anunrefinedvegan

Somewhere and at some time I vowed never to include a tofu salad recipe on my blog.  I lied.  Actually, it’s more accurate to say that at the time that I said that, I couldn’t foresee wanting to include a tofu salad recipe.  Tofu salad.  Blah.  After all, one of my favorite all-time sandwiches was egg salad.  Specifically my mom’s egg salad which had the exact right ration of creaminess to tanginess (and, incidentally, we were a Hellman’s household as opposed to a Miracle Whip household).  How could I expect to replicate that with tofu?  But, times have changed.  After conquering scrambled tofu, it seemed right to explore tofu salad.  Mom’s recipe was the inspiration.

Tofu Salad Sandwiches
Serves 4

Tofu Salad:
14 oz. package firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/2 cup Vegenaise
1/4 tsp. dried dill
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. red onion, chopped
1 tbsp. sweet pickle relish
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup green olives, chopped
2 tbsp. pepperoncini, chopped
pinch turmeric
pinch garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste

4 Whole Wheat Pita Breads
lettuce, tomato, sprouts, avocado…the works

Slice the tofu block in half.  For one half cut into 1/4″ slices lengthwise, then into 1/4″ pieces width-wise – so you have small cubes.  Put the cubes in a large mixing bowl.  Now, crumble the other half of the tofu block into the bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir gently to combine.

When ready to serve, slice the pitas in half and lay in with the tofu salad and toppings.  Serve alongside a big scoop of Roasted Bell Pepper & Olive Salad.

Roasted Bell Pepper & Olive Salad
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1-2 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
1-2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425F.  In a medium-sized baking dish, combine the vegetable broth, pepper and Liquid Aminos.  Add the bell peppers, onion and garlic and stir.  Bake in the oven, stirring frequently, until peppers and onions are tender.  Add more vegetable broth and Liquid Aminos as needed – you want this to be a little bit juicy.

Remove pan from the oven and stir in the olives and parsley.  I like to serve this at room temperature.