Published by Da Capo Press (2014). 180pp.

Welcome, Booksmarters! Today we are taking a look at one of my ol’ standbys, Salad Samurai by Terry Hope Romero. This slim volume has a lot going for it.

First, I love a cookbook that is arranged seasonally. That way, I can just turn to the section that will include the ingredients I am likeliest to have, rather than having to pick through the index or start salivating over a recipe that includes fresh tomatoes, only to remember it’s actually December.

Second, salads. Salads are a staple of a vegan diet, and of course, really any healthy diet. Salad has a pretty broad meaning – to me it means “a bowl of good stuff, with something crunchy.” It’s great to be nudged out of the soggy lettuce, pink tomato, cucumber zone, and this book definitely does that. This a paperback that won’t break the bank, and I guarantee you will return to it again and again, so it’s worth the investment.

In my estimation, this book is suitable for advanced beginner vegans. It doesn’t call for a lot of special ingredients, except for things like tempeh, seitan, and nutritional yeast, which a lot of newbies aren’t familiar with. (Check back for posts dedicated to these items). It doesn’t require searching for hard to find items (one recipe calls for a green papaya), and doesn’t require a lot of fancy techniques. Many of the recipes do include a number of component parts – like the main bowl, plus a dressing, a protein, and a crunchy element, so some recipes seem daunting at the outset. (I think I speak for all of us when I say, no one really likes turning back and forth between pages to make one recipe, particularly in a paperback that is hard to keep open.) That said, none of the component parts are that difficult individually, and there are ways to take short cuts or make omissions that are not harmful to the overall outcome. For example, you do not have to make your own dressing – although it’s often worth it if you do. You do not have to bake your own tofu. Although homemade tastes better IMO, you can find baked tofu at most grocery stores. Don’t feel like making the candied nuts? Don’t. Just toss some plain toasted nuts on there.

Some of my favorite recipes from this book:

From the Spring section: Spring Herb Salad with Maple Orange Tempeh Nibbles. Way to combine arugula (bitter) and strawberries (sweet) with dill and crunchy veg to make you extra happy winter is coming to an end. This is exactly that kind of ingredient combination that I would never think of myself and keeps me returning with an eager and curious eye to this book.

Summer: The BKT (Bacon Kale Tomato) Bowl. I have served this to casual carnivore company, and it has been a hit. Familiar flavors, showcasing summer tomatoes, what’s not to like? I heard that. DO NOT HATE ON KALE. It’s chewy and tasty – you just need to massage the dressing into it, as this book, and any other book worth its salt will tell you to do. Also, the Polish Summer Soba Salad. I’ve made this one a bunch. Soba noodles, beets, dill, white beans. Who knew?

In Fall, I love the Mushroom, Barely & Brussels Harvest Bowl. Mouthwatering flavor, hearty and filling. I also recently enjoyed Kimchi Black Rice with Asian Pear.

I don’t think I’ve made a salad from the Winter section, but that’s because I tend not to think of eating things called “salad” in the winter – even though filling combinations of grains and roasted veg count! So, my bad, and I’ll be sure to try one this year.

In addition to the main seasonal chapters there is an entire section devoted to dressings. A LOT of dressings. If you are good at improvising salads, you will love this part. Also, because apparently the author is inside my head, there is a section devoted solely to crunchy things to sprinkle on top like Curried Cashew Pepita Crunch. There is a final chapter in the back dedicated to breakfasty things like overnight oats – which is fine, but I just wouldn’t think to pull out a book dedicated to salads if I was craving muesli. Although I was skeptical, I went ahead and made the Coconut Carrot Cake Salad (I know, right?), but it’s actually quite good and gives you a lot of pumpkin spice punch but without the dessert-y guilt.

There have only been one or two misses for me out of everything I’ve tried in this book. The Asparagus Pad Thai Salad took way too long for what turned out to be a pretty basic Asian noodle dish. The Backyard Buffalo Ranch Caesar Salad didn’t work for me – but I think that’s mostly because it was coleslaw-ish and there is really no way to describe to my feelings about coleslaw without crying, so.

The book has great photos of the salads, which make them seem both appealing and doable and are fairly realistic representations of the final products, as styled food photos go. The tone of the introductory materials and recipe introductions is light and engaging. This book has been around for a while, and the author, Terry Hope Romero has a number of vegan cookbooks under her belt. Salad Samurai is a great one to start with. Let me know what you think!

Note: I did not receive any form of compensation as a result of mentioning products or links in this post.