Guess where I’m headed today on the kids’ first official day of summer? Six flags Discovery Kingdom. I know, scary, but it’s on the kids’ summer bucket list, and Eli has been literally begging to go for weeks (I mean it’s all he talks about). Secretly, as much as I am dreading this adventure, I think I will have a blast. Who doesn’t enjoy amusement parks?
What do Six Flags and this salad have in common? Nothing really, I just wanted to tell you all about the exciting day I have in store. So, lets move on to this amazing salad. I’m so excited because I have found another kale salad that I love just as much as my lacinato kale salad. Wendy, Debbie & Amanda, you have to try this. This is going to be another weekly go-to salad for me. I love this salad so much that I ate a whole head of kale on Friday as well as made a fresh batch up for dinner on Saturday, and had leftovers for lunch on Sunday. It was a kale filled weekend for me. This salad is great on its own, but top it off with the miso roasted tofu and you have yourself a substantial lunch or dinner. Did I mention that this salad is also hubby approved?
This is also another great make ahead salad. I do prefer to eat it fresh or within the hour of tossing it up, but it tasted amazing as leftovers the next day and even holds out to day 3 (actually my hubby likes it better the next day, go figure). I re-heated the leftover tofu in a pre-heated 250 degree oven for just a bit, and then topped it on the leftover salad. You don’t even have to re-heat the tofu, I just did because I wanted to. It tastes great, all warm on the cool salad.
miso roasted tofu:
Recipe from Eating Well, Fast & Flavorful Meatless Meals
- 1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons, miso - see picture and note below
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Below is a picture of miso. You can find it in the refrigerated section of your grocery store usually by where the tofu is kept. Miso is a fermented soybean paste that adds flavor to dishes such as soups, sauces and salad dressings. It is high in protein, and rich in vitamins and minerals. It’s available in different colors, white, yellow, red & brown. If you want a milder flavor then go with yellow or white. If you want a stronger flavor then go with a red or brown miso. The lighter the color, the milder the flavor. I chose this yellow chickpea miso because I wanted a milder flavor and this version is soy-free.
Oh, I forgot to mention that Eli loved this tofu (not the salad, but we are working on that). Zoe love’s both the tofu and salad. She is really turning into my kale gal.
miso kale salad:
Note: This is not a make ahead dressing, as it does not sit well on it’s own. I would make it up and then toss it with your kale. Once mixed with the kale, it sits well.
printer friendly recipe
- 1 bunch (whole head) lacinato/dinosaur kale, curly kale or red kale, large stems removed, thinly sliced – to see a step-by-step demonstration on how to de-stem and slice kale – click here.
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons miso
- 1 clove garlic, minced - I used 2 medium cloves and it tasted great
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Put your sliced and de-stemmed kale into a salad bowl.Pour in the dressing a bit at a time (see my note below) over the kale, and mix well so that all the kale absorbs the dressing. I actually massaged my kale a bit so the kale really absorbed the dressing. You don’t have to go crazy massaging this kale salad. When I say, “massage” your kale, I literally mean, get your hands in there and massage it. You will notice that the kale reduces in size quite a bit, and what seemed like a mess of kale is now 1/2 of what it was.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Wendy McKinley June 11, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Made this salad last night, huge hit! Nate (9 years) ate a bunch of the tofu!!
Jacquelyn Grandy June 11, 2012 at 3:15 pm
So glad you made it and that it was a hit with you as well as Nate. Did you see your name in the post? I can’t wait for Zoe to try the tofu. I think I will top it on some soba noodles maybe with the miso dressing this week. I may also throw some kale in there and make it a one-bowl meal. I will let you know how it turns out.
See you bright and early tomorrow with Stein!
Sharyn Dimmick June 11, 2012 at 3:02 pm
I think you should have my blog name, Jackie — your love affair with kale knows no bounds! Miso is a scary ingredient for me: whenever I have had it, I’ve found the taste overwhelming.
Jacquelyn Grandy June 11, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Hi Sharyn. You’re to funny, but it does sound like a fitting name (the Kale chronicles) since I am a bit obsessed with kale. You will like the miso I used above as it’s very mild and perfect for beginners. I actually only use this variety as I love it and it’s mild enough for the kids.
Your fear of miso is like my fear of anchovies! Maybe we should both make each others salad and get over our fears, sound good?
Averie @ Averie Cooks June 11, 2012 at 3:29 pm
PERFECT looking tofu! I love flavorful marinades like this; really makes the finished dish so good!
Pam June 11, 2012 at 5:27 pm
It looks healthy and so delicious!
Marina {Yummy Mummy) June 13, 2012 at 4:43 am
Yum! This is so my kind of meal! I want this for lunch tomorrow!
Amy June 14, 2012 at 4:22 am
This looks great, Jackie. I love kale in all its forms (and love all of your kale recipes
and the miso + tofu flavors sound awesome! I have never experimented with miso before, but I’m seeing it around so often now that I feel like I should just commit and buy some of it already. When I do I’ll be sure to try out this.
