Summer Tomato Vegan Caprese Salad
Summer heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, tarragon and tofu in a miso vinegrete. It’s not exactly a caprese salad- it branches out from the traditional- but this vegan caprese salad is delicious enough to compete with any caprese. It’s perfect for a hot summer days when turning on the stove and heating up the house is the last thing you want to do. Some of my favorite summer dinners are a delicious salad and a great bread, and this fills that spot on the menu perfectly.
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Summer Tomatoes
The center of a vegan caprese salad would have to be the tomato, and there might not be anything more perfect than the summer vine-ripened heirloom tomato. Lumpy, multi-colored bundles of perfection. You can smell the warmth of the summer sun on their skin. That smell makes me feel a sense of immediate peace and security. Like everything is alright in the world, and I belong. It’s a pretty powerful experience to have over a piece of fruit, but what can I say- summer tomatoes are a pretty powerful, perfect thing.
I have committed a summer sin in this recipe. I used dried basil, and let tarragon carry the herbs to the finish line. While I LOVE fresh basil, it does tend to get put in everything in the summer. Plus I didn’t have any in the house, and if it’s too hot to cook dinner you can bet it’s too hot for me to get myself to the store. I did have tarragon- my mother gave me a lovely bouquet of it, after her plant threatened to take over the yard. And why let basil rule summer anyways? There are so many delicious herbs- give tarragon a chance this.
Looking for Tomato Recipes? Try one of these!
- Heirloom Tomato Summer Watermelon Salad
- Fresh Tomato Soup with Crispy Garlic Toasts
- Sweet and Savory Tomato Jam Recipe
- Lion’s Mane Mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) in Cherry Tomato Sauce
- Cornbread with Roasted Tomato and Sunflower Seeds
Summer Tomato Vegan Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 14 oz. package of tofu, soft or firm
- 3 large heirloom tomatoes
- One cucumber
- ¼ Vidalia onion
- A few sprigs of fresh tarragon
- 1 TBSP. white miso paste
- 2 TBSP. balsamic vinegar
- 2 TBSP. olive oil
- ½ tsp. dried basil (substitute fresh basil if desired)
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Press your tofu to remove some of the moisture. After they’ve been pressed for at least 15 minutes, cut into small cubes. Cut the cucumbers and tomatoes into cubes, dice the onion, and mince the tarragon. Place all the vegetables into a large bowl.
- In a small bowl add the ingredients for the dressing and whisk well. Pour over the salad and toss to coat all the vegetables with the dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.
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Let’s hear from you…
- How often do you eat salad as your main meal? Is it more frequent in summer?
- What are some under-appreciated herbs? Do you think I was too hard on basil?
Share your answers in the comments below!
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