Curried tofu salad: Quick & easy vegan lunch

Curried tofu salad comes together in just 10 minutes. It’s filled with raisins, shredded carrot, and nutty pistachios for crunch. Serve it on its own, in a sandwich, or wrap. Vegan & gluten-free.

Somehow whenever I have an appointment, I’m left at the last second scrambling for something to eat that won’t take long to prepare.

Even when I think I’ve allowed plenty of time, it never fails that with ten minutes to spare I’m looking at a bin of produce and wondering how I’m going to turn that into lunch. Now.

At times like those, salad sandwiches are perfect. They’re filling and easy. They’re no cook meals made with pantry staples. And for the most part, anything goes.

I can quickly make vegan tuna salad, vegan egg salad, vegan chicken salad, or today’s curried tofu salad with vegan mayo as the base.

Then depending on the recipe, I’ll add celery, onion, shredded carrot, nuts or seeds, dried fruit, sliced grapes, diced pickles, stone-ground mustard, and/or spices.

Even better are the times when I’ve made a tofu salad ahead of time, like this curried tofu salad.

The flavors meld and deepen with time as it sinks into the blocks of tofu.

Every day it sits in the refrigerator, it just gets better. (I think this one tastes best on day two!)

When it’s already waiting and ready in the fridge, I can just add a couple of dollops into a tortilla, roll it up, and hit the door.

This dish is based on one of my favorite prepared salads at my local Co-op. With carrots, onions, and raisins, it has a wonderful mixture of sweet and savory flavors.

Which curry powder to use?

For spices, this recipe uses a simple curry powder. 

I have three favorite curry powders. I like two from Penzey’s – sweet and hot. I am also a fan of S&B.

For this lunch offering, I use the sweet one from Penzey’s. Then I add cayenne to taste for a bit of added kick.

If you have a favorite curry powder, by all means, use it. Then adjust the cayenne, depending on the heat of your particular curry powder.

Ways to eat it:

• In a sandwich
• Rolled into a tortilla
• Spread onto crackers
• Stuffed into a tomato
• In a lettuce leaf
• Right out of the bowl alongside a green salad

Curried Tofu Salad

With carrots, onions, and raisins, this dish has a wonderful mixture of sweet and savory flavors. Eat it on its own, put it in a sandwich, or add it to a wrap.

4.5 from 2 votes

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: Indian, Vegan

Keyword: easy lunch, no oven

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 327kcal

Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

• ▢ 10 ounces super-firm vacuum-packed tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes*
• ▢ 1 stalk celery chopped small
• ▢ 1 small carrot grated
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons yellow onion chopped small
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons raisins
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons pistachios
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons vegan mayo Vegenaise is my favorite.
• ▢ 2 teaspoons sweet curry powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon plain unsweetened non-dairy milk I use cashew milk.
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon agave syrup
• ▢ Pinch cayenne pepper
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• ▢
  Put tofu, celery, carrot, yellow onion, raisins, and pistachios in a medium sized bowl.
• ▢
  In a separate small bowl, combine vegan mayo, sweet curry powder, non-dairy milk, agave syrup, and cayenne.
• ▢
  Pour the mayo mixture into the bowl with the tofu and thoroughly combine, being careful not to break up the tofu too much. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• ▢
  The tofu salad can be eaten right away. However, for best results, cover and refrigerate it and allow flavors to meld for several hours or overnight. The flavors will continue to deepen. I like this tofu salad best after two days.

Notes

*I like to use the Wildwood or Trader Joe's vacuum-packed tofu, because it doesn't need to be pressed before using. If you use water-packed tofu, press it first. Here's more information on how to press tofu.

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 547mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5125IU | Vitamin C: 3.8mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 3.1mg

Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!

Originally posted December 2014. Content updated May 2019.