Add your reviews for Isa Chandra Moskowitz's great new book here!

Full on Salads
Everyday chickpea quinoa salad
Loved this! So simple and good. The balsamic vinaigrette is superb, and goes great with everything here. A great mix of good things. (AC)
Sublime.  So easy to make.  For the nervous nellies who worry about 'protein combining', it's got legumes and grains.  For those of us who don't care and just want something that tastes great, this fits the bill.  It could be easily with variations as Isa suggests with optional add-ins; I look forward to making this many times over, including with the suggested options. (kindnesstoall)
Simple, yummy, and nutritious. What else can you ask for? (hopfrog)
A very simple idea that can be served as a salad or pilaf. Worked well either way for me. (fb)
Very good! I made this with bulgur rather than quinoa, added some steamed carrots and broccoli, and some cubed tofu. I really like the flavour of the dressing. Will make again. (dannibazaar)
This is good! Not something I'd eat everyday though. (eldsjal)
I made this for my mum, she seemed to like it.. she wasnt over the moon about it as far as i could tell. I liked the dressing though. (vanilladoe)
simple, but so so good.  I've been making this a lot the past few weeks for lunches at work. (thirteenblackbirds)
Isa says this is forever customizable, and she is correct! I subbed fava beans for the chickpeas and baby spinach for the romaine. I also added some shredded carrots, chopped celery, and chopped cucumber. So, so delicious. Loved it! That balsamic dressing is the bomb (lebkuchen)
This was great! I could totally see this becoming a template for a daily lunch. A serving fits perfectly in a to-go sized tupperware, and you can make it ahead of time--dressing and all--and have it stay good. Add a piece of fruit and I'm good to go! (Note: I didn't use the balsamic recipe; instead, I used oil-free balsamic that my Whole Foods has been selling lately.) (caroleena)
Balsamic vinaigrette
My favorite balsamic! P is not a big fan of vinegar heavy dressings, so I haven't made this much, but I love it. I always love cashew based things. This is really good, and does thicken well with chilling. (AC)
This goes wonderfully with the salad.  It would also be great with a simple mesclun mix salad.  I plan on making this time and again, too. Next time I"ll probably double up so it lasts longer!  I threw everything into my Vitamix, which quickly turned the dressing into creamy goodness. (kindnesstoall)
I've only made this for the Everyday Chickpea Quinoa Salad so far, but it is fantastic. I see no reason to make an oil-laden balsamic vinaigrette again. Can't wait to try it on other salads. (hopfrog)
If I remember right this calls for 1/2 cup water; I only added 1/4 cup, as the extra water didn't seem necessary and I was using the dressing for the Everyday Chickpea Quinoa Salad (it didn't need to be too liquidy). It's good, a little sweet, which is saying a lot for me because I'm not generally a fan of balsamic vinegar. (fb)
I didn’t get the cashews extremely smooth, but the taste was still delicious and the dressing was nice and thick. (conniex)
I made this with the everyday chickpea and quinoa salad. I thought that it was really good! I've never had a creamy balsamic vinaigrette before...I've only ever just had it with the vinegar and oil. Good! (dannibazaar)
Very good! (eldsjal)
I'm normally a huge fan of balsamic vinaigrettes, but I didn't love this one. I didn't taste much more than the balsamic vinegar, and the pureed cashews made it a baby poop brown color--ugly on my pretty salad! I didn't try it on the quinoa chickpea salad, so I am willing to give it another try, in the recipe intended. (veganrun)
excellent (thirteenblackbirds)
Made this again, and it's so good! I used it for the strawberry spinach salad, and it was perfect. P even liked it ok. (AC)
This was awesome! I made it as directed, no substitutions. Just perfect the way it is (lebkuchen)
great taste; strange color. Definitely not for a "pretty" salad, but then again salad doesn't always have to be pretty. I only have a small processor so standing there holding the button down was kind of annoying--maybe next time I'll use my blender (though I don't like using blenders for small recipes like this). I used it in a chickpea-brown rice adaptation of the chickpea-quinoa salad and it was great. Dipped some steamed green beans in it and it was fabulous. (caroleena)
Spicy blue potato and corn salad
Good. i did seed my chipotles, and it didn't wind up very spicy. I don't think the potatoes, corn, & beans have enough dressing to cover whatever lettuce you put them on, so I added some ranch dressing as needed. Also, this makes A LOT, at least if you serve it with a substantial amount of lettuce. (fb)
this was my first time ever using canned chipotles in adobo, and I'm glad I finally tried it! This salad was really good. I love how it is so hearty and filling. I subbed red potatoes for the blue potatoes, but otherwise followed as directed. I made sure to remove all the seeds from the chipotles and the sauce, since I try to avoid too-spicy foods. I am happy to report that this dish was spicy - and smoky - but pleasantly spicy and not tummy-burning-spicy! I served it over baby romaine lettuce. This would also be great with something cooling on top, like some avocado/guac or sour cream or something. It's even more fabulous the next day! I think the heat mellowed out a tad too (which is a good thing, for me!). This is going into the rotation! (lebkuchen)
Seriously, how cool are blue potatoes? I was lucky enough to find them at my farmer's market and use in this recipe. This was very good. I'm very sensitive to heat and I haven't felt overwhelmed at all, so that's a good sign. I do agree that the recipe doesn't make enough dressing for lettuce. (In fact, I wondered if there was enough for the potatoes to really meld--I'll find out tomorrow after the leftovers sit). I think a bit of ranch dressing that incorporates one of the other dish flavor (some adobo sauce? cilantro instead of dill?) may have been a nice touch to it. But the plainer lettuce didn't bother me too much either. Also, this is the first time I've ever steamed corn on the cob, and I LOVED it. I want to always make corn like this now. (caroleena)
Surprising how delicious this is! I used red potatoes; blue potatoes freak me out. This just requires a bit of prep, but very fresh and tasty. Based on the other reviews, I upped the dressing ingredients, but kept the chipotles at 2 because I knew mine were very spicy. This is just a great balance. I had some leftover (spicy) creamy chipotle dressing, so I drizzled a bit of that on top, but liked it just as much/more without it. I did really love crumbled tortilla chips on top. I think guac (as much as I love it!) would overpower these flavors. I also added the sprinkle of smoked paprika. Yum, will hopefully make again. (AC)
