Just Because It's Vegan: Thai Curry Tempeh Salad

This is another installment in the "Just because it's Vegan" series. These are vegan dishes that are tasty and delicious enough to wow any eater.

I love red curry paste. As of right now, I just counted 6 small cans of it in my pantry. I wanted to make some sort of salad to throw in wraps and pitas for lunch this week and thought some sort of thai curry mayo would be a great base. This is a great recipe that's perfect for weekday lunches. The bold flavors of the curry paste, combined with the fresh cilantro, makes a lovely flavor base for the tempeh. If you haven't had tempeh before, I think this would be a great introduction. High in protein, low in fat, it's meaty enough to fill you up. It also has plenty of variations. Don't do tempeh? Substitute tofu. Want some meat? Substitute tuna, chicken breast, or shrimp. Want a lower fat salad? Substitute yogurt for the mayo. This recipe is open to almost any suggestion.

Give this salad a try. With only 6 ingredients, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how simple yet tasty this is.



Thai Curry Tempeh Salad

2 pkgs (8 oz each) soy tempeh
1 c vegan mayonnaise
1 tbsp red curry paste
1/2 c diced red bell pepper
1/2 c diced green onions
1/4 c fresh cilantro, minced

In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups water to boil. Break tempeh into large pieces and add to boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water. Cool tempeh. Line colander with 2 layers of paper towels. Crumble tempeh into small pieces. Cover with 2 more pieces of paper towels and press out as much water as possible.
In a large bowl, whisk together mayo and red curry paste. Stir in remaining ingredients, including tempeh, and mix well. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Serve in a wrap, pita, or eat with tortilla chips.