Tofu is an important part of vegan and vegetarian protein choices, low carb. It’s also a tasty ingredient for anyone wanting a plant-based protein…or just something new!
Basic Tofu “Egg” Salad
Yield 4 servings
60 ounces pounds extra firm, silken style, tofu, drained (usually 2 packages)
1/2 cup eggless mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1/2 cup dill pickles, diced
1/2 cup diced green onions
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Sea salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
Smoked paprika for garnish (optional)
Start with a block of firm organic tofu. Take it out of its package, place it on top of several layers of paper towel on a large plate, put another large plate on top, and put 3 1-pound food cans on top of that. Press for 10 minutes. Crumble the tofu into “egg salad”-sized bits. Incorporate all the other ingredients. Tofu benefits some marinating time, so let it sit, covered and chilled, for at least half and hour.
Variations
The dressings, below, start out with a 50/50 percentage of oil/vinegar. After that, taste and tweak to your liking. All ingredients minced, shredded, or crumbled, as appropriate 😉
- Dijon mustard, capers, sea salt, pepper, eggless mayonnaise
- Chili sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, wheat-free Tamari, peanuts, toasted sesame oil
- Rice vinegar, wheat-free Tamari, black pepper, toasted sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil
- Chili powder, stevia, lemon juice, black pepper, avocado
- Garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, lemon, garam masala, sesame oil
- Pimento-stuffed green olives, Dijon mustard, eggless mayonnaise
- Shallots, tarragon, tarragon vinegar, eggless mayonnaise
- Garlic, lemon juice/zest, Dijon mustard, fennel bulb, eggless mayonnaise
- Dry mustard, hot Hungarian paprika, shallot, parsley, celery, eggless mayonnaise
- Za’atar, lemon juice, green olives, cilantro, red onion, pine nuts, eggless mayonnaise
- Curry powder, red bell pepper, eggless mayonnaise
- Avocado, lemon juice, garlic powder, eggless mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard and eggless mayonnaise
- Shallots, whole-grain mustard, celery, capers, chives, lemon juice, eggless mayonnaise
- Pesto, celery, eggless mayonnaise
- Dill pickles, capers, green onions, eggless mayonnaise
- Celery, chives, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, eggless mayonnaise
- Red wine vinegar, garlic powder, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, eggless mayonnaise
- Champagne vinegar, capers, chives, shallots, eggless mayonnaise
Does this list look familiar? It is! It’s the same list as egg salads, but all meaty bits have been deleted. Also, a few ” just for tofu” combinations have been added.
Note: subtract dietary fiber from total carbohydrates to get net carbs, if that is your practice.
Nutrition Facts (below) based on “Basic Tofu ‘Egg’ Salad”