Sushi roll edamame salad
I didn't really like this. I think the salad itself and the idea of it was fine, but I didn't feel like the dressing matched at all. I think a more sushi-type dressing would have been something like rice vinegar, sugar, a bit of soy sauce, and ginger. And maybe even chopped pickled ginger in the salad. I think it's worth modifying, but as is was just kinda meh. (fb)
believe it or not, I've never had sushi, but maybe that is what inspired me to try this salad! My hubby doesn't like nori and I didn't have any on hand anyway, so I omitted it. I also subbed baby spinach for the romaine, but otherwise followed as directed. I loved the optional avocado and I recommend using it. I also used more brown rice than called for (and had to use basmati since I couldn't find short grain at the store). I loved the dressing with this and found it to be even better the next day. (lebkuchen)
I didn't follow this recipe exactly and I didn't use the same dressing but I loved this. I agree that the idea is probably better than the recipe but the good thing about it is it's easy to modify to your liking. (minke)
Really liked this. I only used a cup of lettuce per serving instead of two, since two just sounded like too much. The optional avocado is, to me, a must. (caroleena)
this is a really good salad. I liked the novelty of it- it's a fun salad.  I used the avocado and thought it could have used more of the nori. (thirteenblackbirds)  
I subbed coarse bulgur for the rice and used collards as my green. I actually preferred this as a collard wrap than as a salad. The dressing is best when concentrated, not mellowed out when thinned over the salad. A nice change, but not a go-to salad. A very nice wrap. (blinknoodle)
Green onion miso vinaigrette
Pretty strong miso flavor. I had about 1.25 cups of green onions, so that's what I used, but it could have afforded more due to the miso. It's ok as a dressing, not my favorite. I'd maybe add some herbs, and not use it for a "sushi" salad. (fb)
I used white miso instead of red, and cut it down from 4 tbs to 3 tbs. I also used 1 cup of scallions (instead of green onions) and only 1/2 cup of water. I really like this dressing. I made it on Friday, first tried it on Saturday, and had the rest on Sunday. It was good on Saturday, but even better on Sunday. I think this dressing really benefits from sitting a couple of days. I liked it a lot. (lebkuchen)
Enjoyed this, but I made a few adaptations. I used white miso instead of red, and I used slightly less than a cup of green onions because I only picked up one bunch. I liked it with fewer onions, though, since it allowed the ginger to come through. (I think using a mellower miso helped as well.) I also played around with adding some powdered wasabi, which was good (but I didn't add so much). Finally, I only had a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar so I finished it out with red wine vinegar which was acceptable. (caroleena)
I just had this with the sushi roll salad. it was good.  (thirteenblackbirds)
Very strong green onion flavour and I used half the amount of green onions. A bit salty but it worked well with the salad/wrap. It needs to be paired with a strong salad. (blinknoodle)
Big fat taco salad
This is one of my favorite things from the book so far. Who doesn't love a taco salad?! Everything great is here. Love the tomato dressing, love the guac. (AC)
I probably shouldn't have mixed in the guacamame with it. Even though I only added half of the recipe to it, when I opened the leftover salad from yesterday the onions in the guac were like WHAM and I couldn't eat it. So yeah, keep 'em separate. Otherwise the salad is delish. (sog)
excellent. (thirteenblackbirds)
I made this tonight and it was fabulous. I love how easy this dish was to put together - I made the salsa and guacamole earlier in the day, so all I had to do was toss the lettuce with the beans, salsa, guac, and chips at dinnertime and it was done. I used more lettuce than was called for 'cuz I like big salads, but this was fab. Loved it! I'd even make it again with prepared salsa since I didn't use cayenne hot pepper sauce (I used Cholula) and it wasn't spicy enough for me. (lebkuchen)
Pretty good. Would have been better if my lettuce was a little more lively, I think. I think I would have liked it more if I had a bigger variety of veggies (peppers, carrots, etc.) I like my taco salads full of goop, so I think next time I will try the sanctuary dressing along with everything else. (caroleena)
Fresh tomato salsa dressing
Delicious! Extremely fresh tasting, and great with the salad. Nice fresh tomatoes make this. (AC)
agree with AC. Easy, simple, fresh tasting, tomato salsa. (sog)
simple and very good. (thirteenblackbirds)
I think this would have been better if I'd chopped the tomatoes more finely, and also, if they had been really juicy, summery tomatoes. With store-bought tomatoes, it was fine but didn't wow me. (lebkuchen)
What everyone else said. Delicious, but definitely a recipe for summer tomatoes. I'm heat-intolerant but the little bit of pepper sauce in it was just perfect for bringing everything out. (caroleena)
Guacamame
So, it's not quite as good as avocado-heavier guac, but it was surprisingly addicting. I really liked it. Super creamy, nice flavor. (AC)
I wasn't really a big fan of this. The edamame wouldn't smooth all the way out for me and there were still a lot of little beany lumps in there. Taste was okay, but I will stick with regular guacamole. (sog)
i wasn't expecting much, but this was fantastic. i complete blended in the onion and tomato until everything was super smooth. my husband and i both thought that this was better than normal guacamole. (thirteenblackbirds)
Hello, I think I love you.   Loved it, loved it, loved it. I will never make full-fat guacamole again! This was terrific!!! (lebkuchen)
LOVED the taste so much; not 100% sold on the texture. There's a recipe for "mockamole" in a Moosewood cookbook that calls for silken tofu that has the opposite issue (like the texture, not sold on the taste). I'm thinking I might experiment with a hybrid of the 2 recipes in the future (although, edamame has silken tofu beat in the nutrition department, so that's definitely a point in its favor.) (caroleena)
Goddess Nicoise
Like. I guess the mashed chickpea stuff is supposed to be tuna-like, but it was just like... chickpeas with capers and the dressing below. Which is fine. I liked this combo, but I don't know if I'm dedicated enough to make a salad that involves cooking again. Maybe. (fb)
this was really tasty, and very hearty. I used more potatoes than the recipe called for (and I used regular red potatoes, boiled, instead of steamed baby potatoes) and kalamata olives (instead of nicoise). I really loved this. My hubby loved it, too. I love how the salad is arranged in "sections" rather than having it all tossed together. (lebkuchen)
