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Salads

Composed Salad with Pickled Beets & Smoked Tofu

TIME

30 min

DIFFICULTY

Easy

SERVINGS

4

CALORIES

280 kcal

CARBS

19 g

PROTEIN

22 g

FAT

13 g

Z Composed Salad with Pickled Beets & Smoked Tofu

About this recipe

A composed salad presents its ingredients in arranged sections rather than tossing everything together. This modern version pairs smoked tofu and hard-boiled eggs with pickled beets, crisp vegetables, and a creamy lemon-dill dressing.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT

Smoked tofu and tangy pickled beets create a bold contrast. Crisp snap peas and tender eggs add variety to every plate. A creamy lemon-dill dressing ties the colorful ingredients together.

Ingredients

Makes: 4 individually arranged salads. Divide all ingredients and the entire dressing equally among the four plates.

For the dressing

  • ½ cup reduced-fat sour cream (120 g)
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh dill (4 g)
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (30 ml)
  • ¼ tsp fine salt (1.5 g)
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (0.5 g)

For the salad

  • 6 cups torn Boston or Bibb lettuce (180 g), washed and thoroughly dried
  • 2 cups torn radicchio (80 g), washed and thoroughly dried
  • 4 large eggs (200 g total without shells)
  • 2 medium tomatoes (approximately 250 g), cut into wedges
  • 8 oz firm smoked tofu (227 g), ready to eat, drained if needed and diced
  • 1 cup diced pickled beets (170 g drained weight)
  • 2 cups sugar snap peas (200 g after trimming), strings removed and pods halved

Nutrition note: Estimates include one-quarter of every ingredient and all the dressing. Smoked tofu brands and the sugar content of pickled beets vary; check the product labels.

Preparation

Time: Allow approximately 30 minutes, including cooking and cooling the eggs. Prepare the dressing and vegetables while the eggs cook and cool. Active time is approximately 20 minutes.

  1. Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring to a full boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 12 minutes, then transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. Peel and cut each egg into quarters.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together the reduced-fat sour cream, dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
  3. Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce and radicchio. Tear into bite-size pieces, combine gently, and divide equally among four large plates.
  4. Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Drain the pickled beets before measuring and dicing. Drain the smoked tofu if needed and cut into bite-size cubes. Trim the snap peas, remove any tough strings, and halve the pods.
  5. Arrange one quarter of the tomatoes, tofu, beets, and snap peas in separate sections over the greens on each plate. Add one quartered egg to each salad.
  6. Divide the entire dressing equally among the four salads, drizzling it over the arranged ingredients. Serve immediately.

Tips

  • A composed salad keeps the toppings arranged in sections instead of mixing them together. Cut the ingredients into manageable pieces so they are easy to eat.
  • Use firm smoked tofu labeled ready to eat. This recipe does not require frying it or adding oil.
  • Drain the beets well and add them near the end to limit staining of the other ingredients.
  • Use tender sugar snap peas with edible pods, not shelled green peas. Remove any tough strings before serving them raw.
  • Dry the greens thoroughly so the dressing clings rather than becoming diluted.
  • If preparing components ahead, refrigerate them separately and assemble just before serving.

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