Recipe: Creamy Potato Salad with Tofu Eggs

This potato salad is creamy, tangy, and has chunks of "tofu egg salad" in it.

Who doesn’t love a good potato salad?!

I prefer mine on the saucy side and with a bit of a tang to it. I want to taste the tender potato chunks with crunchy elements, such as chopped celery. I also like a mild pungent flavor that only green onions can provide. 

Before I became vegan, I loved chopped boiled eggs in my potato salad. I can still have that egg flavor and texture with black salt and tofu.  

Creamy Potato Salad with Tofu Eggs

(Inspired by this recipe from Kraft.

Ingredients:

1/4 c. – 1/2 c. of prepared tofu egg salad (recipe below)

3 medium-sized red potatoes cut into small chunks (I leave the skins on)

1/3 c. – 1/2 c. of vegan mayo (start with less and add more if needed)

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp – 1 tsp of organic sugar

4 green onions sliced thinly (include most of the green part, too)

1-2 stalks of celery sliced thinly

Directions:

Boil the potatoes until fork tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain under cold water and set aside.

Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar. Add ½ tsp of sugar and taste. Add more sugar if you want a sweeter sauce. If you want more tang, add a little more mustard or vinegar. Add the potatoes, green onions, and celery and mix well. Fold in the tofu egg salad (add the egg mixture 1/4 c. at a time until you get the ratio and taste you prefer). If you have any vegan bacon, chop some up, pan fry until crispy, and add to the potato salad.

Tofu Egg Salad

Ingredients:

12-15 oz container of extra firm tofu

1/4 c. of vegan mayo

1 tsp of yellow mustard or 1 tsp of Dijon mustard – you can add 1 tsp of both if you like the taste of mustard

3 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish 

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or 1 tablespoon of vinegar or pickle juice

1 tsp of smoked paprika

1 tsp of turmeric 

Dash of black pepper

Dash of hot sauce

1 tsp of black salt (also called Kala Namak)

Directions:

Drain your tofu and wrap it in some paper towels while you assemble your sauce. In a bowl, mix everything but the tofu together. Once all your ingredients (except the tofu) are mixed, taste it. It should be salty, tangy, and egg-like in flavor. Add the tofu, and break it up with a fork or potato masher. Make it as chunky as you like. Mix everything well and taste. Add more relish or a pinch of black salt. Be careful with the black salt; too much and your dish will be very salty.

Recipe: Chickpea Curry

This chickpea curry is fragrant and filling.

My chickpea curry, which is based on the Indian dish Chole, has great texture and is very filling when paired with rice or eaten with naan or tortillas. It’s also very simple to make.

If you can, purchase a seasoning blend called Pitta Churna (it can be bought online and at Amazon.com). It contains a blend of fragrant organic spices that are a wonderful addition to your diet. I use this seasoning blend in my chickpea dish.

Chickpea Curry

Ingredients:

1 T oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1-inch piece of ginger minced or 1 T of garlic paste (you can buy this at Indian grocery stores)

1-1/2 T of Pitta Churna

1 can (1 pound-13 oz or 822 grams) of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

¾ c. to 1 c. of vegetable broth

1 T organic sugar

Juice from half a lemon

1-2 T of vegan buttery spread

Directions:

Heat the oil on medium heat and add the chopped onions. Sautee for 3 minutes. Add Pitta Churna and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the chickpeas and cook for 3 minutes, mixing every 30 seconds or so. Add ¾ c. of veggie broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, add the sugar, stir and taste. I added a couple big pinches of salt to my pot and a large pinch of black pepper (black pepper paired with turmeric increases the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric). Add the juice of half a lemon and 1 T of vegan buttery spread (you can add another tablespoon of vegan butter if you like your dish creamy). Stir and taste. Adjust the seasonings to your liking – either adding a small dash more of sugar, salt, or Pitta Churna. Let the mixture cook another five minutes and then serve with rice, naan, or tortillas. Garnish with a little cilantro, red chili flakes, chopped hot peppers, hot sauce, or siracha.

The sauce is creamy, sweet, and fragrant. The chickpeas have a bit of chew to them, while the onions still have a crispy bite.