Hairy Bikers American Layered Salad Recipe

This Hairy Bikers American layered salad from Veggie Feasts stacks potatoes, lettuce, carrot, red cabbage and tomatoes under a buttermilk dressing. And it takes about 40 minutes for four at around 265 calories, with most of that being the potatoes and eggs boiling.

Si and Dave say “the bacon bits are genius” in this recipe, and they really are. They are made from smoked tofu fried with maple syrup and tamari until crisp, which makes the whole salad vegetarian without losing the salty crunch.

The technique that holds this together is dressing the warm potatoes separately before layering them with everything else. Since warm potatoes absorb dressing while cold ones just sit in it, that first tablespoon tossed through while hot gives the potato layer real depth.

Hairy Bikers American Layered Salad Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Boiling Cuisine:British American Courses:Salad

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 20 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time: 40 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:265 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

A vegetarian American layered salad from Si and Dave in Veggie Feasts, with a buttermilk dressing, grated Cheddar, separated egg whites and yolks, and crispy tofu bacon bits on top.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

• 250g new potatoes, scraped or skin on
• 4 spring onions, sliced
• Small sprig of tarragon, finely chopped
• 1 small romaine lettuce or half an iceberg, shredded
• 1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
• ¼ red cabbage, shredded
• Bunch of radishes, diced
• 200g tomatoes, diced

For the Dressing:

• 100ml buttermilk
• 50g crème fraîche or yoghurt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed or grated
• Sea salt and black pepper

For the Toppings:

• 100g vegetarian Cheddar, grated
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 50g tofu bacon bits (see method)
• A few chives, finely snipped

For the Tofu Bacon Bits:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion granules
• 100g smoked tofu, very finely diced
• Sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes: Cook the new potatoes in plenty of boiling salted water until tender, then drain. While they cook, boil the eggs for 10 minutes in a separate pan, then cool under cold running water and peel.
2. Make the dressing: Whisk the buttermilk, crème fraîche, olive oil, mustard, cider vinegar, garlic powder and crushed garlic together, then season with salt and pepper. It should pour like double cream, so thin with a little water if too thick.
3. Dress the warm potatoes: Spoon a tablespoon of dressing over the warm potatoes and toss them with the spring onions and tarragon so they absorb the flavour as they cool.
4. Make the tofu bacon bits: Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the maple syrup, tamari, garlic powder and onion granules. Stir in the diced smoked tofu until coated, then fry over a medium heat while stirring regularly until crisp. Spread on kitchen paper to dry, since they crisp up further as they cool.
5. Assemble: Arrange the lettuce, carrot, cabbage, radishes, tomatoes and dressed potatoes in layers in a glass bowl or in rows on a platter. Sprinkle over the grated Cheddar. Finely chop the egg whites and yolks separately, then scatter the whites over the salad. Drizzle over most of the dressing, then top with the egg yolks, tofu bacon bits and chives. Serve with any remaining dressing on the side.

FAQs

Can I use real bacon instead of tofu?

Si and Dave wrote this for Veggie Feasts so they used smoked tofu, but the salad works with streaky bacon fried until crisp and crumbled over the top. The tofu version gets its smokiness from the tamari and maple syrup glaze, while real bacon brings its own fat and salt, so skip the tamari if you swap.

The tofu bacon bits keep in the fridge for up to a week, which makes them worth trying even if you are not vegetarian. And Si and Dave use the same technique for their tofu scramble in the same book, so one batch covers two meals.

Can I make this ahead?

You can prep every component separately up to a day ahead and layer it just before serving. Keep the dressed potatoes, shredded veg, grated cheese, chopped eggs and tofu bacon bits in separate containers in the fridge, then assemble and pour the dressing on at the last minute.

Once dressed, this salad lasts about two hours before the lettuce starts to wilt. If you are taking it to a picnic or barbecue, bring the dressing in a jar and pour it on when you get there.

Why separate the egg whites and yolks?

It gives you two distinct layers of colour and texture instead of one. The whites add a firm, mild crumble underneath while the bright yellow yolks go on top as a garnish, so the salad looks more striking when you bring it to the table.

Si and Dave are specific about chopping both “as finely as you can” because large chunks of egg would slide off the other layers. Finely chopped egg also mixes better into each forkful, so you get a bit of white and yolk with every bite rather than one big lump.

What is the best bowl for a layered salad?

Si and Dave suggest either a glass bowl so you can see the layers through the side, or a big platter with the elements arranged in rows. The glass bowl is the classic American look while the platter works better for a buffet where people want to pick what they take.

If using a glass bowl, start with the heaviest ingredients at the bottom so the layers do not collapse. Potatoes first, then cabbage and carrot, then lettuce on top, and the dressing goes on last so it runs down through the gaps.

What can I serve this with?

This is a full meal on its own at 265 calories, but for a bigger spread it pairs well with the cottage pie or the macaroni cheese since the sharp buttermilk dressing cuts through rich, cheesy dishes.

Si and Dave also mention in the headnote that you can serve it “on a summer day, or any day,” and the tofu bacon bits make it sturdy enough to sit on a barbecue table without falling apart the way a leafy salad would.