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
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