Zoe June 15, 2012 at 12:44 am
I really envy all of you that are having summer holidays now. Wish that our weather will get warmer soon… This tofu salad looks so wholesome and beautiful and great for summer too
Laura June 19, 2012 at 11:09 pm
This salad was superb! My tofu wasn’t as pretty as yours and I skipped the parm cheese and added some black pepper. A great meal on a hot day. Love love love kale!
Jacquelyn Grandy June 20, 2012 at 5:37 pm
Hi Laura. I’m so glad the salad turned out well for you. I really love it on the kale rather than the romaine lettuce it was intended for.
the actor's diet June 22, 2012 at 3:45 am
stunning! i have miso all the time, but have never heard of a miso version!
brittany powell June 24, 2012 at 3:43 am
This was part of our dinner tonight, and Michael (31, heh) loved it. I think the dressing will find its way into other dishes this summer, too.
Jacquelyn Grandy June 27, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Hi Brittany! Awesome, so glad you both enjoyed it. Let me know what else you use the dressing for.
Justine Taylor June 27, 2012 at 6:14 pm
I have masses of pak choi and spinach, think I could substitute those for the kale?
Jacquelyn Grandy June 27, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Hi Justine. You can totally substitute those for the kale. The original recipe called for romaine lettuce and radicchio lettuce. I just made it with the kale one afternoon and loved it! This is a pretty simple dressing that I could see used on any lettuce or green.
Vicky July 3, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Beautiful photos and this salad sounds delicious! I love tofu and I’m sure I would love miso roasted tofu so this is definitely on my to-make list!
Jacquelyn Grandy July 11, 2012 at 3:13 am
Thanks Vicki! If you like tofu and kale, you will love it!
Robin July 10, 2012 at 5:44 am
I enjoyed this for dinner tonight. I reduced the oil on the salad to 1/4 cup and split that evenly between olive oil and sesame oil for a little bit more flavor. I really liked it…this is going into regular rotation.
Jacquelyn Grandy July 11, 2012 at 3:13 am
Hi Robin! I’m glad this salad worked out for you and that its going to become part of your rotation. I love it when I find dishes like that! I also love hearing about your substitutions! I might have to give the sesame oil a try next time.
xoxo,
jackie
Christina July 16, 2012 at 2:09 am
Hi there! Within 5 minutes of finding your blog for the first time, I was de-stemming my lacinato kale and whipping this up! Thank you so much for this simple, clean recipe. And I love how crazy you are about kale!! While I order kale salads wherever I go, this was my first time making a raw kale salad at home. I am looking forward to reading your blog!!!
http://sweet-and-salty-blog.blogspot.com
Jacquelyn Grandy July 16, 2012 at 2:07 pm
Hi Christina. I’m glad I found another kale fanatic. If you love this salad, then you will love my lacinato kale salad one as well. That is another pantry item dressing and so easy to throw together as well.
It’s funny, but I’m actually making up this salad today for lunch! I already made up the miso tofu, so all I need to do is throw together the kale portion.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Kat July 17, 2012 at 8:21 pm
This looks absolutely amazing, I found it through Pinterest and want to make it soon! Miso and kale are two of my favorites. I just have to ask, why make the point of using soy-free miso when you are using it with tofu? Just curious.
Jacquelyn Grandy July 17, 2012 at 9:14 pm
Hi Kat! When I first made this salad a while back I picked up this chickpea miso because it was mild and I didn’t want a strong miso flavor. My kids love this miso so I have kind of stuck to it and haven’t tried another one. I also don’t want to much soy in my diet so I liked the fact that it was soy-free. You hear one week that to much soy is bad for you and then the next week you hear that its good for you. I just figured I would keep it at a happy medium and have the tofu with the soy and the miso without.
You will definitely love this when you give it a try. I have had it the past two days for lunch. I also have a soba noodle dish coming up next week that I topped with the miso tofu. Its so flavorful.
Thomas July 30, 2012 at 10:45 pm
Love your blog! So funny, fresh and well organized.
Found it when googling for kale, and now I´m stuck.
It seems kale has its renaissance here in Norway as well. I like it! Well, once in a while that is
Jacquelyn Grandy July 31, 2012 at 2:07 pm
Hi Tom! Thanks for stopping by and hanging out (all the way from Norway). I hope you found some good kale recipes, (love the lacinato kale salad). If you take a look around, you will realize that I am a bit kale obsessed.
Thanks for the sweet comment about the site being organized. I am trying to update things on the site to make it more user friendly, so I am glad you find it easy to navigate.
Jill Shepard-Rahim December 10, 2012 at 9:55 pm
This recipe was absolutely delicious I prepared it as written. I’ve never cared for tofu too much but I like it in this recipe. Thank you for giving me a delicious healthy recipe JIll
jackiegrandy December 12, 2012 at 5:24 am
Hi Jill! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know how the salad turned out for you. I love the tofu this way, as it gets all crispy and looses that typical tofu texture.