Vegan Salads To Compliment Your Holiday Dinner

These fruity, festive salads are the perfect go-with for any vegan holiday feast. They're both richly flavorful and make a gorgeous holiday presentation. And best of all, both are completely vegan - and so delicious even your non-vegan friends and relatives will want seconds.

Christmas at the Waldorf Salad

This crispy, crunchy, delicious salad is the perfect accompaniment to your vegan Christmas dinner. Cranberries add delightful Christmas color and holiday zing to this vegan twist on traditional Waldorf salad. It looks and tastes extra special but is a total snap to make and doubles easily to serve a crowd. No one would ever guess that the creamy dressing for this salad is completely dairy free.

Tofu is actually a bean curd made from soybeans. It is an amazingly nutritious and versatile food. It provides protein and is rich in both calcium and B vitamins, which makes it a staple food in most vegetarian and vegan households. Available in either firm or soft form, it can be used for everything from creamy dressings to rich desserts to chunky, spicy stir fry. It has a very mild natural taste on its own and is known for its ability to absorb other flavors, which makes it the perfect foundation for a host of dishes both sweet and savory.

For this recipe, be sure to use soft tofu, also sold as silken tofu. This a general rule of thumb for any recipe that involves blending or pureeing the tofu.

Dressing Ingredients:

1/2 lb soft tofu
2 Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. sugar, honey or artificial sweetener
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. If you don't have a blender, combine ingredients in a large bowl and beat with hand mixer. Refrigerate while preparing salad ingredients.

Salad Ingredients:

4 large, tart red apples, cored and chopped into bite-size pieces
2 cups celery, diced
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup cranberries

Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the mixed dressing. If you have any mint leaves on hand, they make a perfect garnish. Chill the salad until ready to serve.

Sparkling Peaches

Fresh peaches add a rosy glow to traditional cranberry-orange relish. These wonderful vegan Christmas sweets can be served with or as a prelude to your holiday meal, or as a wonderfully refreshing no-fat dessert.

Ingredients:

2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 large orange
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup sugar, honey or artificial sweetener
1/2 cup light corn syrup
8 peaches, halved and pitted

Chop cranberries to desired consistency in blender or food chopper, transfer to a medium bowl and set aside. Quarter the orange and lemon half, remove seeds, and grind finely in the same kitchen device.

Stir the ground citrus, sweetener and corn syrup into the cranberries. If using sugar as a sweetener, stir until dissolved. Place bowl in freezer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Halve and pit peaches, and rub the cut sides with a little lemon juice to prevent browning. Place a dollup of dressing in the center of each and arrange in a shallow baking pan to serve. Accent "sparkles" with fresh orange garishes for a fun, festive touch.