Roasted Squash and Tofu Salad with Tahini (Vegan High-Protein)
This Roasted Squash and Tofu Salad with Tahini is perfect for the season, as it’s warming, delicious, packed with plant-based goodness and is great as a side or a main dish. Plus, it is naturally gluten-free and high in protein.
I love a good salad in the winter months and the key is to make sure some components are warm. This is where the delicious roasted veggies come in, they turn a typically summer meal into a hearty, cosy and comforting dish you will come back to time and time again. This recipe is one of those that will leave you feeling satisfied and content but full of life, knowing that you’ve nourished your body with so many amazing ingredients. This salad is full of protein, fibre, gut healthy ingredients and not to mention that there is so much colour and texture going on. It is delicious as it is or also makes a great side dish if you’re making a mezze meal or alongside a nut roast over the holiday time.
Why will I love this salad?
This meal is amazing:
- Flavoursome, cosy and filling
- Fresh, vibrant and packed with colour
- Loaded with textures and nourishing ingredients
- Great for gut health
- High in protein and fibre
- Naturally vegan, egg-free, gluten-free and dairy-free
- Easily nut-free
- A vegan and higher protein take on the harvest fall salad
- Great for Thanksgiving and holiday time
- Ideal as a main or as a side
- Full of different vegetables
- Drizzled with the best tahini dressing
- Versatile depending on what veggies you have
- Great to make ahead of time
- Can be eaten warm or cold
If you already love the sound of this salad then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
The ingredients are simple and you probably already have them. You can see the weights in the recipe card and my favourites are in the “shop the recipe” section below.
For the roasted vegetables and tofu:
- Butternut squash: or you can use pumpkin or other types or squash or even sweet potato.
- Cauliflower: I love roasted cauliflower in salads as it’s hearty, and packed with goodness.
- Extra firm tofu: make sure it’s extra-firm and drain away any water or press the tofu, as needed. You can also swap this for chickpeas or butterbeans, if you want, and roast in the same way.
- Olive oil: for roasting and you can also use coconut, avocado or walnut oil.
- Seasoning: to roasted the veggies, we use cumin, hot smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
For the salad:
- Buckwheat: or another wholegrain like quinoa, brown rice or wholewheat couscous. Make sure the grain is gluten-free, where needed.
- Kale: to add bulk, dark leafy green goodness to this salad. I like dinosaur kale aka cavolo nero but curly kale is also delicious.
- Apple: for freshness, juiciness and crunch. Any eating (not cooking) apple is great here.
- Pecans: apples, pecans and roasted squash work so well together and I love their nutty sweetness. You can also swap these for walnuts, chopped almonds or hazelnuts, too, or make this nut-free use pumpkin seeds.
- Spring onion: or you can use white or red onion, chopped small.
- Pomegranate: for some juicy freshness and pops of colour.
- Fresh herbs: I like to use coriander, parsley or mint, but chive would also be great.
And for the dressing:
- Runny smooth tahini: make sure it’s a good quality tahini for the best tasting dressing. The runnier and smoother, the better. You can also swap this sunflower seed butter, if you like.
- Garlic: for a little flavour.
- Dijon mustard: this adds tang to the dressing which is so good.
- Maple syrup: this adds sweetens to the dressing without being sweet. It’s important to balance out the tangy flavours, and you can also use light brown or coconut sugar or agave syrup.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
This is naturally gluten-free, just make sure your grain is gluten-free. To make this but-free, swap the pecans for pumpkin seeds.
How do I make this?
This is ready in a few steps:
- Chop all the veggies and tofu: and add to a tray with the seasoning.
- Roast for 30 minutes until tender: and you can make these ahead of time.
- Massage the kale with some oil: to wilt the leaves.
- Prepare all the other salad ingredients: and leave to one side.
- Stir together all the dressing ingredients: unit smooth.
- Toss together all the salad ingredients and add the dressing: and enjoy.
How long will this last?
This salad will keep for 2-3 days in sealed containers in the fridge for 2-3 days.
What else can I make?
If you are looking for other seasonal salads and meals, how about:
- Brussel Sprout Red Cabbage Slaw with Crunchy Chickpeas
- Ginger Roasted Squash and Chickpea Salad with Tahini
- Hassleback Squash with Herby Tahini
- Balsamic Roasted Potato Aubergine and Broccoli Traybake
- Butterbean Squash and Almond Curry
Roasted Squash and Tofu Salad with Tahini (Vegan High-Protein)
This Roasted Squash and Tofu Salad with Tahini is perfect for the season, as it’s warming, delicious, packed with plant-based goodness and is great as a side or a main dish. Plus, it is naturally gluten-free and high in protein.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Vegetables and Tofu:
- ½ butternut squash (200g once peeled and chopped)
- ½ large cauliflower (200g florets once chopped)
- 200-240g extra-firm tofu
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp hot smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
For the Salad:
- 80g buckwheat
- 40g kale, de-stemmed
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 apple, cubed
- 40g pecans, chopped
- 1 spring onion, sliced
- 40g pomegranate
- Fresh herbs
For the Dressing:
- 3 tbsp runny, smooth tahini
- 1 garlic, crushed
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 2-3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180ºC and line a large roasting tray with parchment paper.
- Prepare the vegetables: peel and scoop out the seeds from the squash and chop into 2-cm cubes. Chop the cauliflower into florets, keeping the smaller leaves. Pat the tofu dry and chop into 1-cm cubes.
- To roast: add the squash, cauliflower and tofu to the tray, drizzle with the olive oil and add the cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss well and bake for 30 minutes, or until tender and softening. With 10 minutes left, rub the cauliflower leaves with a little oil and salt and add to a second tray and bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile: cook the buckwheat according to packet instructions. Add the kale to a bowl with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Massage with your hands to wilt the leaves. Chop the apple, pecans, and spring onion.
- For the dressing: whisk together all the ingredients until smooth.
- To serve the salad: into a large bowl add the kale, buckwheat, roasted vegetables, roasted tofu, apple, pecans, spring onion, pomegranate, and herbs. Drizzle over most of the tahini dressing and toss well. Serve on plate with extra tahini sauce and the cauliflower leaf crisps.
- To store: keep the salad in the fridge for 2-3 days in sealed containers.
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Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Roasted Squash and Tofu Salad with Tahini so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make this, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With squash tofu salad love x
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