I liked this way, way more than I thought I would. Left out the olives and used half the recommended lettuce. Steaming the potatoes and green beans was super-easy so I didn't mind that part of it at all. (caroleena)
Very very good!  Everything comes together brilliantly.  I spread it all out rather than section it.  I used kalamata olives and the Green Goddess Dressing. (tweety)
Green goddess garlic dressing
I overall liked this dressing - I thought it would taste stronger, and it didn't, which was fine. But I found I didn't have enough. Maybe I just like my "salads" on a lot of lettuce, or maybe the dressing should be thinned down, I dunno.  (fb)
I made this to go with the Baked Falafel, and it was absolutely delicious. I didn't have any chives, so I used green onion, which I think worked very well. After we ran out of falafel, my husband put some on his tabbouleh, and eventually started eating it straight out of the bowl. This will be a staple in our house. (SweetGeorgiaPeach)
I made this the day before and it was perfect the next day - it had thickened up but it was still totally emulsified. You can really taste the parsley here. I used 1.5 garlic cloves and thought it was the perfect amount. (lebkuchen)
I absolutely love this dressing--it is the perfect amount of bitey, herby, creaminess for me and doesn't taste overwhelmingly tahini-ish or nooch-yish. I'm actually going to go make another batch right now because I want to have it every day and dip raw peppers in it. I didn't use it on the associated salad but tossed it with raw kale, hemp seed, tomato, carrot and white cucumber (salad inspired the the Weekend Glow Kale Salad from the ohsheglows website). (aggplanta)
Very good--not quite a recreation of Annie's Goddess dressing but an acceptable reduction-friendly substitute. Next time i will be sure to measure out the lemon juice a little more--used the juice of 1 very juicy lemon and it tasted quite strong. Left out the parsley, so it was less "green" and just more "goddess." (caroleena)
Delicious! (tweety)
Sanctuary chef salad
I didn't use sprouts but yeeeeah that dressing. Aside from that, the salad's good and all. I realized I didn't dislike radishes as much as I thought, and the "eggplant bacon" was delicious saltiness on here.  (fb)
I sort of made this. I liked the salad with the roasted cauliflower and baked tofu in it. I didn't made the eggplant bacon and used different vegetables in the salad...but it was good. I'll be making this again soon. (dannibazaar)
serves me right for making this. Despite what the recipe says, it does not take an hour to make. It took me more like 3 hours! I mean, seriously - you have to make the Herb-Roasted Cauliflower, Eggplant Bacon, Baked Tofu, slice radishes and onions, shred carrots, and make a partially cooked dressing. 1 hour?? Yeah right! I also had to wash and chop the romaine lettuce too, but whatever. I kept saying, this salad had better be CRAZY delicious since I just spent most of my Saturday afternoon making it. And you know what? It really wasn't. I hate to say it, but I compare to an already-dressed caesar-style salad you'd get from a salad bar. Really. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE Appetite for Reduction and Isa Chandra. But this recipe really put me in a bad mood. Boo! I'm trying to look on the bright side - if I loved it, I would have been slightly bummed because I'd already said that no matter what, I wasn't making it again. At least I'm not missing something I loved!   I feel badly leaving a negative review, because I really do love this cookbook, and I love Isa. But this recipe? Not happening. (lebkuchen)
Unless you have some of these ingredients made beforehand, it is quite time-intensive to make this. I made prepping some of the time-intensive ingredients a Sunday morning project over coffee and a trashy movie, and that worked well. Now I'll have stuff to assemble for later meals. Overall I liked the idea of it but would probably only make it again with some major adaptations to the mix of veggies and using an herb other than dill in the dressing. (that's not necessarily the recipe's fault though--just turns out that this isn't enough to make me like radishes or cauliflower, or dill for that matter). EDIT: I had the salad again and I liked it better the second day, especially the dill in the dressing since it sat and melded more. Surprisingly good mixed with the dressing and packed for a work lunch. Still not enough to make me like radishes, though. (caroleena)
Sanctuary dressing
I didn't expect much out of this, as basically a pureed-tofu-dressing, but it called for vegetable broth powder, which I just so happened to have. I didn't expect much out of that other than salt and msg, but whoa, silken tofu and broth powder totally work together. It tasted like one of those sour-cream based vegetable dip things that have a million percent sodium and come in gallon tubs at costco. Anyway. A thick dressing, very good and "vegetabley" with the broth powder in there. (fb)
Love this dressing! I was never a big fan of non-vegan ranch dressing, but I thought that this was fantastic! The fresh dill tasted amazing in it...it totally didn't just taste like pureed tofu. Even my ranch obsessed sister thought it was good. She said quote "It doesn't taste like the brand I used, but it tastes ranch-like and good." And coming from her that means something! (dannibazaar)
I altered the recipe a bit, so it would be thicker, so I could use it as a dip instead of a dressing, but it turned out very well, and was very tasty. (disneyfav)
I made this to go on the Sanctuary Chef Salad. I dunno, I thought this tasted kinda weird. I must admit that I was never the biggest ranch dressing fan before anyway, so take what I say with a grain of salt  I followed as directed (I used 4 tsp of full-fat Vegenaise) and dried dill. I blanched the tofu, but it still tasted "beany" to me. It does thicken up considerably in the fridge. I wasn't crazy about it, and it was kind of a pain to make, so I won't be making it again. (lebkuchen)
This is totally what was missing from my taco salad the first time I made it. Addictively good--I'm a sucker for thick dressings. Used about 4 tsps of full-fat vegannaise. Used Gayelord Hauser's veggie broth powder--I imagine different powders would come out with different tastes. Couldn't find my garlic powder (found it later in my utility drawer?!?) so I used fresh garlic which I think even added to it.  I didn't have dill so I substituted basil--not the best substitution but it'll do.  I kind of want to find a great substitute for dill b/c i'm not a huge dill fan and don't usually have it in as a result. Oh, and I accidentally bought soft silken tofu instead and it turned out just fine anyway. (caroleena)
