Dad’s prawn, tofu, and bean salad

If you asked me on any normal day to eat a plate of raw spinach, celery, or cauliflower, I’d probably find a very creative excuse to leave the kitchen. Most of the time, getting me to finish my greens isn’t easy. But when my dad steps up to the counter and pulls out the big salad bowl, everything changes.

Dad didn’t just find this recipe on the internet or in a dusty cookbook. He created it the exact same way Nana uses to make her best dishes—by experimenting in the kitchen, mixing different combinations, tasting as he went, and tweaking it until he got it just right. Watching him make his signature homemade dressing is half the fun. He whisks together olive oil and fresh lemon juice with crushed garlic, a dollop of Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and fresh dill until it becomes the ultimate tangy, garlic-loaded dressing.

Then comes the prep work for the salad itself. Normally, celery, spinach, and cauliflower are on my “no thanks” list, but Dad knows how to stack the flavors so everything works together. He chops up fresh spinach, celery, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, and finely chopped shallots. And he has one strict rule about the cherry tomatoes: never slice them—leave them completely whole so they pop with flavor when you bite into them.

To make it a real feast, he layers in the main ingredients: a cup of black or kidney beans, soft cubes of tofu, and hard-boiled egg whites chopped into bite-sized pieces. Then comes the best part—juicy, peeled, and cooked prawns scattered across the top.

When Dad pours that tangy dill and garlic dressing over the whole bowl and tosses it together, magic happens. The garlic and lemon coat the prawns and tofu, the cherry tomatoes burst with juice, and even the celery, spinach, and cauliflower soak up all that rich, zesty flavor. Before I even realize what I’m eating, my plate is completely clean and I’m asking Dad if there are any seconds left in the bowl.

Nana would definitely be proud of Dad’s kitchen experiments, because he managed to take a whole bowl of vegetables I used to dodge and turn it into a salad I actually enjoy.

William Kodrowski

Dad’s prawn, tofu, and bean salad

A fresh, high-protein prawn, tofu, and bean salad packed with crunchy veggies and hard-boiled egg whites, tossed in a homemade zesty dill, Dijon, and garlic dressing. Developed through kitchen experimentation, this vibrant, flavor-packed dish makes eating fresh greens like spinach, celery, and cauliflower completely effortless and delicious.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Servings: 6 Servings

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Fusion

Calories: 330

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

Vegetables

• 2 Stalks Celery washed and chopped
• 2 Cups Spinach washed
• 1.5 Cups Cherry tomatoes washed
• 1 Large Cucumber washed and chopped
• 2 Medium Carrots peeled and chopped
• 1 Head Broccoli washed and chopped
• 1 Head Cauliflower washed and chopped

Proteins

• 12 Large Prawns peeled, de-veined and cooked
• 1.5 Cups Black or kidney beans rinsed
• 3 Each Hard boiled eggs option to remove yolk for less fat

Dressing

• 1 Cup Lemon juice
• 1 Cup Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Minced garlic
• ½ tbsp Black pepper
• ½ tbsp Dill
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp Salt

Equipment

• 1 Mixing Bowl
• 1 Pot to boil eggs and cook prawns
• 1 Measuring cup
• 1 Jar for the dressing

Method

 

1. Prepare all the vegetables and proteins, toss in a large bowl
2. Put all dressing ingredients in a jar, shake to mix thoroughly