Ginger peanut tempeh, kale and quinoa salad

Ginger peanut tempeh, kale and quinoa salad

This recipe is a remix of my beloved Ginger-peanut kale with tofu and quinoa salad from my first cookbook Community. It was one of the most popular salads from my salad business Arthur Street Kitchen, and back in those days, customers nicknamed it “crack salad”.

This version borrows elements of that salad but reimagines them - the peanut sauce is simplified, the kale is left raw, the tofu is replaced with peanut marinated tempeh. If you don’t like, or cannot find tempeh, you can use tofu in its place.

Serves 4 / gluten free, vegan

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Ingredients

• 227g (8 oz) tempeh
• sea salt and black pepper
• 1 onion (any variety), peeled and thinly sliced
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 200 g (1 cup) quinoa, rinsed
• 500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock or water
• 1 bunch kale, stalks removed and leaves roughly torn
• handful of coriander/cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Ginger-peanut sauce

• 4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2.5cm (1 inch) piece ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• sea salt and black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450˚F / 230˚C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Cut the tempeh into small triangles.

2. For the ginger–peanut sauce, place the peanut butter, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, tamari or soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and maple syrup into a bowl and add 3-4 tablespoons hot tap water. Whisk until smooth. If it’s too thick, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s smooth but still thick enough to coat a spoon. Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper.

3. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the ginger-peanut marinade into a separate medium sized bowl. Add the tempeh, season with sea salt and black pepper and toss to coat. Transfer the tempeh to the lined baking sheet, add the onions to the sheet too, and drizzle everything with olive oil. Place into the oven and bake until the tempeh and onions are golden and caramelized around the edges, 15-20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, add the quinoa and 2 cups of water, season it with 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes, until all the liquid has absorbed and the quinoa is translucent. Turn off the heat and allow the quinoa to rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes.

5. Place the kale leaves into a large serving bowl and drizzle over 2-3 teaspoons of oil and a big of sea salt. Massage the leaves to tenderize them.

6. To the bowl with the kale, add the quinoa, tempeh, and the coriander/cilantro and drizzle over the remaining ginger-peanut sauce. Toss to coat. Taste and check seasonings, adding more salt or pepper as needed. To serve, top with peanuts.