Tofu Egg Salad

I know that many of you have resolved to eat less meat in the new year, and I thought Meatless Monday would be an apropos day of the week to share this vegetarian recipe with you (*read on for the vegan version).

Perfectly cooked (and easy to peel!) hard-boiled eggs – along with baked tofu – are folded into a creamy Greek yogurt-based dressing in this Tofu Egg Salad.

A bit of light canola oil mayonnaise adds richness, a touch of coarse ground mustard lends a flavor punch, a splash of white white vinegar adds a nice acidic bite, and some sliced green onions give the dressing a welcomed freshness.

I prefer this salad at room temperature rather than chilled, as I think the flavors are more pronounced. That being said, you obviously don’t want to keep a dish containing yogurt, eggs, and mayonnaise out of the fridge for too long. I like to let the prepared salad sit on the counter, covered, for about 30 minutes before digging in.

My favorite way to enjoy this salad is scooped up with a couple of tasty crackers (pictured here are Back to Nature Multigrain Flax Flatbread Crackers). The soft salad just begs for a crunchy accompaniment, but is equally delicious if served on top of fresh greens or sandwiched between two slices of hearty whole wheat bread.

*You can easily make this recipe vegan by omitting the hard-boiled eggs, doubling the amount of tofu, and subbing in extra canola oil mayo (Spectrum makes an eggless version) for the yogurt.

I’m curious: are you trying to eat less meat?

Tofu Egg Salad

serves 1

Ingredients:

2 large eggs, preferably organic
Kosher salt
1 slab marinated and baked tofu (I used 1/2 serving of Trader Joe’s Organic Baked Tofu – savory flavor)
2-3 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt, 0% or 2%
2-3 tsp light canola oil mayonnaise, such as Spectrum
1/4 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp coarse ground mustard
1 Tbsp thinly sliced green onion
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover completely with water. Add in a pinch of salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat; immediately cover and remove from heat. Let eggs sit, covered & off of the heat, for 15 minutes.
Drain water from the saucepan and give it a few shakes to crack the eggshells in numerous places. Submerse cracked eggs in cold water, drain, and peel. Set aside to cool.
Chop tofu into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, and green onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
When the eggs have cooled, cut them open and remove one of the yolks. Discard (or feed to your dog – Shelby loves egg yolks and they are great for dog’s coats).
Gently mash the eggs, and then fold them, as well as the tofu, into the yogurt-mayo mixture.
Serve chilled or at room-temperature on a bed of lettuce, between two slices of whole wheat bread, or with whole grain crackers (such as Back to Nature).

*Vegan Tofu Salad

Ingredients:

1 piece baked tofu (such as 1 serving of Trader Joe’s Organic Baked Tofu – savory flavor)
3 1/2 Tbsp light canola oil [vegan] mayonnaise, such as Spectrum
1/4 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp coarse ground mustard
1 Tbsp thinly sliced green onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Chop tofu into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the canola mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, and green onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fold the tofu into the mayo mixture.
Serve chilled or at room-temperature on a bed of lettuce, between two slices of whole wheat bread, or with whole grain crackers (such as Back to Nature).

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