I wasn't a huge fan of this. I like it, but it's not my favorite ranch style. I halved it, but I think it was kinda plain. Probably does just depend on the broth. I seasoned it up a bit more, but wouldn't make again. (AC)
I just didn’t like this at all. I thought it tasted like mayonnaise. I actually threw it out, which I almost never do.  I used to like Ranch, and I just didn’t think this tasted like it. Yuck. (veganrun)
Quinoa salad with black beans and toasted cumin seeds
Also pretty simple, and could work as a salad or as a hot dish. The cumin seeds add something unique, and are worth the small amount of extra effort involved in toasting them (I almost burned them though!). I thought the amount of lime juice would be a lot, but it's not. This comes out pretty mildly flavored.  (fb)
It was okay... I got tired of it after a few bites though. (eldsjal)
this is a tasty salad.  it's very fresh and healthy tasting, and makes a good lunch, side dish, or a light dinner.  i did think it was a little on the boring side, but i wasn't expecting much so this didn't disappoint me. (thirteenblackbirds)
I think this is delicious. It exceeded my expectations. I added a bit more of everything, so the flavor was great. I also added some sliced black olives and fresh jalapeno (would do more jalapeno next time). I just ate it as is, since I'm out of greens. Really simple and fresh. (AC)
I've never used cumin seeds before this, and I think I might have toasted them for too long because the smoky cumin flavor was all KABAM about it. I used three smallish tomatoes and if I were to make this again I'd say go heavy on the tomatoes, because other wise this has a loot of quinoa. The strong cumin taste keeps me from wanting to eat more than a few bites of it so I've been using up the leftovers in other things that call for quinoa. Overall not that impressed. (sog)
I made this because I just happened to have cumin seeds.  It's a tasty little salad.  I used kale for my greens and diced red pepper instead of tomatoes, but otherwise followed the recipe.  I cooked the quinoa and beans ahead of time, so this was quick to make for a weeknight.  I wanted to bulk it up a little for dinner so I rubbed some (previously made) seitan strips with barbeque seasoning and baked them.  The flavor of the toasted cumin seeds permeated through the quinoa nicely and was really good combined with the barbeque seitan.  Yummy! (lotus)
Delicious...I cut from 1 cup of chopped scallions to about 1/3 cup but otherwise stuck tot he recipe.  The toasted cumin seeds really stood out and added a lot of flavor.  I've only used cumin seeds fried in oil, but the dry pan technique for toasting makes for a tasty way of doing it.  (I've done nuts this way too.) (tweety)
Pad Thai salad
I enjoyed this....kinda did taste like real pad thai!  I omitted the cilantro and added the Red Thai Tofu on the side....quick and easy. (erinmonster)
This was ok. It's interesting. I like the flavor, but it's not really something I would want again. The dressing smelled weird, but tasted better than I was expecting. I would definitely up the lime, sriracha, salt, and sugar probably. It's a neat salad for something different. I added black beans to bulk it up a bit. (AC)
I liked this a lot...a nice change from my usual balsamic vinegar salads. I think next time I'll play around with the salad components. (dannibazaar)
I never was a huge thai food fan so thought i'd give it a try. Boy have i been foolish, this was awesome! my omni mum and dad loved it too! (vanilladoe)
We really enjoyed this...with a few modifications, of course.  I used chopped kale instead of lettuce, omitted the onion (I don't love raw onion),and used cashews instead of peanuts.  I also just used regular hot sauce instead of sriracha.  I used a bit more lime than called for, but I agree with AC, the dressing smelled weird, but tasted good on the salad.  To make a full meal, I topped it with garlic mirin tofu.  We usually eat salad for dinner once a week and this recipe was a nice way to change up the usual. (lotus)
This was fine, but not my favorite.  I subbed green onion for the red onion but otherwise followed the recipe. The taste profile actually was very similar to pad thai, but it was just... too... healthy tasting! I found myself wanting a big side of tom kha soup (the coconut and lemongrass soup) or some rice noodles, but that would have defeated the purpose. I thought the sushi salad did a better job in the "recreate takeout into a salad" vein. I'd be interested in playing around with this recipe to add some brown rice noodles. Or, save it for the summer, when a light pad thai may be warranted. DH just proclaimed it "good," so that is a point in its favor. (caroleena)
Peanut lime dragon dressing
Very tasty over rice, but I'm not sure I'd want to use it on a salad because it's so runny.  The runniness also made a mess when I was combining everything in the food processor (leaking out of the lid!).  Next time, I'll reduce the amount of water or use a blender instead.  Had to sub peanut butter since my roasted peanuts had gone stale. (kristinv)
Works with the salad (with increased spice, salt and sugar), but not a favorite. The consistency is unique, but fine for the salad. I might have the leftovers with rice. It's definitely runny, and not really smooth. (AC)
Pretty limey, and thin. I get that it's thin because this is an appetite for reduction, but I think i'd just wind up using more dressing, idk. Anyway, this is definitely more on the end of 'salad dressing' of the peanut sauce spectrum. (fb)
I couldn’t get this smooth, so it was very watery.  My food processor is small so the liquid was running out of the top, and I didn’t blend it for long.  The flavor was good however, although I would try to use fresh lime juice to avoid the slightly tinny taste of bottled.  I want to try this again I just have to figure out how to make it more viscous. (conniex)
I reduced the water from 1/2 cup to 5 tablespoons, but it was still VERY watery and thin. Next time I'll use 3 tablespoons. I used Cholula instead of sricracha and I could barely taste it - next time I'll use something spicier. I made the dressing to put on the Peanut-Lime Tempeh Bowl. It tastes fine but would be better if it was a little thicker. (lebkuchen)
Really good in the quinoa bowl with basic baked tofu. (lubi)
what everyone else said. Thin, but appropriate for the salad. Part of me wanted to experiment with tamarind, but I held off this time. I thought it may have been just a bit too spicy for my taste, and might cut back just a bit on the siracha next time. (caroleena)
Warm mushroom salad with cranberries
delicious with the Creamy Horseradish Dressing, but it seems like way too much greens compared to the mushrooms and cranberries. I used less than the 16 ounces recommended and it still seemed like too much. I also used baby romaine instead of mache greens and baby bellas instead of chanterelles. Leftovers are AWESOME the next day!! I think the dressing flavors melded a bit overnight.  (lebkuchen)
