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Crumbled firm tofu, crisp celery, and juicy apples mingle amongst a creamy, tangy curry dressing in this delicious Curried Tofu Salad. Perfect on its own with crackers or piled high on a sandwich. Quick and easy to make. Vegan and gluten free.
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I have a new obsession and I can’t stop eating it.
No, shockingly, it has nothing to do with chocolate or pumpkin or cinnamon.
It’s this Curried Tofu Salad!
It tastes like egg salad. Except that I never liked egg salad. And I especially never liked the smell of egg salad.
My tofu salad recipe, unlike most egg salads that I’ve seen, has some texture to it. I’m big on the crunch factor. There is no place for mush in my kitchen. I’ve added diced crisp celery and crunchy apple to bring life to an otherwise soft salad.
I’m also not loading it down with mayo. Just a few tablespoons of vegan mayo bring a wonderful creaminess to a dressing made mostly of coconut based yogurt. A touch of dijon and lemon juice add the perfect tang and balance.
And, of course, there’s the curry powder. It’s mild and earthy and brings just the right amount of flavor to keep you coming back for more…and more.
A vegan tofu eggless salad. Think of this as an egg salad you’ll actually want to eat!
Ingredients you need
Tofu ~ Use a firm, extra firm, or super firm tofu for best results. Drain it, pat it dry, then press it for at least 15 to 20 minutes. The more liquid you get out of it, the more dressing and flavor it will soak up
To press the tofu I simply wrap it in paper towels and place it between two plates. Then I stack some bags of dried beans on top to weigh it down. Just don’t place anything glass or breakable on top in case it topples over.
Of course, you can use a tofu press if you have one.
Apple ~ I love the sweet crunch of apple in this curried tofu salad. It’s a nice flavor and texture contrast. Use any kind of apple you like.
Celery ~ Again for some crunch. I also love the freshness celery brings. Don’t forget the leafy tops. Chop those up and throw them right in the mix. They have so much flavor!
Green onion ~ For a mild onion flavor. Finely diced red onion would work, too.
Dressing ~ The curry dressing is made from unsweetened plain dairy-free yogurt, vegan mayo, dijon mustard, lemon juice, curry powder, turmeric (mostly for extra yellow color), salt, and pepper.
Just whisk it all together. It’s so yummy!
I typically use an unsweetened, plain coconut yogurt or cashew yogurt (I really like Trader Joe’s Cashew Yogurt), but any plain, unsweetened variety will work.
How to make the recipe
This Curried Tofu Salad is so easy to make. After pressing the tofu (which is totally hands off), it can be made in about 5 minutes.
And the great thing about this recipe is that it tastes even better the next day after the tofu really has time to soak up all the flavors. So, whip it up ahead of time and it will be ready when you are to assemble your tofu salad sandwich.
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl until smooth.
- Using clean hands, crumble the bock of tofu into the bowl with the dressing. I like to keep some chunks bigger and some smaller, just like an egg salad would be.
- Stir well to completely coat the crumbled tofu.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to incorporate.
Storage
Meal prep: This Curry Tofu Salad only gets better as it sits, so make it ahead of time and enjoy it all week.
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Serving suggestions
Make a curry tofu salad sandwich by piling the mixture between two slices of toasted bread. Add lettuce and sliced tomatoes if desired.
Or enjoy it with crackers, stuffed into a pita, wrapped in a tortilla, or straight up from a fork.
Pro tips and tricks
~ Make this curried tofu salad ahead of time so the flavors really have time to develop.
~ Crumble the tofu into different size pieces, just like a traditional egg salad.
~ Make sure to use an unsweetened, plain variety of dairy-free yogurt.
~ Dice the apples and celery fairly small so you get a little of everything in every bite.
More vegan sandwich recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Curried Tofu Salad
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened dairy-free plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons homemade vegan mayo or your favorite store-bought vegan mayo
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 ½ teaspoons mild yellow curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 package (14-16 oz) firm or extra firm tofu drained and pressed
- 1 rib celery diced
- 1 apple cored and diced
- 2 green onions sliced
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt, mayo, mustard, lemon juice, curry powder, turmeric, salt and pepper.
- With your clean hands, crumble the pressed firm tofu into the same bowl. Don’t be perfect – leave some pieces bigger than others and crumble some pieces smaller. This will help give the salad extra texture.
- Stir well to completely coat the crumbled tofu in the curry dressing.
- Add the chopped celery, apple, and green onion to the tofu. Mix well to incorporate evenly.
- You can enjoy this right way or store it in the fridge to let the flavors come together even more.
