Avocado Wasabi Salad

Avocado Wasabi Salad

Yes, I know. It’s a salad.

Who wants to go to a vegan website and see a recipe for salad? I keep salads to an absolute minimum around here. So when one does show up, it’s a freakin’ delicious salad.

And this one is definitely freakin’ delicious.

I’ve had the idea of an avocado based salad dressing kicking around in my head for the last few days, and an avocado kicking around my kitchen counter. This salad is easy to throw together, and is a great entree salad, or a side salad for a dinner party or some such get-together.

The dressing is rich, and despite the title, is pretty damn tasty even without the added wasabi. You have my permission to leave the wasabi powder out altogether if you don’t like it or can’t find it.

I don’t know if my wasabi powder is old and has lost its kick, or if you need a massive amount of it to make things spicy (anyone with experience want to weigh in?), but this dressing was as mild as the day is long. It added a great flavor, but no heat. You may wish to add in your own wasabi powder slowly, tasting as you go, just in case yours is spicy.

The other ingredients are simple but flavorful as well. Pan-fried wasabi-soy chickpeas, sauteed broccoli, toasted almonds, and shredded carrots. I find this mixture goes particularly well together, adding crunch, sweetness, protein, and color. And they all pair wonderfully with the dressing.

Avocado Wasabi Salad

Speaking of the dressing, it’s pretty ugly stuff. This isn’t something you’re going to want to serve on the side for your guests. Toss it with the lettuce and then serve it. Just trust me on this one. You’ll see when you make it.

Avocado Wasabi Salad
Serves 4-6

Greens of your choice for 4-6 people
1 Carrot, shredded
2 tsp Vegetable Oil, divided
1/2 to 3/4 Cup Broccoli, chopped small
1/3 Cup Toasted Slivered Almonds
1 Recipe Wasabi Chickpeas, below
1 Recipe Avocado Wasabi dressing, below
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Wasabi-Tamari Chickpeas
1 tsp Oil
1 Cup Chickpeas
1 tsp Wasabi Powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 Tbs Low Sodium Tamari/Soy Sauce

Avocado Wasabi Dressing
1 Ripe Avocado, diced
2 tsp White Wine Vinegar
3 Tbs Hummus, plain or garlic
1 tsp Stoneground Mustard
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Wasabi Powder
1/4 to 1/3 Cup Vegetable oil

Begin by whisking the dressing ingredients together, except for the oil. Whisk until smooth. If your avocado isn’t super ripe, you may wish to blend the dressing in a food processor. Slowly add oil until emulsified and the dressing is smooth, refrigerate until ready to use.

Toast your almonds in a dry pan over medium heat if they are not already toasted. Set aside.

In the same pan, add 1 tsp of oil and add broccoli. Sautee over high heat until the broccoli is beginning to color in spots and is bright green, but still tender-crisp. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside.

Add the second teaspoon of oil to the same pan and add the chickpeas. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook the chickpeas until they are golden on all sides, using a spatula to loosen them as necessary, but don’t worry if they stick a little. Add the wasabi powder, sugar, and tamari and stir well. Remove from pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, add your salad greens. Add the broccoli, 3/4 of the chickpeas, 3/4 of the almonds, and 3/4 of the carrots. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Plate the salad, and garnish the top with the remaining chickpeas, almonds and carrots. Crack fresh black pepper over the top. Serve immediately.

If you are serving the salad later, do not add the dressing until the last minute.

PS – I have a new “like” button down there over the comments if you want to heart a recipe without commenting. :) And if you’re interested in what I’m cooking, and what us in line for the blog, become a fan on facebook.

Avocado Wasabi Salad

198 comments

  2. Tori

    Hey Lolo! Love your recipes. I linked to you on my Jewish cooking blog today… vegan recipes like yours are really helpful for kosher cooks!

  7. Cammy

    hi i was just wondering if the blueberry waffle recipe in your cookbook could be made into pancakes because i dont own a waffle maker, thanx

  8. Suzanne

    Ok, so I don’t usually use the adjective “freakin” but yes, this salad is freakin delicious!!! Just made it–very easy–and will definitely be a staple for my own dinners and company dinners.
    Thanks!!!

  9. Brenna

    Hi there! I just made this salad & it was SO yumyum!

    I subbed walnuts & some leftover wasabi from sushi take out. I think i may add sraichi to kick things up a bit next tme, but dang this was the best salad I have had in forever!!!!!!!!

    This is the first of your recipes I have made and I will be back to explore your archives.

  10. Cookin' Canuck

    Sometimes a salad is set down in front of me and I can’t stop eating it because the flavors are so complex and alluring. I can tell that this would be one of those salads. Well done!

  12. Heather

    I think it’s a great idea to post salads from time to time. People get tired of the same old salads, but many don’t know how to invent something new. I often make healthy vegan salads on my video blog and this one looks so awesome, I may just have to try it. I’ll give you credit for sure. Thanks!

  13. sharon

    definitely don’t try this with dried chickpeas — i did, and nearly broke my jaw.

    delicious otherwise, though!