Very enjoyable! I only had some romaine to use, so went with that (I know I couldn't find that special type of green, anyway). I used sliced portobellos for the mushrooms, as suggested. The creamy horseradish dressing is great, and really goes well with everything! Unique. (AC)
Yum! I did spring for the Mache (it was at my Trader Joe's) and for some shiitake muskrooms, and it was so good. Horseradish dressing was a perfect addition. I will say, though, that for a lot of recipes in this book I find the lettuce-to-other-stuff ratio to be way off. I used half of the recommended mache (8 ounces) and that was a perfect amount (in my opinion) against the cranberries, mushrooms, and dressing. I have this issue with several of the salads in the book, but given how light mache is it was especially an issue here. (caroleena)
I used 2 tablespoons of peanut butter instead of peanuts, used white onion instead of shallots and added a teaspoon or so of grated ginger. I liked this, but I agree with what everyone else said: It's too thin! But it was better after I'd mixed it with some quinoa and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of days. It was also a tad bit too limey, next time I'd use half orange juice and half lime or orange juice only. (eldsjal)
Creamy horseradish dressing
tasty dressing, but much too thick - more like a hummus in texture. I added a lot more water to get it into a more dressing-like consistency. Nice change from my standard dressings, though. (lebkuchen)
This dressing is delicious!  It is thick; the recipe produces more of a dip consistency.  However, I love it!  If you love horseradish you could add even more. (conniex)
Very tasty.  I didn't have white balsamic and used regular instead which gave it an ugly brown color, but the combination of spicy horseradish along with the tang of the vinegar was very good.  I served it on top of a baked potato. (Pic under the Speed Vegan thread). (tweety)
Great blend! Not too strong, everything balanced. It is definitely thick, especially after chilling, so I thinned it a tiny bit with water. I followed this recipe, even up to the white balsamic. This does seem like something I'd get tired of after a while, but great with the mushroom/cranberry salad. (AC)
A great taste, but I needed to add more water to even get it to mix properly. I didn't care to spring for the white balsamic (having already spent enough on mache and shiitakes!) but regular worked just fine for these purposes. (caroleena)
Cool slaw
This was also very addicting. I chopped my own cabbage and carrots. The dressing is really good. Great slaw. (AC)
I wasn't very impressed by this at first...if I had decided to review this right after we ate it, I probably wouldn't have been very nice....BUT, the next day, this was FANTASTIC!  I didn't let the cabbage wilt, which may have been my first mistake, but then we ate it right after I made it...didn't let it sit, which I 100% believe needs to happen for it to reach it's full potential.  I really like how it wasn't thick and creamy or overly sweet...it tasted like fancy, elite coleslaw, and I like that in my slaw. (erinmonster)
I agree... This is definitely addicting!  I also shredded my own cabbage and carrots (and some red cabbage, for good measure), and let it wilt before eating as suggested.  This tastes like cole slaw from days of yore, but lighter and healthier.  I will definitely make this again and again! (kindnesstoall)
Yum!!! I had to stop myself from eating all of this up myself. Just so good. I'm not sure what it is...but it's good. (dannibazaar)
I didn't like this, and I might just not like cole slaw. I think I'd like a vinegary dressing that softens up & flavors the cabbage more, because this was very much just like eating shredded, raw cabbage to me. (fb)
The best coleslaw ever! I think I didn't use enough of the coleslaw mix though, it became very watery after the cabbage had wilted. But the taste was perfect! (eldsjal)
When I saw reviews that said this was "addicting," I thought it was strange to think of COLE SLAW in such a manner. Chocolate, yes--but a salad? HELL YES. I agree. I couldn't keep my little fingers out of it as I was making it, and it was even 10x better the next day. I doubled the batch (sign of good faith on the 1st attempt!), and I am so glad I did. I shredded my own cabbage and carrots (used veggie peeler for carrots). I don't know what makes this so yummy. If I didn't make it myself I'd say crack. Whatever it is, give me more.  (veganrun)
I shredded my own cabbage, beets and carrots for this.  It was good, but not addicting to me.  I think the sauce was a bit too loose.  Maybe after it refrigerates overnight I'll like it more. (tweety)
OMG YUM. so could of easily eaten the lot, im so glad its healthier than you usual mayo sodden coleslaw, tastier too! I had it with buffalo tempeh, it combats the spicyness excellently! (vanilladoe)
I enjoyed this slaw, but I didn't love it.  I would prefer it a bit sweeter (double the agave to 2 teaspoons?), and a little less runny (reduce the amount of water in the dressing).  My hubby didn't care for it much, but I think that might have had more to do with the slaw mix I used which contained peppers, radishes, and jicama in addition to the ordinary cabbage and carrots usually found in cole slaw.  He's more of a traditionalist and was looking for a slaw more like mom's.  I might give this recipe another go with a few adjustments. (peaceablepalate)
I am no coleslaw connoisseur but to me, this tasted like a nice, slightly creamy, still vinegary (acidic) coleslaw. What a coleslaw should taste like but nothing extravagant. The real kicker, though, is that there is no added oil (fat comes from the cashews). That's where this slaw shines! (blinknoodle)
Easy and basic, but good and healthy. Definitely make the night before. Next time I might experiment with adding celery seed. (caroleena)
Wild rice salad with oranges and roasted beets
Delicious delicious delicious!  Can be served warm but cold leftovers are fantastic as well. (conniex)
I had to make a couple of substitutions - a brown and wild rice mix (instead of all wild rice) and baby spinach for the red leaf lettuce. I made it a few hours before I ate it. It is good but I'm curious to see if it tastes better tomorrow. I love beets, so there's no issue there. Hmmm.. (lebkuchen)
I liked this. I used a brown rice blend instead of wild rice, but I think wild rice would be better with its nutty taste. Orange and beets pair well and this worked well with the dressing. I would have maybe increased the number of oranges, but liked it as is. I plated each serving overtop 2 cups of mixed baby greens instead of the red lettuce. I only added the dressing once I served leftovers. I also wasn't sure why they suggested adding the beets as the last step, but quickly discovered it turned my rice red.  Anyways, tasty salad with all the components together. (blinknoodle)
