Description
For a refreshing taste of summer, this Summer Orzo Salad hits the spot. This pasta salad is loaded with fresh summer vegetables and marinated tofu. It’s vegan, easy to make and modify!
Ingredients
- 1 (450 g) block extra firm tofu
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dry basil
- 1/2 tsp dry oregano
- 1/2 tsp dry thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup fire roasted corn (freshly grilled or frozen corn works well)
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups dry orzo
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a container, add your oil, garlic, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt and herbs.
- Cube your tofu into bite size pieces and add to the container with the marinade, seal it and give a good shake to coat the tofu completely, then set aside.
- To a grill pan or griddle set to medium-high heat, add a little oil and begin to grill your zucchini, onion and corn with a generous amount of salt. Allow to cook on both sides until vegetables are cooked through and appear to have grill marks. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Cook orzo according to package, then drain and add to a large mixing bowl.
- To the mixing bowl, add in grilled corn, zucchini, tomatoes and top with your marinated tofu and nutritional yeast.
- Gently, toss everything together to combine and adjust salt and pepper to taste. For best flavor, make sure to allow salad to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Notes
To minimize the mess of cutting corn on the cob, cut your kernels into the bowl. Place one end of the cob in the bowl and glide your knife from one end to the other to remove the kernels from the cob without them rolling away.
Cook your orzo according to the package. You just want to cook it until it’s al dente and then drain well, no rinsing required. Once drained, add to the bowl along with the corn kernels.
Cut your tofu into smaller cubes. These smaller pieces will have an easier time absorbing the marinade compared to large pieces. I cut my tofu into 16 equal pieces, but you can do smaller cuts.
To save time, feel free to use pre-grilled vegetables or regular roasted vegetables.
