Vegan Cherub Tomatoes Crouton salad recipe is a simple and delicious tossed veggie salad that will go with any meal. Here the croutons are made in an air fryer.
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Happiness is a luscious salad
Everyone talks about indulgent and delicious meals but somehow salads get left behind! Why? Salads can also be the star at the dining table if it's done right!
In fact, a light, crunchy veggie salad creates a perfect balance to any dinner menu or plate. It cleanses the palate and helps you feel good after the meal.
Frankly speaking, I am not a salad person. KR enjoys a good salad but not me. The only salad I prefer is the most basic one with tomatoes, onions, and cucumber.
I like veggie salads that have a crunch, are spicy, and have a strong flavor. That is why even the salad recipes I share on the blog cater to me and picky eaters like me.
What's special about this salad
Today's Tomato Croutons Veggie Salad has an earthy richness and a spicy palette, and the croutons complement the greens nicely by bringing the crunch.
Simple, yet flavorful, this chopped salad is a great option even when you need a last-minute addition to your dining table. It's as easy as just chopping and serving!
Why make this
This is one of those salads that you will actually enjoy eating. This is coming from a non-salad eater - ME!
- Vegan salad recipe
- No-cook recipe
- Is practically a meal on its own
- The croutons are made in an air fryer
- Made with healthy and fresh wholesome ingredients
- Most of it can be prepped ahead of time
- Every bite bursts with flavor
- Simple, quick and easy to make
- Budget-friendly
Ingredients needed 🧾
Bread - White or any other variety of bread can be used, one or two-day-old bread is preferred over fresh bread.
Tomatoes - I have used cherry tomatoes in this recipe. They will also work well in the tomato rice recipe!
Other veggies - cucumber, and onions give this salad a nice crunch and flavor.
Greens - lettuce, parsley, and basil are what I have used.
For flavoring - green chillies, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper, and sea salt will act like dressing in this vegan salad recipe.
How to make it 🔪
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If using store-bought croutons, then you can skip the steps below. If making croutons at home, here's how to make them in an air fryer.
- Cut bread into even cubes. There is no need to remove the crust.
- Add olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasonings, red pepper flakes and salt to a small bowl.
- Add the cubed bread to a large bowl, pour the garlic oil mixture over the bread and toss to coat.
- Bake the croutons in the air fryer at 390 degrees for 6 minutes. Remove from the air fryer and let cool.
- Cut the NatureSweet Cherub tomatoes vertically after rinsing them. Add them to a salad bowl.
- Peel, chop and add cucumbers along with chopped onions.
- Now add roughly torn basil, chopped parsley and shredded lettuce.
- To a small pan, add olive oil. Fry minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and chopped green chillies.
- Pour this over the salad. Add salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Top it off with lemon juice and red wine vinegar. Mix it all together. Let the tomato salad sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Serving suggestions 🍽
You can either add the croutons with the salad so that they marinate in the juices and soften or add them before serving to retain the crunch.
Serve a salad like this that's a little different and special than the rest. Isn't it good to see some greens on your dining table somewhere?
It makes a delicious starter to any lunch or dinner. You can also pack this in lunchboxes. When doing so, pack the croutons separately.
In fact, this delicious and hearty vegan croutons tomato salad recipe is also worthy of a meal. It's filling and wholesome.
Top recipe tips 💭
Use gluten-free bread if you want to make a gluten-free tomato croutons salad. Skip adding croutons if you want. Add some nuts or seeds instead for crunch. If you are not vegan, mozzarella balls are also a great addition to this salad. Nutritional yeast can also be sprinkled on top as garnish.
Recipe FAQs 📖
If you have any croutons leftover, store them in an air-tight container once they have cooled down completely. These croutons will stay fresh for 2-3 days.
Bake the bread in the oven for about 10 minutes or till crisp or simply toast the bread slices in a toaster and then add them to the salad with the seasoning.
You can also add more greens like baby kale, spinach, sweet pea leaves, or even beet leaves. Feel free to add more veggies of your choice like bell peppers, olives, etc.
To add more protein, add cooked or canned beans like chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, tofu, or paneer (not vegan). Cooked pasta can also be added.
More salad recipes
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Recipe 📖
Cherub Tomatoes Crouton Salad
Equipment
- Salad Bowl
- Small Pan
Ingredients
To make the croutons
- 4 slices bread
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- salt
To prepare the salad
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 1 cup sliced onions
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup basil
- 1 cup lettuce
- 6 oz vegan feta crumbles
- 2 chopped green chillies
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
To make the croutons
- Cut the bread into even cubes. There is no need to remove the crust.
- Add olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasonings, red pepper flakes and salt to a small bowl.
- Add the cubed bread to a large bowl, pour the garlic oil mixture over the bread and toss to coat.
- Bake the croutons in the air fryer at 390 degrees for 6 minutes. Alternatively, you can also bake in the oven until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
To prepare the salad
- Peel, chop and the cucumbers. Add them to the salad bowl.
- Slit the cherry tomatoes vertically after rinsing them. Add them to a salad bowl.
- Then add the sliced onions.
- Now add roughly torn basil, chopped parsley and shredded lettuce.
- Then add the vegan feta crumbles.
- Add the minced garlic, and chopped green chillies along with salt and pepper.
- Top it off with lemon juice, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Mix it all together. Let the tomato salad sit for 10 minutes before serving.
- You can either add the croutons with the salad so that it marinates in the juices and softens or add it before serving to retain the crunch.
Want to save this recipe?
We'll email this recipe to you, so that you can look at it later!
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