This is no wimpy salad. Just look at that bad boy. This is the kind of salad that satisfies a meat-eater looking for a vegetarian alternative. Thanks to the quinoa and tempeh, it’s packed with protein, and the avocado, arugula, flax seed and light lime-vinaigrette dressing provide all the nutrients you need to nourish your body and keep you nice and full.

Quinoa is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. It’s also a great source of folate, a B vitamin that is beneficial to everyone but extra important for us preggos out there. Tempeh is an excellent natural vegetarian protein (I don’t do weird “faux” meat products here) with a firm texture and an earthy flavor. It’s much more hearty and tasty than tofu, in my opinion. You can find tempeh in the produce section of your grocery store, near the tofu.

I recommend doubling up the recipe and making a big batch on a Sunday or Monday night, and then packing lunch for the next few days. It’s hearty, healthy, and more than satisfying! We were talking about this salad all night after having it for dinner.

Here we go:

PunkWife’s Powerhouse Quinoa Tempeh Salad

For the dressing:

• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 lime
• sea salt & pepper, to taste

For the salad:

• 1 8 oz packet of tempeh
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons whole flax seeds*
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb arugula/spring mix blend
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro (optional)
• 1 avocado peeled, pitted and cut into cubes

*For the flax seeds, I actually purchased tempeh that already had flax seeds in it. If you don’t see this option for tempeh, add the flax seeds separately.

Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Take the block of tempeh and cut it into 1/2 inch thick strips and place in a dish. (Remember, I doubled this recipe so I used 2 packs.) Pour soy sauce over tempeh and allow to marinate for at 10-15 minutes.

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve for 1 minute under cool water, then drain. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add quinoa and stir to toast for 1-2 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and while it’s still warm, mix in the flax seeds and a touch of sea salt. Set aside.

To cook the tempeh, heat a saucepan at medium-high heat and lightly coat the pan in extra virgin olive oil. Place the tempeh in the pan and sear on each side for 7-10 minutes. Once cooked, cut tempeh into cubes and set aside.

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing on top, lightly toss, and serve. Enjoy your vegetarian, protein-packed dinner and/or lunch.

And for more of my favorite tempeh recipes, click here and here.