Whole Foods vegan tempeh salad

I’ve been obsessed with Whole Foods’ vegan tempeh salad forever.  If it’s at the salad bar, I have a very hard time passing it up.  Sometimes I use the soup containers and just buy a 1/2 pint of it for a few days worth of meals…I add it to grains, greens, toast…anything and everything (click here for proof!).

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A google search combined with some of my own sleuthing (aka writing down the ingredient list off the WF container) produced this recipe…

Whole Foods vegan tempeh salad (vegan, gluten free)

  • 16 ounces tempeh (I like Lightlife’s flax tempeh)
  • 1/4 cup sweet relish
  • 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup green pepper, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup scallions, sliced *
  • 2 tbsp tamari
  • 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic *
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp dried dill *
  • 1 cup vegan mayonnaise (I like Spectrum’s Light Canola Mayo & Follow Your Heart’s vegenaise)

*of course I tweaked the crap out of it by omitting the scallions, red onions & dill, using 1/2 tsp garlic powder instead of fresh, adding 2 tbsp tahini, and only using 3/4 cup vegan mayo.  While the OG recipe is fine for my tummy, my version is even lower in FODMAPS.

Directions:

Cut tempeh into chunks and steam for ~ 10 minutes (this minimizes the slightly bitter aftertaste).

Wait for it to cool and chop veggies to kill the time.

Once the tempeh has cooled, crumble it, add in all the spices/dried herbs, and mix thoroughly.

Next combine the seasoned tempeh with the chopped vegetables (and sunflower seeds).

Finally, add the mayonnaise.  Mix and serve.

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Enjoy!

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Comments (14)

  1. GetSkinny GoVegan

    Oh my mom makes this & it always gets rave reviews, even from the naysayers!! They had a new salad of kale, avocadoes, and peppers the other day. Oil free. Was happy because their other kale salad was getting too much oil in it, but I think they changed that too…..raw fooders probably revolted 🙂

  2. Maddie

    Thank you for posting this recipe Elise! I can’t wait to make it! Have you ever tried Wildwood’s garlic aioli?

  3. Chelsey @ Chew With Your Mouth Open

    I was just looking for recipe to use up some tempeh – this is perfect! Thanks!

  4. Jeff

    Mmm cumin – how about increasing it from 1 tsp to 1 tbs ?!!

  5. Reia

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen this preparation at my Whole Foods, but of course, different places, different things! It sounds really good though, like the perfect substitute for tuna salad sandwiches.

  6. Alissa - Not Just Apples

    Amazing! Looks very delicious – a great way to try out tempeh I think – thanks ♥

  7. Missy

    I love this stuff too!! it is so delicious and satisfying. thanks a million for recreating the recipe. I’m definitely going to be making it for lunch this week!

  8. Missy

    I love this stuff too!! it is so delicious and satisfying. thanks a million for recreating the recipe. I’m definitely going to be making it for lunch this week!

  9. Sarah B @ Bake + Bike

    Whoaa deliciousness. I love each and every one of these ingredients. Good call on using tahini in addition to vegan mayo!

    Boy, do I wish the Whole Foods in Toronto carried salads like this!

  10. Elyse

    Just made it for my work week lunches and love it! My only change was using .5 cups mayo and .25 C mustard instead of 1 C mayo. So good!

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  12. Marie

    This was excellent–I left out the seeds (allergy) and relish, and substituted chopped fresh ramps for the garlic, then added some ground cayenne–it was excellent. I loved the lemon juice/veg mayo dressing and steaming the tempeh was a great tip. Thank you for posting this.

  13. Elise (Post author)

    hi marie! awesome. cayenne sounds like a great addition.

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