously leveled up your meal-prep game the way it did mine, leave a rating and review below! I always love hearing from you.

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Spinach Pesto

This Spinach Pesto is a love letter to classic pesto, but with a major nutritional upgrade. It’s got all the nutty, herby richness you’d expect from a pesto, but features walnuts instead of pine nuts, and nutrient-dense spinach alongside basil! Make a batch during meal prep and enjoy flavor-packed, superfood-powered meals all week.

Course Condiment, Dip, Sauce

Cuisine Italian-Inspired

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2 ¼ cups (~500g)

Calories 101.4kcal

Author Nisha Vora

Ingredients

• 1 cup (112g) walnuts, broken into pieces (or pine nuts) (see Note 1)
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 5 ounces (140g) baby spinach
• 4 loosely packed cups (50g) fresh basil leaves
• 2 small (or 1 large) lemons, zested + 4 tablespoons (60 mL) juice
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or 1 to 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper) (omit or reduce for very mild heat)
• ¼ cup (20g) nutritional yeast
• ½ cup (112g) extra virgin olive oil (see Note 2)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons capers, drained (optional)

Instructions

• Toast the nuts: Heat a large dry frying pan over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the walnuts and toss from time to time, until they smell nutty and are darker by a few shades, 4 to 5 minutes (see Note 3).
• Add the toasted nuts and garlic to a food processor. Blend until you have a fine crumb (but not a paste). Add the spinach and basil, pressing down as needed to fit. Blend until you have a coarse paste, scraping down the sides as needed.

  NOTE: If your food processor is smaller, do this in two batches.
• Add the lemon zest, 4 tablespoons (60 mL) lemon juice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or half amount sea salt), a few cracks of black pepper, chili flakes if using, and nutritional yeast.

  Blend until a paste forms, scraping down the sides as you go. With the motor running, stream in the extra virgin olive oil until it forms a thick sauce.

  If using, add in the capers and pulse a few times to incorporate.
• Taste, adding more salt or lemon juice as needed. If your basil isn’t the best quality, you may need to add a pinch of sugar.

  NOTE: the consistency may be a bit thicker and creamier than classic pesto.
• Store pesto in a large sealed jar in the fridge for about 1 week. Or, freeze in ice cube trays; once set, transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for 3 to 4 months.

Notes

1. If nut free, use 1 cup (140g) pepitas. Toast using the method in step 1.
2. For a slightly lighter pesto, you can use ⅓ cup (75g) of olive oil, and stream in 2 tablespoons of water. Or, replace half of the olive oil with some ripe avocado. 
3. If you want to toast a larger batch of nuts, feel free to do this in the oven for more even and hands-off toasting. Spread the nuts out on a sheet pan and roast in the oven at 350°F / 175ºC for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing halfway through. Once cooled, store leftover roasted walnuts in a jar in the pantry for 1 to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 101.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2.8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1.2g | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 100.9mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 104IU | Vitamin C: 4.47mg | Calcium: 18.2mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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