  14. kim

    You’ve combined all my favorite ingredients – chickpeas, avocado and of course salad greens! Btw, what od you usually order when you dine out? I find my choices were really limited when I go out with my mom (she’s not a vegan though).

  16. Ginger in La.

    I am glad you are back. I’m a new vegan and stumbled upon your blog and spent hours reading backwards! I’ve tried some of your recipes and love every one so far! AND I ordered your book – it should arrive today and I’m super excited!!! I can’t wait to make this salad – my 15 yo is an ardent wasabi lover!

  17. Lindsay

    my husband and i are trying out vegetarianism and i just ordered your book… i’m so excited to try your recipes!!

  18. Chukwuma

    As a newly converted [former (sloppy) vegetarian turned] vegan, I would like to thank you for the great book and the recipes on this site. I prepared this salad today and it was better than I would have ever expected. Great work.

  19. Chinmayi

    I made it tonight and agreed, the wasabi didn’t have much punch. Also, this recipe makes for a LOT of dressing…I didn’t anticipate it would make that much!

  20. veronica lin

    lauren, your book has changed my life, i never imagine that being a vegaetarian can be so rewarding (both physically and mentally),
    thank you very much!
    veronica
    a big fans of you from hong kong

  21. Genevieve

    This looks amazing!

    I just received your book and cannot wait to try your delicious
    creations.

    Thanks for the inspiration and bravo for your book and blog!

    :-)

  22. Emily

    Amazing! This salad is defiantly freaking delicious. Thanks so much for all your wonderful recipes!

  24. Ariella

    hurray! I only use my wasabi powder when I make maki rolls, so I am excited to have another way to use it up before another decade passes. My husband is allergic to avocado though (I know, it’s a huge drag!) do you think I should just up the hummus a little a maybe grind some cashews as well to throw in?? Or should I use a little veganaise??? Any thoughts are welcome.

  25. Kapil

    My first ever experience cooking for myself (blame my mum and my aunt’s delicious cooking for my late blossoming…) and this turned out to be quite good.

    Ok correction, it was freakin’ fantastic!

  26. Tracy

    Yeah!!! My husband went searching for your cookbook and found it! I can’t wait to try all the yummy dishes! Your photography is amazing by the way! Thanks for making such a great book (and blog!)

  29. Erika

    I made this tonight.

    I used wasabi paste, and I thought the dressing was a bit too….wasabi-ish? I love wasabi, but It’s all I could taste. And I think I over-cooked the chickpeas trying to get them “golden” (they were more “brown” by the end), and I found the tamari taste to be very strong. But all in all, it was certainly an interesting salad.

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  32. sandra

    Hi! I am happy you are back!! I really admire your blog. The pictures are wonderful. How did you learn to shoot food? Sandra

  33. River

    I must try this wonderful salad – certainly an entree salad! – asap. Thanks so much for this idea. We are always looking for new things to do with avocados and with chickpeas – and love wasabi (although until this moment I have used the paste from a tube rather than the powder). Your warnings are noted :)

    I want to add that I was searching for a new asparagus recipe 1/2 hour before lunch today and googled – found your wonderful recipe, posted last May, here: http://veganyumyum.com/2009/05/chili-almond-asparagus/ We had to adapt for a lack of a couple of ingredients (don’t you just hate it when you hear that!) but are going shopping to try it again – it was stupendously good just as it was! I’m leaving a comment under that recipe, with our thanks.

  34. Caroline

    I just started down the vegan path – this salad was AWESOME! Both my 3-year-old and meat-loving husband couldn’t get enough!! Thanks for this great blog.

  36. Melissa

    Got your book yesterday! YAY! It looks awesome, love all the pictures and details.

    So exciting :) Congrats on all your well deserved successes!

  38. Tara

    This salad was absolutely delicious! My meat eating husband said it was his new favourite and insisted I make it again!

  40. Ashley

    Lauren, I was a tester for your book and am STILL waiting for my copy. You haven’t even shown me the respect of responding to my emails. This is so unappreciative and disrespectful. Please contact me.

  41. liz

    lolo, I love you. I can’t even tell you how exactly perfect this salad dressing is calling to me! I just recently got into avocado + mustard and anything with wasabi should already be in my mouth. So making this!

  44. himawari

    Hi Lauren – I bought your book last month and I just wanted to tell you how much I LOVE it. Right after I got it, I started marking recipes I wanted to try and pretty soon almost every page had a sticky note so I had to think of some other way to decide what to make!

    I’m especially awed by the baked kale – I love how simple it is but it is SO amazingly delicious. It takes all I have not to eat the whole thing straight off the cooking sheet out of the oven. I’ve also tried about five other dishes and I really appreciate how simple and flexible the recipes are. Thank you so much for sharing such wonder recipes!

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  47. Lisa

    Hi there. I’m a long time vegetarian, recent vegan, and I just wanted to tell you how amazing your blog is. I’m sure it can get overwhelming at times, but you are seriously helping so many people live more ethical lifestyles. Thank you!

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