Published: Aug 17, 2021 · Modified: Jul 21, 2022 by kaydimaggio

Vegan Buffalo Tempeh Ranch Salad

Name: Vegan Buffalo Tempeh Ranch Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 cup vegan mayonnaise; 1 tbs fresh dill; 2 tbs dill pickle juice; 1 tsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1 cup All-purpose flour; 1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce; 3 tbs vegan butter; 3 cloves garlic; 1/8 tsp cayenne; 1 tsp white vinegar; 1 tsp vegan worcestershire; 1 block tempeh; 3 heads romaine lettuce; 2 to matoes; 1/2 cup shredded carrots; 1/2 cup shredded cabbage; 2 avocados

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This Vegan Buffalo Tempeh Ranch Salad is the perfect salad to add to your arsenal! Bold flavors paired with a creamy dressing make this a fast favorite! This salad is easy to make and comes together in under an hour! Full of plant-based benefits, this healthy salad is sure to turn heads!

This Vegan Buffalo Tempeh Ranch Salad was inspired by the always delicious buffalo wings. It has been so hot here in California and the air is full of smoke due to the fire season, I was craving something spicy yet fresh. This salad hits all those marks. Spicy, fresh, healthy and, full of bold flavors, this salad will have you coming back for more!

Check out some other salad recipes like my Asian-Style Chopped Salad or my Vegan Big Mac Bowl!

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
Vegan Buffalo Tempeh Ranch Salad
Food safety

Ingredients

The ingredients in this salad are simple and easy and totally plant-based!

Ranch dressing, breadcrumbs, flour, buffalo sauce, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, tempeh, romaine hearts, avocado — Vegan Buffalo Ranch Tempeh Salad Ingredients

For the Vegan Ranch

Vegan Mayonnaise
Fresh Dill
Dill Pickle Juice
Apple Cider Vinegar
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Buffalo Tempeh

Panko Breadcrumbs
All-purpose flour
Franks Red Hot Sauce
Vegan Butter
Garlic
Cayenne
White Vinegar
Vegan worcestershire
Tempeh

For the Salad

Romaine Lettuce
Tomatoes
Carrots
Cabbage
Avocados

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Slice the tempeh into bite-sized pieces and steam the tempeh for 10 minutes. For some, tempeh can have a bitter soy taste. Steaming the tempeh helps to get rid of the taste of soy and helps the marinade stick better.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix the buffalo sauce, vegan butter, worcestershire sauce, garlic, cayenne, and vinegar and set aside. To bread the tempeh, follow these steps:

Dip the tempeh in the buffalo sauce
Coat the tempeh with the flour mixture
Dip the tempeh back into the buffalo sauce
Toss the tempeh with panko breadcrumbs

Once the tempeh is coated, add to a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Salad bites on baking sheet with tin foil — Tempeh before baking

While the tempeh is in the oven, combine all of the ingredients for the ranch dressing and stir to combine. Slice and wash the romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.

After 30 minutes in the oven, take the tempeh out and coat one more time in the buffalo sauce, add back to the oven for 10 minutes. Once the tempeh is finished, assemble the salad bowls and enjoy!

Hint: I like to line my baking sheet with foil and then place a wire cooling rack on top and put the tempeh on that. It helps prevent the tempeh from getting soggy.

Substitutions

Make this fit into any lifestyle by checking out these common substitutions!

Soy-Free -if you are unable to eat soy, try making this with cauliflower instead!
Gluten-Free - some brands of tempeh may contain other grains such as wheat, however, most don't. Make sure to check the package. Additionally, coat with gluten-free flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Keto - Make this recipe keto by coating in almond flour and keto-friendly breadcrumbs.

Variations

Want to give this recipe a spin but add something different? Check out some of these variations!

Less Spicy - I would rate this recipe an 8/10 on the spicy scale. To make this recipe less spicy, instead of doing the final dunk in the buffalo sauce, leave it as is or skip the buffalo sauce entirely and just bread normally.
Deluxe - make this fancy by forgoing the ranch and serving it alongside a creamy avocado crema.
Kid-friendly - skip the spicy buffalo sauce and bread in just panko, flour, and dairy-free milk.

Check out another great salad recipe here!

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. I use these baking sheets and always place my tempeh on a wire rack!

Storage

Store the tempeh separate from the salad and dressing to keep it crisp. Store everything in an airtight container and keep it for up to 5 days.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

The final dredge in the buffalo sauce really helps to make these tempeh bites worthwhile! It ups the flavor a huge notch and gives it a crispy coating.