Roasted Vegetable & Kale Salad with Vegan Avocado Caesar Dressing
Roasted veggies and fresh kale are tossed with creamy vegan avocado Caesar dressing, and then sprinkled with bright red cabbage shreds, toasted pumpkin seeds and smokey tempeh bacon. Enjoy as a satisfying entree salad or as a hearty side!
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the potatoes and cauliflower on the baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tbsp of oil and a tsp of salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through, tossing once or twice during roasting to ensure even cooking. On a second baking sheet, place the broccoli florets and drizzle with 1 tbsp oil. Roast for 10-15 minutes on a rack beneath the potatoes and cauliflower, tossing once during roasting. Remove from oven and let them come to room temperature. While the veggies are roasting, pan fry your tempeh according to package directions. Let the tempeh cool before either chopping into 3/4" pieces or crumbling with your hands.
For the Avocado Caesar Dressing and Assembling the Salad:
Combine all the salad dressing ingredients in a food processor, start out with 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce and 2 tbsp water. Blend until smooth. Add more of the vegan Worcestershire sauce to taste and lemon juice or water to the desired consistency - don't go too thin or the salad will be soggy, it's nice to be thick enough to coat your veggies. Add salt and pepper to taste, blending after the additions.
Place the kale and roasted vegetables in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Top with the tempeh crumbles, cabbage shreds, pumpkin seeds, and avocado slices (if using).
Storage Instructions: If not eating all of the salad immediately, store the dressing and (baby) kale in separate containers to prevent sogginess. Store in air tight containers in the fridge. The salad and dressing will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Leftovers are delicious served chilled or at room temperature.Yield: This recipe makes more dressing that you may choose use. Use leftovers as a dip for fresh veggies and pitas and slathered on wraps and sandwiches.