I LOVE roasted beets.  I will make pretty much any recipe that calls for roasted beets.  This was a really tasty combination of savory and sweet.  I cooked the rice and beets and made the dressing ahead of time, so this was quick to put together for dinner.  The dressing was delicious.  I added a little bit of chili oil, extra ginger, braggs for the salt, and a combination of sweet chili sauce and plain hot sauce (we don't have sriracha).  Instead of lettuce, I used a combination of kale and beet greens.  For a one-bowl dinner, I baked some tempeh and tossed it in the salad.  Different and delicious! (lotus)
oh this was good! A good bit of prep work, what with the beets and wild rice. But the end result was worth it. (Yes, I sprung for the wild rice here. I'd love to find a less pricey substitute, though). Couldn't find currants so I bought craisins to sub... which I promptly forgot to put on the salad. (I've added them to the two servings' worth of leftovers...) (caroleena)
Orange sesame vinaigrette
I liked this a lot but used sesame oil instead of the toasted sesame oil recommended and next time would go the extra mile to get the depth of flavor from the toasted sesame oil. (conniex)
Toasted sesame oil is definitely essential, since it's one of the dominant flavors. This has a good flavor, (if you like sesame oil and orange), but it's nothing spectacular. I used it on steamed broccoli, as recommended. I would add more ginger and Sriracha if I ever made it again. It's very thin, since there's no thickening..which I guess if fine if you want a bunch of it left in a bowl. I guess I would make it for a special salad that needed something fruity and tangy and Asiany. (AC)
Tasty, but not really suitable for lettuce-type salads. I think it would go better in a grain-type salad, like quinoa or couscous or something. It needs to be thicker for lettuce, maybe with some silken tofu or mayo. Nice, sweet sesame flavor, but didn't suit my purposes.  (fb)
flavor was good but as others have said it is very thin. this didn't work that great on a salad. (thirteenblackbirds)
The only change I made was to use untoasted sesame oil, rather than toasted. I know Isa specifically says to use toasted sesame oil, but all I had was untoasted, so I used it anyway. She's right - it probably does make a big difference. I can see what she means when she says untoasted may fall "flat." It lacks some punch. So definitely try and use toasted! (lebkuchen)
This is a great dressing. Fresh orange juice is important for the lighter flavour..(blinknoodle)
Now this is tasty! Just as she says...it's fruity, toasty, spicy, and tangy. I used it on a bean and grain salad, and it was delish. (dannibazaar)
Nice vinegarette that I'm going to use on salads.  Very different and nice blend of flavors. (tweety)
what everyone else said. Delicious taste but so, so thin. I used it in the wild rice salad with oranges and beets and, while yummy, there was a big puddle in the bottom that was taking on the color of the beets (disaster waiting to happen?) (caroleena)
This was good, although I found it a little too runny. Since it was runny, I used it on a stir-fry, and this was fantastic! Great flavor in this dressing. (veganrun)
Caesar salad with eggplant bacon
This dressing and salad were pretty good, but not my favorite Caesar. I had a weird thing happen with the eggplant bacon, but it was probably just me. I had some pieces come out pretty tasty, but I had some really bitter ones. I would be open to trying it again.  (AC)
I didn't make the salad, just the "bacon". My eggplant slices didn't get very crispy, just more dehydrated and floppy. Some pieces seemed to be crisping up, but softened after dressing them with the soy sauce/liquid smoke. I like that flavor combo, but the way my eggplant came out didn't really speak of bacon in any way. I might have not sliced it thinly enough, I don't know. I found the coconut flake bacon from AVK was better for salad "bacon," and for lower calorie "bacon" there's always the TVP "bacon" bits. In other words, while the soy sauce + smoke flavor was enjoyable, I didn't think this was sufficiently bacony to justify the effort.  (fb)
I made this without the bacon and added other stuff to the salad (onions, chickpeas, and kale is all). I thought it was fantastic, and it tastes even better the next day! (dannibazaar)
Good, the eggplant bacon was too salty and too smoky for me, so maybe I'd tone it down w/ some water next time. Everything went together well. The dressing did taste a bit cashewy to me, so I added more lemon and capers. (nmpixie)
I made just the bacon, and not the whole caesar salad, but this is the one thing from the book I've tried that hasn't worked. It did have a bacony flavor, but my eggplant never got crispy. (disneyfav)
looooove this! This was so great. I kept it simple and made it with just the romaine lettuce, dressing, eggplant bacon, and a can of chickpeas. I think it would be great with some baked tofu on top of it. My bacon didn't come out crispy at all, but it was still tasty. However, the interesting thing is, I used over 1 pound of eggplant (rather than the 1/2 pound recommended) and even then, it's not like it makes a ton of eggplant. I think the salad is great on its own and doesn't even really need the bacon. Next time I'll probably add some sliced grape tomatoes. I love how easy the dressing is to make. Previously, I always made the raw Caesar dressing out of ED&BV, but I think this will be my go-to recipe now. (lebkuchen)
Like many others, I just couldn't get the eggplant crispy. I have made the bacon twice and the second time I sliced the eggplant thinner, but the crispy pieces were just paper-thin and a little burnt tasting. Bottom line for me: love the taste, but texture is lacking. Perhaps we don't always need crunchiness, though. Also, I added the baked tofu in with the salad to make it an entree. Very good all together. (caroleena)
The 'bacon' was so fucking good. Love love love. Looks like I'll be keeping eggplant stocked in my fridge at all times now. Overall, good salad. (sb)
I just made the bacon here, and the texture is super awesome. Since there aren't a lot of ingredients, make sure you're using good quality soy sauce and liquid smoke. I tried it once with a different brand of liquid smoke, and I thought it was gross. Made it again with my stand-by, and I thought it was awesome. The texture is fantastic--nice mix of chewy and crispy. Easy to make, too. (veganrun)
Caesar Chavez dressing
I'd want to try this again, as well. I can't really remember wasn't great about it, but it just wasn't up to the Vcon standard. (AC)
Fan-freaking-tastic! I love the brine-y-ness the capers give to it. I will be making this often. (dannibazaar)
The dressing did taste a bit cashewy to me, so I added more lemon and capers. (nmpixie)
