Fresh salad with baked bean balls and mild mustard dressing


This salad was really something special. I keep looking at this photo of gorgeous fresh veggies, baked gluten free bean and seed balls and tangy mild mustard dressing.  Usually my everyday salads are pretty simple, but sometimes I love to spice things up. I have eaten cauliflower and tomato combo in a salad for quite some time now. I love how the acidity of the tomato goes so well with crunchy cauliflower florets. Add some radishes for color, a load of spinach and your have a beautiful looking healthy salad.

I thought this salad needed some extra protein, so I decided to make bean and seed balls. They only take 10 minutes! I wanted to bake them this time. Usually when I have tried to bake different vegan patties or cutlets or balls, they tend to get really dry and remind me of a savory cookie. No thanks! So this time I figured out a way how to bake them properly so I don't end up with a batch of bean cookies. Just use a really high temperature and only bake them for 8-9 minutes. This way they will get firm enough to hold together but not dry inside. I will definitely make them often and add them to veggie wraps, pastas, salads and rice dishes. 

For the dressing, I decided to go with one of my favorites - mild mustard. Similar dressing also makes an appearance in this recipe, but this time there is no orange juice and I added a big bunch of fresh herbs. I hope you enjoy it!


Preparation time: 15-20 minutes.

Serves: 2-3 people

Ingredients:

For the bean and seed balls:
  • 14 oz / 400 g canned beans (white beans or kidney beans for example)
  • ½ cup / 75 g peeled sunflower seeds
  • 1 tsp paprika powder
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 bigger clove of garlic, crushed

Mild mustard dressing:
  • 2 Tbsp mild mustard
  • 1 tsp dark cane syrup or unrefined sugar
  • 1 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • 3 Tbsp water
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • handful of chopped fresh herbs

For the salad:
  • about 2 cups / 50 g fresh spinach
  • couple of handfuls of fresh cauliflower florets, sliced
  • couple of handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • a few radishes, cut into four

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 480 F / 250 C. Drain and rinse the beans. Mash them with your hands and add all the other ingredients. Mix well and form medium balls. Put the balls on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. When the oven has reached its temperature, bake the balls for 8-9 minutes. 

For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together until you have a creamy salad dressing.

To make the salad, take a big plate and first add spinach. Then cauliflower florets, cherry tomatoes and radishes. Now add the bean balls and drizzle the dressing over the salad. Serve right away.

Tip: these baked bean and seed balls also go well in wraps, pastas and different salads.