Notes
*To press tofu, place a clean dish towel (or paper towels) on a plate. Place the block of tofu on the dish towel and cover the tofu with another clean dish towel and then another plate. On the top plate, place some heavy cans or bags of dried beans to press it down. Press for about 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Desiree
This recipe is so amazing! We had a local vegan deli that recently closed and this was my favorite thing on the menu so when I found your recipe we were psyched to try and recreate the magic at home – and we did! Thank you so much, I have made it twice this week since it was eaten so quickly the first time!
Jenn Sebestyen
What a bummer that the deli closed, but so glad this recipe replicates your favorite dish! Thanks so much for your comment!
Rob
Delicious! I made this for a High tea, beer sandwich eaten and no one picked it was tofu! I add nutritional yeast to give it a boost.
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Carol G.
I have just died and gone to heaven. WOW, this is fantastic. I NEVER thought I would be able to have an egg salad sandwich again. This is the perfect substitute and I can’t get enough of it. You’re right. It is better the next day. I served it on a multigrain wrap with lettuce and tomato. I ate two of them today and I will be making this often. Thank you so much for giving us this recipe. Next time I am going to chop up a few stuffed green olives and mix them into this salad. Can’t wait.
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so glad you love it, Carol! Thank you so much for your feedback. Enjoy!
Christy Coffey
I made this tonight and I almost cried! It is so good, I’m so excited to have a new food in my repertoire. I’m so picky, and that doesn’t work well when you’re a vegan. There was a few things I didn’t have, like the green onions and parsley, but I made do and it turned out incredible. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. You’re awesome
Jenn Sebestyen
Christy, I’m so happy to hear you love it! It’s one of my favorites, too. I hope you find many more recipes here to love! Thanks for your comment!
Elena
Hi, keen to try this but I’ll only be making samdwiched for 1 and it says 6 portions. How many days will this last in the fridge please?
Thanks!
Jenn Sebestyen
Hi, Elena! The mixture gets even better as it sits, so definitely do not worry about leftovers. It will keep for about 4-5 days in a sealed container the fridge. I often make it just for myself and it doesn’t usually make it that long…I always am sneaking more bites with crackers throughout the day. It’s so good! Enjoy!
Jennifer
This recipe for curried Tofu salad is so delicious! I added roast cashews. Having this in the fridge will make it so easy to make a quick lunch.
Thank you!
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so glad you love it! Roasted cashews sound like a great addition for some crunch! Thank you for your comment, Jennifer!
Lisa
What can I use in place of apple, my husband has a tree nut allergy And the apple adds a nice sweetness to this recipe
Jenn S.
Hi, Lisa. Glad you enjoyed it. Can he eat pears? Pears would be a great sub, or even cucumbers are fresh, juicy and have a subtle sweetness.
Lisa
We tried it last night and added a little coconut milk and that helped. He can’t have any pitted fruits unless they are cooked. So apples, peaches, plums, pears, nectarines, etc. And he can’t eat almonds either. He can have bananas, oranges, melons, and berries
Jenn S.
It’s so interesting. I was just discussing food allergies with a few of my blogger friends. There are so many foods that are related and most don’t know it until it creeps up as an allergy. Apples was a new one for me. I’d never heard of that being a tree nut allergy, but you prompted me to look it up and (obviously) it’s true! So, for next time, I would try adding a bit of cucumber or maybe even jicama!
Gracie
Jenn, I can’t say enough about the Curried Tofu Salad I just tried it today for the first time and I simply ADORE it. It is so flavorful and tasty, but most of all healthy. I am currently on a diet and prepared this for lunch and WOW I honestly was over the moon in love with it and will share the recipe with my daughter. This salad will definitely become a part of my healthy food rotation. Thank you so much for the recipe, can’t wait to try your Beet Smoothie!
Jenn S.
Thank you so much, Gracie! I am so happy to hear you loved it. I hope your daughters enjoy it too. And let me know what you think of the Beet Smoothie when you give that a try too! Thanks for stopping by!!
Hannah
I have made tofu “egg” salad before, but never like this! This recipe has so much flavor! I also love the crunch factor too. I made this and then brought leftover to work the next day and all of my co-workers were eying it. I will definitely be making this again to pack for lunches. Thank you for the recipe!
Jenn S.
Oh, yay! Thank you, Hannah! I’m so glad you loved it. I think leftovers the next day are even better than day of! Thank you so much for making it and leaving your feedback. I appreciate it!
Linda from Veganosity
Curried egg salad was one of my favorites when I used to eat eggs. This looks and sounds amazing, Jenn. I can’t wait to try it.
Jenn S.
Oh, perfect. Hopefully this version will give you all the feels from back in the day. 🙂
Aimee
Great idea for a sandwich filling! Sounds so so good
Jenn S.
Thanks, Aimee!
Alisa Fleming
I’m so excited to try this! I bet it would be great in lettuce wraps, too.
Jenn S.
Ooh, lettuce wraps is a great idea! Gonna have to try that next time! Thanks, Alisa!