Good dressing, but not recognizably "caesar dressing" to me. Tangy, lotsa capers.  (fb)
I made this to go on top of the Vegan Bowl. Due to low pantry supplies, I had to make a few substitutions, but it came out absolutely delicious and I'll probably make it this way again! I had to sub 1/2 clove chopped garlic for the shallot; 1 heaping TBS of sesame seeds for the tahini; and I only used about 1/4 cup of water (instead of 1/3 cup). Using less water made the dressing nice and thick, perfect for spooning on top of the bowl. I absolutely loved this dressing!! I've never made the one out of Veganomicon, but I thought this one was great. (lebkuchen)
I'm enjoying this. Apparently I can't tell the difference between tahini and tamari because I accidentally put in a tablespoon of the latter instead. I stirred in tahini when i realized my mistake (it was WAY too tart and brine-y without the tahini). I always associate grated cheese with caesar dressing, so I also added a little bit of nutritional yeast. (Not sure of the nutritional profile of vegan parmesean, but I think that could be a good little addition instead of the nooch.) Small change, but I wonder whether the capers would be better pulsed into the dressing as opposed to completely pulverized in the processing. (caroleena)
This was pretty good. I definitely prefer the caesar dressing in v-con, but it worked well for the salad. (sb)
Vietnamese rice noodle salad with grilled tofu
Liked the rice noodles, especially liked the tofu; overall success. Was eaten too quickly. (fb)
I just made this dressing for a salad with greens, carrot, and red pepper. I wanted to make a simple dressing, but was out of olive oil, so did this. Eh. Probably better on the salad recipe, but doesn't work well for a regular salad. I cut down on the water quite a bit, but it was still very watery. I used 1 tablespoons sriracha. Meh. (AC)
I made this because it seemed similar to a fantastic dish I had in a vietnamese restaurant in Berlin. It came quite close actually! I thought I hated mint, but it was really tasty in the peanut topping. Next time I'll make more of the topping! For the dressing I used maple syrup instead of agave and it worked just fine, I also replaced the green beans (I think?) with beans sprouts. Would probably not do that next time though. I fried my tofu in a pan until they got a little charred, instead of grilling. I think I'll make this again, and now I'm excited to try some more vietnamese food! (eldsjal)
Overall yum, but I found a couple of flavors in the salad a bit overpowering. Would make two changes in the future that are probably more reflective of my personal tastes than anything else--1) I would probably cut down on the chile-garlic sauce, as it was a bit too spicy for my taste; and 2) I would cut way down on red onion, or maybe sub green onion, but I'm not much of a raw-onion-in-salad type. (caroleena)
Excellent!  I  loved the dressing of chili sauce tempered with agave (I only had about 2 tablespoons and that seemed plenty), the dressing which is used for a marinade for the tofu was good.  I used regular green beans which I blanched, and I wasn't paying attention and my rice noodles turned to mush and threw it out and used soba noodles instead which was a good sub.  Finally, the garnish of mint, peanuts and lime zest was extremely good. (tweety)
this was so much better than I expected! It didn't sound like it would have a lot going on, but it was really tasty. My hubby loved it. I used Cholula Chili Garlic sauce, and I think it worked quite well - not too spicy for me. The grilled tofu was very good even without pressing or marinating it for long. I used the rice vermicelli noodles Isa calls for, but I wouldn't hesitate to make this again with a different type of noodle (even brown rice pasta would work). Very nice! (lebkuchen)
Catalan couscous salad with pears
a very tasty and fresh salad. I used mixed baby greens in place of the spinach. This is not as amazing as some of the other things in the book, but a great dish nonetheless. (thirteenblackbirds)
Very, very yummy, and with jarred red bell pepper so very easy. I kind of wish it had a protein with it but I can't think of what would work. With the couscous beans would be too starchy...(caroleena)
As I ate the leftovers I realized what I thought was missing: I really wish I had used a crispier pear in this. I used a very ripe, run of the mill pear (anjou?) and while the taste was good I thought that a crispier pear would have added texture. (caroleena)
This was very good.  It's silvered almonds, couscous, spinach, pears, and Romesco Dressing.  (tweety)
Romesco dressing
I really liked this. P liked it as well. I used onion for the shallot, and it smelled so good when I put it in the processor with the freshly toasted almonds. I followed the recipe, except used spicy brown mustard for dijon (1 teaspoon). I was afraid the texture would be too runny or off, but it was good. Went really well with a version of the trattoria salad. (AC)
A nice, interesting dressing - mainly almond and red bell pepper flavor. Definitely unique, and I'll probably make it again. very easy to put together if you get jarred roasted peppers. (fb)
very flavorful. i roasted my own bell pepper and it tasted great. (thirteenblackbirds)
this is seriously flavorful. I subbed red onion for the shallot. It tastes amazing, but unfortunately, something in it is giving me major acid reflux   Boo. For those of you who are not acid-reflux prone, it's a great dressing!! (lebkuchen)
Lots of flavor and a pretty color. Made it pretty much to a T with jarred red bell pepper. (caroleena)
This was pretty much life changing. I ate about half of the dressing before I ever even got to dinner. I was dipping veggies in it, and when I ran out of those I was scooping it out with my finger (I wasn’t feeding guests so this was totally okay!). LOVE THIS DRESSING. (veganrun)
Came out on the loose side but mixed very well with Catalan couscous salad with pears, but might be too thin for a regular salad dressing.  The combo of toasted almonds, roasted red pepper, and shallot was very good.  It had no oil and the fat was provided by the almonds so oil wasn't missed. (tweety)
Trattoria pasta salad with white beans
I made a version of this to go with the romesco dressing (which I thought was the dressing for this salad instead of the sundried tomato one). I used leftover ditalini pasta for the brown rice pasta, and did green onion for red. I thought it was good, a nice salad combo, and it went well with the dressing. I don't think I would make it again, because I got a bit tired of the flavor, but it was good. (AC)
Fairly simple dish to put together, nothing crazy going on, especially using jarred roasted peppers. I like the combination of ingredients here and am likely to use it again, except maybe using baby spinach instead of arugula (so bitter!). Apparently good hot too (J thought it was supposed to be heated...).  (fb)
