Want some yummy egg salad or an egg salad sandwich without the eggs? Try this healthy and yummy tofu replacement!
Sandwiches and salad—they're the quintessential lunch items year-round. (In winter, you can add soup to the list.) And what works better as both a sandwich and a salad star than a flavorful and nutritious (mock) egg salad?
While there are differing opinions out on the health benefits and risks of soy products, we do know that moderation is generally a healthy rule to live by. And soy, tofu in particular, has enjoyed centuries of use (if not longer) throughout Asia.
What’s perhaps a bigger risk than the phytoestrogens in soy is the prevalence of genetically modified soy in the U.S. It's closing in on 90 percent—and genetically modified soybeans are exposed to more pesticides and herbicides, which don't make for good lunchtime eats.
The sad thing is, eggs (and the chickens who lay them), don't have it much easier. They're pumped full of genetically modified ingredients (like soy!), antibiotics, and growth hormones—to say nothing of their cramped, unsanitary living conditions. In that arena, soy is the clear winner.
So when you feel the urge for an egg salad recipe for your lunch, turn to tofu instead. Always, always, always buy organic tofu. Wildwood makes an excellent organic, sprouted tofu that uses non-GMO soybeans. It's available in most health food stores and in Trader Joe's (under the private label).
Tofu Egg Salad Recipe
Makes 6 sandwich-sized servings or 3 salad servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound organic sprouted extra firm or firm tofu, crumbled
- 1 large stalk celery, chopped small
- 1 medium carrot, chopped small
- 1 ½ teaspoons Sunwarrior Turmeric
- 1 chia egg (made with 1 tablespoon Sunwarrior Chia Seeds and 2 1/2 tablespoons water that is mixed together and set aside for 5 minutes to gel)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon flax oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Cut tofu block into several big chunks and steam in a stovetop steamer gently for about ten minutes. (Do not microwave.)
- While tofu is steaming, chop the carrots and celery and put into a large bowl.
- In a small mixing bowl, blend together remaining ingredients and mix until smooth and creamy.
- When the tofu is done steaming, drain and let cool about five minutes.
- Crumble cooled tofu into the bowl with the carrots and celery and then gently fold in the dressing, mixing to coat.
- Serve atop a bed of seasonal greens, fresh tomato wedges, radishes, and cucumbers, or serve on toasted rye or whole grain bread with lettuce, sliced tomato, and more vegan mayo. Enjoy!
