Tempeh Bacon Kale Salad

This Tempeh Bacon Kale Salad has everything you could want in a salad! The ingredients are fresh. It is healthy. It is protein-packed. And it tastes amazing! And it’s even better because you can eat it at home! When you don’t feel like doing a lot of cooking, but want something tasty, this is going to be your go-to!

Step One: Make the Tempeh Bacon

To keep this salad super simple, I used pre-made tempeh bacon. So when I say we’re “making” the tempeh bacon, what I really mean is that we’re going to cut it up and lightly pan fry it.

The tempeh bacon I get comes in long strips. I like to take them out of the package and cut them into small squares. This makes them bite-sized and easy to crisp up.

Heat some avocado oil in a skillet and add the squares. Crisp them up on both sides – this should only take about 3 minutes per side. Take them out of the skillet and let them cool while you prep everything else.

Step Two: Make the Tahini Dressing

I love a tahini dressing. It is creamy without all of that extra oil. But, I always give a warning that tahini has a naturally bitter flavor. You need a lot of vinegar to balance out that bitterness. So don’t be afraid to be a little heavy handed with the lemon juice & vinegar.

Here is what you need:

• tahini
• avocado oil
• apple cider vinegar
• lemon juice
• pepper
• dried parsley

Add everything to a bowl (or a jar) and mix it up. Play around with the flavors until it tastes right to you, and add water as needed to thin it out.

Step Three: Assemble & Serve

And now it is time to assemble! To a super large bowl add kale, tempeh bacon, red onion, sunflower seeds, avocado & a can of drained chickpeas.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss, toss, toss. I like to eat this right away. But, if you are making it ahead of time, leave the avocado out until right before serving.

This is what I would call “salad goals”! Healthy, delicious & easy.

Tips & Tricks

I used the Lightlife pre-made tempeh bacon. You can use their store locator to find out where to get it!

If you’re not a kale lover, you can always switch up the greens. I personally love kale because it holds up super well even after you add the dressing.