Avocado BLT Salad

This vegan Avocado BLT salad with tofu bacon, croutons and a ranch-style dressing will convince even the pickiest of eaters to love salad. It may not be the healthiest salad you'll ever eat, but it's surely one of the tastiest!

A few months ago, we came up with a recipe for the BEST vegan tofu bacon. It's smoky, chewy, crispy, meaty and we just can't get enough, so we've been adding it to as many recipes as possible.

Two favorites:

• Sweet Potato & Kale Breakfast Hash with Tofu Bacon
• Vegan BLT Sandwich (where we got the inspo for this salad!)

We're also using in a few upcoming recipes (including a great holiday recipe for green beans that's WAY better than anything that comes out of a can). It's the perfect complement to this BLT-inspired salad and adds so much saltiness, umami flavor and some plant protein!

Here's how to make this insanely delicious avocado BLT salad:

Ingredients

Salad

• Lettuce: to keep things traditional, we used a basic spring mix. However, this would also be great with spinach, kale or arugula.
• Tomatoes: grape or cherry tomatoes are best for this salad.
• Tofu Bacon: or more accurately, bacon bits! These savory, chewy, smoky babies are marinated and pan-fried to perfection. It's really hard not to eat them all straight from the pan.
• Avocado: putting the "A" in "BLTA". Ripe avocado adds creaminess and offsets the salty bacon.
• Corn (optional): I love adding corn to this salad for an extra burst of sweetness and freshness.
• Croutons: homemade always seem to taste better, so we've included a quick recipe in the notes section.
• Ranch-style dressing: this creamy, tangy dressing with a vegan mayo and yogurt couldn't be easier to whisk up.

Tofu Bacon

The star of the show! Here's what you'll need to make these:

• Tofu: extra firm is best for this recipe.
• Tamari or soy sauce: we always use low-sodium, so if using regular, use a bit less.
• Maple syrup: for a touch of sweetness. (Use the pure stuff!)
• Neutral, high-heat oil like safflower or vegetable: avoid oil like olive oil, which smokes at high heat.
• Liquid smoke: this is what gives tofu bacon its quintessential "bacon" taste. You can typically find it near bbq sauces at the grocery store.
• Apple cider vinegar: for a bit of tanginess.
• Onion powder, pepper and salt: for seasoning.

Instructions

Start by preparing the tofu. You'll need it to be as dry as possible to crisp up. Drain the tofu and pat dry. Then, wrap in a clean towel or paper towel and set something heavy on top, like a cast iron skillet.

Let sit for about 30 minutes, switching out the towel with a fresh one halfway through.

Meanwhile, if you want to make your own croutons, get the oven preheating to 350˚F. Make the croutons by whisking together the olive oil, dill, onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper and tossing with cubed bread.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until crispy and golden brown.

While that's in the oven, make your tofu bacon. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the marinade and dice the tofu into small cubes (like bacon bits). Pour the marinade over the tofu and let sit for a few minutes while you heat a skillet to medium-high.

Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet, then use a slotted spoon to add the tofu to the pan, leaving the marinade in the bowl. Fry the tofu, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides. Add more of the reserved marinade as the pan dries out.

Next, all that's left to do is whisk together the dressing ingredients and prepare the remaining salad ingredients.

If using corn, you can either boil fresh corn for a few minutes until tender or grill. Frozen corn is an easier alternative, just be sure to defrost completely.

Add all of the ingredients to a big salad bowl and toss well in the dressing. If not eating right away, wait to add in the croutons so they don't get soggy.

Meal Prep

This is a great meal prep recipe, because you can prep all of the components ahead of time and assemble before eating for a delicious lunch.

We suggest storing the bacon, dressing and croutons in separate containers so nothing gets soggy. Additionally, it's best to add avocado just before serving, otherwise it will brown in the fridge.

More vegan salad recipes you'll love:

• Cobb Salad with Eggplant Bacon
• Greek Chickpea Salad
• Niçoise Salad with White Beans
• White Bean & Edamame Salad
• Buffalo Cauliflower Salad

If you make this vegan Avocado BLT salad, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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