Korean Tofu Sausage Salad with California Avocados

Korean Tofu Sausage:

1. Drain the tofu and crumble into ½” pieces.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. Mix all spices together, then stir in the olive oil.
4. In a large bowl, toss the crumbled tofu with the spice rub mixture until evenly coated. Spread the mixture onto greased or parchment paper lined sheet pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir the tofu and bake for an additional 20 minutes. If the crumbled tofu is still wet, bake for another 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.

Quick Pickled Carrots:

1. In a large bowl, toss the julienned carrots, salt, sugar, and vinegar. Let sit for 20 minutes. Drain the carrots, squeezing out any excess water. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Sautéed Mushrooms:

1. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in some cooking oil. Add the sliced shallots and cook until they start to soften. Add the sliced mushrooms and salt. Cook until mushrooms soften and start to lightly brown. Remove from heat, draining any excess liquid.

Steamed Kale:

1. Remove the stems from the kale. Add 2 inches of water to a medium stockpot and fit with a steamer basket. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add kale, cover with lid, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove kale from steamer and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut into 1-inch pieces. Add sesame oil, lemon juice and sesame seeds; tossing to coat. Add salt to taste.

Vegan Gochujang Dressing:

1. Mix the gochujang and miso until well incorporated. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until everything is thoroughly mixed.

Assemble:

1. Place 2 cups of arugula in the bottom of each bowl. Top each salad with ½ cup of Korean Tofu Sausage, ¼ cup of Sautéed Mushrooms, ¼ cup Quick Pickled Carrots, ½ cup of Steamed Kale and ¼ of an avocado. Drizzle each with ¼ cup of Vegan Gochujang Dressing. Serve.