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Who said salads had to be boring? Greek Salad is easy to make — and bursting with flavor. Vegan food blogger and creator Lauren Toyota of Hot for Food shows you how it's done, below. For more inspired flavor from Lauren Toyota, please visit: https://www.hotforfoodblog.com

Greek Salad With Mushroom Walnut Souvlaki
Makes 2 large servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Tofu Feta
1 x 350 g package extra firm tofu
½ C white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ C unsweetened nondairy milk
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sea salt

Creamy Cucumber Dressing
¼ C olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
⅓ C shredded cucumber
2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon agave nectar or cane sugar

Mushroom Walnut Souvlaki
1 tablespoon ground flax
3 tablespoon water
⅓ C finely chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 C mushrooms
2 teaspoons neutral vegetable oil + 3 tablespoons for cooking the patties
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 C walnuts
½ C all-purpose or whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon ground sage
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Greek Salad
8-9 C arugula
1 C cherry tomatoes, halved
½ C sliced kalamata olives
½ a red onion, thinly sliced
1 C tofu feta (as above)

Remove the tofu from the packaging and drain the excess water. Cut it lengthwise in half, then into strips, and then cut the strips into cubes. Whisk the remaining ingredients for the tofu feta together in a glass storage container that has a fitted lid. Submerge the tofu cubes in the mixture, place the lid on the container, and refrigerate it. It's preferred to marinate the tofu at least overnight as it gives it a stronger flavor, but you could do it for as short as 3 hours.

Make the dressing ahead of the mushroom walnut souvlaki and leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve the salad. You can either whisk all these ingredients together until combined, or blend them in a blender for a creamier, smoother dressing.

For the souvlaki, combine ground flax and water in a small bowl and set it aside to thicken slightly. Heat a large pan over medium and sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms in 2 teaspoons of oil for approximately 5 minutes. In the last minute of cooking, add in fresh thyme.

Put this sautéed mushroom mixture in a food processor along with the thickened flax mixture, walnuts, flour, low sodium soy sauce, tomato paste, parsley, onion powder, cumin, ground mustard, smoked paprika, sage, ground black pepper, and sea salt. Process the mixture until a smooth pâté-like consistency is formed.

Using your hands form 2 ½" wide x ¼" thick patties. You may need to dampen your hands with a little bit of water to keep the mixture from sticking. You can either bake the patties on a lightly oiled baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes at 375°F and flip them halfway through, or pan fry them.

To pan fry, heat a large pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, place the patties in the pan and fry for 1 to 2 minutes a side until golden brown. Don’t overcrowd the patties in the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you may want to only do 2 to 3 at a time. Add more oil to the pan for the next batch.

Assemble the salads starting with a bed of arugula and add in olives, halved cherry tomatoes, and top with thinly sliced onions. Place warm mushroom walnut souvlaki on top of the salad. Crumble tofu feta on top and drizzle with the creamy cucumber dressing. Garnish with fresh ground black pepper and serve immediately.