Michigan Salad is a made with green lettuces, cherries and other berries and fruit from Michigan, nuts such as walnuts and pecans, and a crumbly cheese such as blue or feta.
And it’s named after my state. I love where I live. Michigan is a beautiful state in the Great Lakes region. We have 64,980 inland lakes and ponds and one is never more than six miles away from a natural water source or 85 miles away from a Great Lakes shoreline. You really can’t turn around without bumping into some kind of water.
This salad takes just a few minutes to prepare, including the incredibly simple crumbly cheese. Warning. It’s not all that budget friendly. The fresh and dried cherries are a little pricey at around $6 a pound for either. Use whatever you have that’s in season and/or on sale if you’re sticking to a budget. These were about $4 each.
The crumbly cheese is just extra firm silken tofu that’s mashed up with a little lemon juice, salt, and herbs. It’s not all that close to a blue cheese or feta, and it’s not going to fool any turophile (fancy word for a cheese expert!), but it’s vegan and it’s delicious! If you’d like a nut based cheese on your salad, try this Almond Feta Cheese from Vegetarian Times. It takes a little longer to make and is a bit higher in fat than the tofu cheese.
Michigan Salad
This easy salad popular in Michigan restaurants, especially in the summer, uses cherries and blueberries and other produce common to the state. Super healthy and delicious.2
Ingredients
- 4 cups lettuce, romaine or spring mix $1.40
- 2/3 cup fresh cherries, sliced and pitted $1.00
- 2/3 cup fresh blueberries $.60
- 2/3 cup fresh red rasberries $1.00
- 1/2 apple, sliced $.50
- 1/2 pear, sliced $.50
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces $.60
- 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced $.30
- 2 oz extra firm, silken tofu $.90
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon dried herbs de provence or dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and/or lavender
- 1/4 cup tart cherry juice $.90
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 sweetener, if desired stevia or maple syrup, optional
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Arrange the lettuce on two plates and divide and add the berries, fruit, walnuts, and onion on top of each.
-
To make the cheese, place the silken tofu in a small bowl with the salt, lemon juice, and herbs. Gently use a potato masher to crumble the silken tofu and other ingredients together. One or two mashes is all it takes. Crumble over the two salads. A nut based cheese can be substituted, if desired.
-
Whisk together the remaining ingredients and use as a dressing, dividing between the two salads.
The drink is just a sparkling orange limeade water with a few muddled red raspberries added. It reminds me a little bit of a nonalcoholic mimosa. It takes less than a minute to mash a few raspberries and add the sparkling water, but adds a nice touch to any meal.
One tiny, last, little thing before you go. Tell me about yourself … if you like.
Who are you? What do you like? What sorts of food and other tidbits make your heart happy? Where are you from? Do you have a regional salad or other dish?
Hello! I’m Lisa, a vegan artist, photographer, author, Vegan Life Coach Educator, and RYT 200 yoga teacher. I love showing others how simple and delicious a plant-based diet can be. I draw and paint, cook, write, take lots of pics, eat lots of chocolate, and practice gratitude daily.
Wow…delicious! So fun how easy it is to adapt to plant-based cheese options. And so worth it. XO