Appetizers,  Dairy Free,  Gluten Free,  Recipe,  Salad,  Sides,  Vegan,  Vegetarian

Grape Caprese Avocado Salad + Balsamic Reduction (Vegan+GF)

July 30, 2015

Guess what, the sun is popping out and I think It might stay and hang out for a while today, yay! I was beginning to forget what it looked like.

So what do think of when you hear the word salad, because it seems to be a very broad term with many different interpretations. In some places if you order a salad at a restaurant you are going to be disappointed  with a large bowl of lettuce and a few dots of something to garnish. I thinks it’s just that some consider salads only a side dish type of thing.


To others when salad comes to mind it might be a steakhouse-style salad that’s basically a pile heavy toppings and croutons smothered in ranch. Would you like some lettuce with your dressing?

My view of a perfect salad is somewhere in between the two. I think every salad needs to have plenty of flavors and some kind of awesome dressing to finish it off, either creamy or sweet. It also should be light enough to be a side dish on it’s own, or loaded enough that you could add some protein and make it a meal. Of course, that applies only to lettuce based salads, I’m not talking about pasta, bean, or fruit salad. Those are all completely different categories.

One of my favorite flavors of summer is fresh basil and I happened to get a bunch of it the other day. Since it pairs so well with tomatoes and avocado it seemed only fitting to make a caprese salad and my favorite way to top that is with a balsamic reduction that is super easy. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

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Grape Caprese Avocado Salad + Balsamic Reduction (Vegan+GF)

Sometimes the simplest things are the best and that's exactly the case with this minimal ingredient salad.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinating Time 25 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Balsamic Reduction:

  • 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Salad

  • 3 cups loosely packed red leaf lettuce
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
  • 1 cup red grapes sliced in half
  • 1 medium avocado sliced
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 block firm tofu drained and dried of excess liquid
  • 1 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cut the tofu into small cubes and throw into a bowl and add apple cider vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. Toss to coat. Place in the fridge to marinate for 15-30 minutes
  2. For the reduction, combine sugar and balsamic in a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened, then remove from heat and cool.
  3. Combine ingredients for salad in a large bowl and toss together gently. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
  4. Top salad immediately before serving or serve per individual.

 

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