Southwest Salad from Vegan Yack Attack’s Plant-Based Meal Prep by Jackie Sobon is the ultimate grab-and-go lunch. Prep your salad on Sunday, and you have meals at the ready for the week ahead! This recipe is super easy to make, and it’s vegan and gluten-free.
Plant-Based Meal Prep
A lot of my health coaching clients tell me that sticking to a healthy diet during the work week can be tough. I always suggest meal prepping to help them make it through the week. Meal prep can be a little daunting though. Sometimes you’re not sure what to buy at the grocery store, how much food to prep, or if you have the right type of storage containers. And you want to make sure that you’re not spending hours on end in the kitchen on the weekend in order to have meals throughout the week.
Jackie Sobon has come to the rescue with her newest cookbook Vegan Yack Attack’s Plant-Based Meal Prep! Jackie takes the guesswork out of meal prep, making it simple and easy.
Meal Plans
Jackie begins Plant-Based Meal Prep with meal preparation tips. Here you’ll find tips for staying organized, as well as lists of essential equipment and helpful ingredients.
Diving into meal prep, Jackie starts with weekly meal prep menus for one person. There are 6 menus, so you’ll have enough meals to last you a month and a half if you follow it each week. Each menu has a grocery list along with guidelines to help make prep easy. The recipes are easy to make and they don’t take too much time, so you’re spending your precious day off standing in the kitchen. Each recipe makes 5 servings, so you’ll have enough to last throughout the work week.
The book also has mix and match menus, some for two people and some for four. In these meal plans, Jackie has included checklists and prep itineraries to help make the most of your time. The menus include lighter fare, high protein meals, and flavors of East Asia.
Creative Recipes
Even if you aren’t into meal prep and are just looking for some yummy recipes, you’ll really enjoy Plant-Based Meal Prep. Jackie is known for her deliciously flavorful and creative recipes, which you’re probably familiar with if you follow her blog Vegan Yack Attack. These recipes do not disappoint. I talking about dishes like Seitan Fusion Tacos, Blood Orange Freezer Waffles with Berry Compote, and Piña Colada Chia Pudding. They are all easy to make, and they use easy to find whole food, plant-based ingredients.
The Chapters in Vegan Yack Attack’s Plant-Based Meal Prep include:
- Making Meal Prepping Easy
- Weekly Meal Prep for One
- Mix and Match for All
- Basics and Bonuses
Southwest Salad
The first recipe I made from the book was the Southwest Salad. I like to eat salads for lunch during the week, even in winter. This recipe has some spicy heat to it, which I appreciate in the colder months.
This recipe couldn’t be easier to make. You simply chop your veggies and divide them among 5 containers! Easy peasy!
The Southwest Salad is topped with Cilantro Jalapeño Cashew Dressing, which is just as simple to make. You just mix everything together in a blender until it’s smooth and creamy.
These salads will last in the fridge for up to 6 six days, which means you can make it on Sunday and have lunch at the ready for the work week ahead.
If you want to get organized and prepare your meals in advance, you need Vegan Yack Attack’s Plant-Based Meal Prep!
Southwest Salad
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds (680 g) romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 15-ounce cans cans low-sodium black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 yellow bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 1 orange bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 1¼ cups (188 g) grape tomatoes
- 2/3 cup (110 g) thinly sliced red onion
- 2/3 cup (95 g) sliced radishes
- 2/3 cup (60 g) sliced avocado
- 1 batch Cilantro Jalapeño Cashew Dressing recipe follows
Instructions
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Set out five roughly 30-ounce (850 g) storage containers. Divide the lettuce evenly among the containers, then top with black beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onion. Top each serving with radishes and sliced avocado.
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Drizzle the dressing over the top of each salad (or divide into five small containers or jars). Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
Recipe Notes
Reprinted with permission from Jackie Sobon and Fair Winds Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. © 2020
Cilantro Jalapeño Cashew Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (103 g) raw cashews
- ¾ cup (175 ml) water
- ½ cup (8 g) firmly packed fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) lime juice plus
- 1 teaspoon zest
- 1 fresh jalapeño stemmed and seeded
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
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Puree cashews, water, cilantro, lime juice and zest, onion powder, salt, and cayenne in a blender until the mixture is as smooth as possible, then let it rest in the pitcher for 5 minutes. Blend again to further break up the cashews. Season with additional salt to taste. Transfer to a jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Recipe Notes
Reprinted with permission from Jackie Sobon and Fair Winds Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. © 2020
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