INGREDIENTS
6 cloves garlic
Olive oil
2 medium shallots (thinly sliced)
3 tbsp brown rice flour
1/8 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
~2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
6 cups arugula
Lemon Vinaigrette
INSTRUCTIONS
1. To roast the garlic, peel apart garlic cloves but leave the skin on. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Add garlic cloves to a baking sheet. Drizzle garlic with a bit of olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and slightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. In the meantime, add sliced shallots to a small bowl with brown rice flour, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat. Heat a medium (preferably cast iron) skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and floured shallots and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden brown and crispy — approximately 5 minutes. Set aside in pan.
3. In the meantime, if not using store-bought soft vegan "cheese," make your own. Add macadamia nuts to a food processor or a high-speed blender along with lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, sea salt, and lesser amount of water (1/4 cup or 60 ml as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Mix/blend, scraping down sides as needed. Then add more water 1 Tbsp (15 ml) at a time until a thick paste forms. I find I get the best texture results with a food processor, but in a pinch, a blender can work too. It just generally requires more scraping and more liquid.
4. Next, prepare dressing by adding all ingredients to a mixing bowl (or small blender) and whisking (or blending) to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more maple syrup for sweetness, lemon for acidity, or salt or pepper to taste. Set aside.
5. Assemble salad by adding greens to a serving bowl or platter and topping with roasted garlic cloves (skins removed), crispy shallots, macadamia nut cheese, and cashew parmesan cheese (optional).
6. Add dressing to the salad and toss to coat, or serve on the side. Best when fresh. Store salad separate from dressing if keeping for later use. Will keep in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days. Store dressing in the refrigerator 3-4 days. The oil can harden when cold, so let dressing set out for a few minutes to warm and shake well to reincorporate before serving leftovers.
credit: minimalistbaker.com