Tofu-Salad Sandwiches ♥ Recipe for Vegan 'Egg' Salad

Tofu-Salad Sandwiches
Today's vegetable sandwich recipe: A mixture of tofu and the usual suspects for egg salad, mayo, celery and the like. It makes up in just a few minutes and is surprisingly good! Better still, it's eminently variable based on what's on hand. Not just vegan, "Vegan Done Real". Low carb and just 1 or 2 points for Weight Watchers.

Is this feeling familiar, the feeling that you're just a little bit stuck, a tad bit uninspired, to cook? (Now baking, that I could do every day. But who needs another recipe for something sweet? Our recipe boxes, our waistlines, they're already plenty full of desserts.)

So I've been scanning my favorite cookbooks, hoping for inspiration then naysaying one recipe after another. Too fussy. Too expensive. Too many pots. Ingredients I don't have. Ingredients my usual groceries don't have. Too much fat. Too fru-fru. Yesterday I nixed every other recipe in the brand-new issue of Food & Wine (don't worry, it's a great issue, it's just me, right now) but then jumped on this simple mixture of silken tofu to make a chunky white sandwich spread, vegan! and just one Weight Watchers point, too. I expected to like it so-so, but thought it might give me a jump-start (aka a good ol' kick in the you know what) to get 'cooking' again.

Instead, I loved this stuff and already I've started thinking of ways to make it differently next time. I made open-face sandwiches for lunch yesterday but think it'll be great on toast for breakfast and might even slip into an omelet, say. I may never cook again.

This recipe is so quick and easy that I'm adding it to a growing collection of easy summer recipes published all summer long in 2009 at Kitchen Parade, my food column, and now again in 2010. With a free Kitchen Parade e-mail subscription, you'll never miss a one!


REVIEWS
"I just made this, and it is SO good!" ~ GreenGrannie
"This is great. I love it!" ~ Sierra

TOFU-SALAD SANDWICHES

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Makes 2 cups

12 or 16 ounce package firm silken tofu, drained

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise (see TIPS)
1 teaspoon good mustard
1 rib celery, chopped fine
2 tablespoons fresh herbs (I used fresh dill)
Plenty of kosher salt & black pepper

Good bread
Alfalfa sprouts

Wrap the block of tofu with a double layer of paper towels to remove excess liquid, set aside while mixing the rest. In a medium bowl, stir together all the remaining ingredients. With a fork, work in the tofu. Spread onto bread, top with alfalfa sprouts.



ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
Thanks to Kate, a reader, for the reminder that most commercial mayonnaise contains egg so if vegan is the requirement, be sure to buy a vegan mayonnaise. Otherwise use Almonnaise, a mayo-like mixture made with almonds, olive oil and seasonings.
This strikes me as eminently variable, happy to adjust to whatever's on hand. While putting it together, I thought of adding sweet pickle, grated radish, horseradish, chopped tomatoes, black olives, bits of dried fruit. You could also top it with slices of tomato or cucumber or a roasted pepper. This stuff works! The possibilities are endless!
The recipe developer Melissa Rubel Jacobson added 1/4 turmeric for color and I did too, with half the mixture. I actually think the white mixture is quite pretty and the turmeric turned it more muddy than golden so next time, no turmeric for me.

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© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2010


Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

Comments

  1. OMG--I just had to come look at the vegan creation--WOW! You and I were on the same wavelength--it must be the warm weather we're having in St. Louis right now! I almost opted for a vegan egg salad last night, but instead went with vegan chicken salad (with almost all the same ingredients!)--how funny and your recipe looks delish!

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  2. I enjoy your recipes a lot, thank you for sharing. However, this recipe says "vegan" all over it and I have to point out that most mayonnaises (even light ones) contain egg yolk, which is obviously not vegan. Just had to point that out! As a vegetarian, I love reading your website and look forward to your new posts!

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  3. Kelly ~ it's already 'too hot' to cook, for sure. Maybe that's it? I don't know. I just know the tofu hit the spot.

    Kate ~ Great reminder, thank you! I'll add it to the recipe, especially since I have the idea that non veg(etari)an cooks use my site to cook for those who are. Thanks especially for the kind words, they mean the world.

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  4. Thanks for your attention to that detail! I know that you are conscious of vegetarians/vegans adapting your recipes when they contain meat, broths or other animal products, and I really appreciate your tips. Continue on with the good work and bringing delicious recipes! Lots of delicious things are about to be in season and I look forward to seeing how you use them!

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  5. I have seen this a few times and keep meaning to try it. I really like tofu so I bet this is great! I could see this being good as a curried tofu salad too.

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  6. I'm always amazed at how good tofu is. I simply grilled some the other night with olive oil a little Braggs, and some jerk seasoning, and I could have eaten the whole pound myself. I will definitely try this.

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  7. I'm intrigued by this; never used tofu in this way but I'm imagining it will taste good!

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  8. Yum! (I'm a fan of mock chicken salad which is similar.) :-)

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  9. I want to try this sandwich. I am always looking for new ways to use tofu. Great idea.

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  10. This looks great - been meaning to try a tofu "egg" salad for a while - this will get me off my duff to do it! I think it'd be great to do it curried - mix in curry powder (then you get that nice color, too), maybe some halved seedless grapes too? Might be nice served over baby greens. Too bad I just ate lunch!

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  11. I just made this, and it is SO good! In keeping with your comment that this could be modified so many ways, using what I had on hand, I added finely chopped red onion, grated carrot, and finely chopped red bell pepper. It's really pretty! After tasting, I also added a bit more mustard. I didn't have sprouts on hand, so I topped my open faced sandwich with baby spinach. I have all kinds of ideas for "next time." I'm not a vegetarian, but don't eat meat often. This is a great addition to my repertoire. Thanks!

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  12. I make a vegan "egg" salad with soft tofu, chicken style seasoning and green onions... But variation is good... Why the silken tofu though?

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  13. Dusty ~ As I recall, the recipe was very specific about using silken tofu and to my taste, it really did come close to matching the texture of egg salad, albeit a slightly soft mix.

    I've made a couple of batches of "chicken" tofu salad using cubes of firm tofu and can't imagine it in "egg" tofu salad.

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  14. AnonymousJune 08, 2010

    Just one question: Isn't mayo made with eggs? Or are there mayos who don't? I'm not vegan yet, but I'm looking forward to become vegan. I'm just not yet vegan because I want to be informed first, what I can eat or cannot. So I would like to know what I asked about mayo. Thanks, a keep posting that nice recipes! :) Peace.

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  15. Anonymous ~ Commercial mayonnaise does indeed include eggs, check the Tips, you'll find that I suggest using a vegan mayonnaise if this is an important diet choice.

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  16. I had a bunch of tofu sitting in the fridge from a forgotten recipe I had intended on making. This is great. I love it! Thanks for sharing!

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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe, whether a current recipe or a long-ago favorite. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. ~ Alanna