SALAD DAYS

SALADS ARE HAVING A MOMENT.

From top-tier restaurants giving them renewed focus to high-style fast-casuals dedicated solely to the leafy meals—big hearty salads brimming with savory proteins, hearty greens, and roasted vegetables are now as cool as they are filling. So we tasked veteran chef and cookbook author Terry Hope Romero with creating four stick-to-your-ribs entrée salads with a slew of mix-and-match dressings, sprinkles, and protein-packed toppers, all guaranteed to make any salad showstopping.

Want to make our salads the star of your meal? Each recipe makes either two supersized entrées for hungry salad eaters or four smaller portions for supporting roles (that’ll steal the spotlight anyway).

Tempeh Bacon Wedge Salad

How to redeem iceberg lettuce? Make it fun to eat and top with creamy sunflower ranch dressing, homemade croutons, and smoky tempeh bacon.

Serves 4

For the Tempeh Bacon:

1 (8-ounce) package tempeh
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika or chipotle pepper powder

For the Sunflower Dill Ranch Dressing:

½ cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed½ cup unsweetened plain vegan milk3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon rice or white wine vinegar1 large garlic clove, peeled2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill1 teaspoon salt½ teaspoon garlic powder¼ teaspoon black pepper¼ cup grapeseed oil