High-Protein Romesco Salad Recipe
A refreshing high-protein Romesco Salad featuring marinated zucchini ribbons, a flavorful Romesco-inspired tofu sauce, butter beans, plant-based feta, and toasted pine nuts, perfect for a nutritious and satisfying meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade and Zucchini
- 3 small zucchinis
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 lemons (juice + zest, approx ¼ cup total)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Romesco Sauce
- 2 jarred roasted red bell peppers
- 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
- 150 g extra firm tofu
- ¼ cup almonds
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Juice reserved from the marinade (approx 2-3 tbsp)
Salad Assembly
- 1.5 cups cooked butter beans
- 20 g plant-based feta, crumbled
- 1.5 tbsp toasted pine nuts
- 1 handful fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: In a large container, combine the olive oil, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly to create a zesty and aromatic marinade base.
- Marinate the zucchini ribbons: Using a Y-shaped vegetable peeler, shave the zucchinis into thin ribbons. Toss these ribbons in the marinade, ensuring they are fully coated. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour and 30 minutes. After marination, separate the zucchini ribbons from the marinade liquid and reserve the liquid for later use in the sauce.
- Make the Romesco-inspired sauce: In a blender, combine the jarred roasted red bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, extra firm tofu, almonds, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and half of the reserved marinade liquid. Blend until smooth, adding more marinade liquid as needed to reach your desired consistency for the sauce.
- Assemble the salad: In a serving dish, layer the Romesco sauce as the base, followed by cooked butter beans, marinated zucchini ribbons, toasted pine nuts, crumbled plant-based feta, and finish with chopped fresh basil on top. Serve immediately and enjoy the vibrant flavors and textures.
Notes
- For a nuttier flavor, toast the almonds lightly before blending into the sauce.
- Extra firm tofu helps the sauce to thicken nicely but can be substituted with roasted cashews for a creamier version.
- The salad is best served fresh but can be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
- Adjust salt and pepper according to your taste preference during sauce preparation.
- If sun-dried tomatoes are oily, drain excess oil before using to control the sauce consistency.
Keywords: Romesco Salad, high protein salad, vegetarian salad, marinated zucchini, tofu sauce, butter beans, plant-based feta, healthy Mediterranean recipe
Find it online: https://epicrecipebox.com/high-protein-romesco-salad-recipe/