This tasty salad is an ode to the Fall season, and shines with flavor. When you’re short on time and dinner ideas, this crisp medley featuring pears, leeks and crumbled tempeh is balanced and delicious! You can check out a version with salmon here!
Tempeh is a versatile food traditionally made from soybeans that also comes with many health benefits (1). It’s high in protein, prebiotics, and has been shown to help contribute to recovery from exercise (2).
Pears are a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which are essential for digestive health (3). Pears also contain antioxidants like quercetin that can boost heart health by improving blood pressure and cholesterol (4).
Leeks are another valuable source of soluble fiber (including prebiotics), which work to keep your gut healthy (5). They also contain antioxidant and antibacterial properties which support the immune system and may help prevent against developing certain diseases (6).
Another bonus – when you build your meals around protein and fiber combined with satisfying, nourishing ingredients like the ones in this recipe, the easier it is to avoid tempting high-sugar sweets and inadvertently overeating.
This salad is super easy to put together and there are lots of variations you can try depending on your preferences and what’s in season. Let me know how you like it!
Pear Leek Salad
Yield: 2 servings
You will need: large mixing bowl, mixing spoon, cutting board, knife, measuring cups and spoons, baking sheet, parchment paper, spatula
Key: T=Tablespoon; tsp=teaspoon 
Ingredients:
For the tempeh:
- 10 oz organic tempeh, crumbled*
- 2 leeks, bottoms and dark green tops removed, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 T fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
- 1/2 T Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
For the salad:
- 2 T balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 5 oz spring mix (or greens of choice: mixed baby greens, arugula, spinach)
- 1 pear, sliced
- 1 oz organic pumpkin seeds
Directions:
Start by preparing the Tempeh and Roasted Leeks:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss tempeh with leeks, green onions, parsley, rosemary, garlic powder, dijon mustard and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Spread mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Roast in the oven on top rack for about 10 minutes, remove from oven, stir up tempeh mixture and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes or until leeks are golden brown.
- While the tempeh and leeks cook, make the dressing. In a separate bowl, whisk vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper until fully combined.
- Remove tempeh and leeks from oven and let them cool.
Assemble the salad:
- Make the salad. Toss greens and tempeh mixture in a large bowl with dressing.
- Add 1/2 of the tempeh salad mixture to your plate. Top with 1/2 pear slices and 1/2 pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
*Optionally, you can use another protein, like baked tofu, edamame or another protein of your choice.
Nutrition Facts
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know in the comments below if you make it and how it turns out.
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- Chatterjee, Cynthia et al. “Soybean Bioactive Peptides and Their Functional Properties.” Nutrients vol. 10,9 1211. 1 Sep. 2018, doi:10.3390/nu10091211 Web. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30200502/
- Subali, Dionysius et al. “Soy-Based Tempeh Rich in Paraprobiotics Properties as Functional Sports Food: More Than a Protein Source.” Nutrients vol. 15,11 2599. 1 Jun. 2023, doi:10.3390/nu15112599 Web. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37299562/
- Slavin, Joanne. “Fiber and prebiotics: mechanisms and health benefits.” Nutrients vol. 5,4 1417-35. 22 Apr. 2013, doi:10.3390/nu5041417. Web. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3705355/
- Patel, Rahul V et al. “Therapeutic potential of quercetin as a cardiovascular agent.” European journal of medicinal chemistry vol. 155 (2018): 889-904. doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.06.053. Web. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29966915/
- Carlson, Justin L et al. “Health Effects and Sources of Prebiotic Dietary Fiber.” Current developments in nutrition vol. 2,3 nzy005. 29 Jan. 2018, doi:10.1093/cdn/nzy005. Web. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6041804/
- Bastaki, Salim M A et al. “Chemical constituents and medicinal properties of Allium species.” Molecular and cellular biochemistry vol. 476,12 (2021): 4301-4321. doi:10.1007/s11010-021-04213-2. Web. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34420186/