Vegan Broccoli Salad with Crispy Tempeh Bacon Bits
5 from 2 votes
That Vegan Nephew
This is an amazingly crunchy, fresh broccoli salad with incredibly delectable, meaty and smokey tempeh bacon bits that is easy-to-make and easier to share. Perfect for bbqs and potlucks, this salad will knock the socks off anyone who has never tried tempeh before, as it's truly an exquisite way to enjoy the soy protein. If you like fresh broccoli florets, a zippy, creamy dressing, crunchy smoked tempeh, and chewy, tart cranberries, and succulent toasted pine & walnuts, then you've got to make this!
Halve the broccoli florets, and transfer them to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, toast your pine nuts and walnuts together for 3 to 5 minutes, until fragrant and the pine nuts begin to brown slightly. While doing this, soak your cranberries in warm water, too.
Drain the cranberries, and add them to the large bowl with the broccoli, along with the walnuts and pine nuts.
Mix together your dressing ingredients, and then pour it over the broccoli salad. Use a spatula to coating everything in dressing.
Crumble the block of tempeh into small bits with your fingers. Preheat a skillet with the 1/2 to 1 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat, then cook the crumble tempeh for 7 to 8 minutes.
Mix together the tamari, maple syrup, sriracha, garlic powder, and liquid smoke in a medium bowl, and then transfer the tempeh directly from the pan to the marinade. Let the tempeh soak in the marinade for at least 5 minutes to absorb some of the flavor.
Lastly, transfer the marinaded tempeh back to the skillet over medium-high heat this time, and fry until the bits begin to char - about 3 to 4 minutes. You only want some of them lightly burned - just enough for a delicious, BBQ char flavor.You have the option to add the hot crispy tempeh "bacon" bits either as a garnish on the side so people can choose how much they want, or directly on top of the salad itself.