I didn't finish my plate. It might have been have been okay without the fennel in the dressing. My dad liked it though, he had three servings of it (maybe he was just very hungry?). My mum thought it was a little bland. (eldsjal)
I followed the recipe pretty closely and I really liked it...especially before I added the arugula.  This was my first time having arugula and I'm not sure how I feel about it.  I would like to try the salad again with a different green...kale, perhaps?  Spinach would be good too. (lotus)
this came out even better than I'd hoped! My hubby, toddler son, and I all loved this. I couldn't believe my son ate so much of this! I made this in the morning and then let it sit all day in the fridge until dinner time. I'm sure that helped the flavors come together. I thought this was so, so delicious. I used a mix of brown rice rotini and brown rice penne, cannellini beans (instead of great northerns), and baby spinach (instead of arugula), but otherwise followed as directed. This is a great summer pasta salad! I think it would be great for a picnic or eating on-the-go. (lebkuchen)
SO good. I have another cookbook with a similar recipe that I loved, but it's neither vegan NOR reduction-friendly (calling for a good bit of grated cheese and putting mayonnaise in the dressing). This is exactly what I was looking for! I loved the arugula in it with the strong dressing (but then again, I've always loved arugula). I used whole wheat fusilli as my pasta and roasted my own peppers and left off the olives. (caroleena)
this was alright. It's a good pasta salad but forgettable, and I was disappointed since it has fancy ingredients. (thirteenblackbirds)
Very good.  This is a hearty dish that can be used as a meal, or alongside a burger for lunch or dinner.  My argula was on the bitter side, but after massaging in the dressing and sitting a while it's good.  The dressing is the sun-dried tomato-walnut dressing. (tweety)
Sun dried tomato walnut dressing
mildly sweet dressing that has that sort of "italian" taste from the fennel + tomato. I actually used oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, so I used a bit more than directed because I figured the non-oil ones probably expand a little upon reconstitution. Anyway. I liked it this way, even though it was probably the extra greasy version. (fb)
This sounded so good, but I hated the fennel in this. Yuck. (eldsjal)
Delicious!  It's kinda thick, so I don't think I would use it on a green salad, but I really liked this with the Trattoria Pasta Salad. (lotus)
for once, I followed a recipe as directed - no changes!! And it certainly didn't need any changes. I thought this dressing was awesome. I do agree with a previous reviewer, though - it's great on the pasta salad, but probably wouldn't work on a green salad. The texture is a little too thick and chunky for a green salad. Don't fear the fennel seed - I thought it was a nice backdrop in the dressing and I didn't find it overwhelming at all. My thought is, if you like or don't mind the taste of fennel seed, you will have no issue with this dressing. (lebkuchen)
What everyone else said. This dressing is thick and I couldn't imagine putting it on a regular green salad, but it's great for a pasta salad with spicy arugula. It definitely has a strong fennel flavor so if you're not much for fennel you probably won't like this. On its own it reminded me of pasta sauce that had been cooked with sausage in it (and in fact, it makes me want to add fennel the next time i make a crock pot of tomato sauce.) I forgot the mustard but didn't really notice. (caroleena)
Thick, but tastes amazing. I threw it on a quinoa and veggie salad. Yummmmm. (veganrun)
liked it but wasn't crazy about it.  Not something I would make again. (thirteenblackbirds)
Delish.  I committed the ulimate low fat sin and used tomatoes in oil, but rinsed it and let it drain.  The other sin I committed was using brown mustard instead of dijon...*shudder*...but it was all I had.  Nonetheless this dressing was good.  I do think it's a bit loose to use on a salad, but it mixed quite well with the Trattoria pasta salad. (tweety)
Strawberry spinach salad
Delicious! Wasn't so sure how everyone would like this combo, but I think everyone liked it. I didn't use the sprouts, and added some halved red grapes and toasted sliced almonds on top. The dressing goes very well with this. I'd make this again. (AC)
another good salad.  I opted for the almonds and they were really good in this. I'm not crazy about raw spinach, so if I made this again I would probably used mixed greens. (thirteenblackbirds)
Good! Strawberry/spinach/almond salads are something I've had before but I think everyone oughta give it a try because it's a totally delicious flavor pairing if you like sweet summer salads. (sog)
Wonderful, but I kind of couldn't believe this warranted a cookbook entry! Maybe that is just because salads with fruits are standard in my house. I added pea shoots because that was the closest to something sprout-y that trader joes had that day. Not usually a sprouts fan but I did like how it lightened up the heavier spinach (caroleena)
Carrot ginger dressing
This was super flavorful, but something about the texture wasn't quite right with me. It wasn't quite creamy or smooth, something in between. The flavor was great and fresh. Used it on a bowl with rice and green beans. (AC)
Looking for a green bean recipe, I came across the suggestion to serve greenbeans with this dressing. Carrot and giner are a great combination, but something is off about this.  I think it's the vinegar.  Red wine vinegar doesn't go with lime and toasted sesame oil.  It would be better without the vingegar altogether or to eliminate the lime and sesame oil and use olive oil and red vinegar.  So this only get's a "meh" from me. (tweety)
I felt that this had too much lime. Also, it feels kind of weird as a salad dressing... It's like dressing lettuce with lettuce (using carrots to dress salad)... I dunno, but I just couldn't get behind it. (fb)
I'm glad I held off on a review until today. I made the dressing yesterday to go on a salad of baby spinach, orange pepper, cucumber, radish, celery, and quinoa. I made the dressing in the early afternoon and then ate the salad about 4 hours later. My first impression was not a good one - it was REALLY limey and the texture was a little unpleasant. I decided to try it again today for lunch and see if the taste had improved overnight. I'm happy to say, it really did. Yesterday, the flavors seemed so distinct - you could taste the lime, the sesame oil, and the red wine vinegar. Today, it all melded together and tasted MUCH better. The texture also improved a bit, although it's still thicker (almost like pureed butternut squash or something) than I would like. But I'd definitely recommend making this one the day before! (lebkuchen)