Backyard BBQ Chopped Salad with Grilled Plant-Based Meatballs
Plant based meat is growing in popularity. Sales data released March 3, 2020, shows that grocery sales of plant-based foods that directly replace animal products have grown 29% in the past two years to $5 billion! (GFI.org)
Backyard BBQ Chopped Salad with Grilled Plant-Based Meatballs
Serves 4
Total Time: 30 minutes
12 Italian Style Plant-Based Meatballs, slightly defrosted (I used Pure Farmland)
2 tablespoons barbecue dry rub
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ears corn, husks and silk removed
2 romaine hearts, chopped
1/4 small head red cabbage, finely chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high. Brush the Pure Farmland Plant-Based Meatballs with vegetable oil, then rub with the barbecue dry rub until well coated. Thread the meatballs onto the skewers until the grill is heated.
Grill the meatballs, turning occasionally, until nicely browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Grill the corn alongside the meatballs until charred, about 12 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut the corn kernels off the cobs.
In a large bowl, toss the corn, tomato, romaine, cabbage, and bell pepper with the dressing until well coated. Spread onto a serving platter, top with the skewered meatballs, and serve immediately.
For the Dressing:
3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Trim the tops and bottoms of the tomatoes. Cut alongside the outer wall of flesh, the way you would cut the peel and pith off an orange, to remove just the outer walls of the tomatoes. Place the seed sacs in a strainer and press 1 tablespoon tomato water out of them. Dice the tomato outer walls and reserve; discard the cores.
In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato water, vegan mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and cayenne until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
