Vegan “Egg” Salad

Maybe you don’t like eggs, have an allergy, or are vegan….well, this recipe is for you!

  • 1 pkg firm or extra firm tofu, drained
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 dill pickle, chopped
  • 1/2C – 3/4C vegan mayo
  • Dried yellow mustard
  • Turmeric
  • French’s yellow mustard
  • salt

Directions:

Drain tofu. I do this by putting it in a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and, using paper towels press out all the excess liquid. (You don’t want watery “egg” salad. Then I toss the excess liquid and use the same bowl to mix the ingredients together. You can also buy one of those tofu presses. Actually, I might buy one of those as I think I’d get a lot of use out of it.

Mash up tofu with fork, add the rest of the ingredients. Add the vegan mayo a little bit at a time; you don’t want soupy egg salad. Trust your instincts when it comes to adding ingredients. I also added a couple teaspoons of pickle juice. (Some recipes I saw online had you adding vinegar. Why? Vegan mayo already has apple cider vinegar). I like the tang from the pickle juice.

This makes a LOT. Probably will last a week.

You’re done! I like to eat the egg salad on crackers or on a toasted bagel. Now that I figured out how to make this I won’t have to buy it pre-packaged from the store any more! Woo!

Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad

I used to hate Brussels sprouts as a child. Up until about 10 years ago I realized what I’d been missing and really love them now. I usually roast my Brussels sprouts but this is a nice change. It’s crisp and light and works as a good side dish for dinners or as a main for lunches. It’s pretty adaptable as well. Don’t like chickpeas? You can omit them. Like red onion? Add some thin slices. Don’t have pumpkin seeds? No problem. I think toasted hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans would work too. I will say that toasting the pumpkins seeds adds a different flavor than just raw seeds. I switched it up a little this time and used Newman’s Own Light Italian salad dressing (I usually use oil and white wine vinegar). Add what you feel is right but don’t over-saturate the salad. No one likes soppy salad.

  • 1 bag of Brussels sprouts, washed trimmed, thinly sliced
  • 3-4 carrots, sliced
  • 1 can of chickpeas
  • 1/2C toasted pumpkin seeds
  • Newman’s salad dressing

Add all ingredients in a large bowl. This makes enough for probably 3-4 people. Or, will be enough for several meals if it’s just you. It lasted me about 3 days.

raw brussels sprouts salad with carrots and chickpeas
Raw Brussels sprouts salad

Raw Cauliflower Salad

This salad has everything: raw cauliflower, jarred artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, vegan mozzarella, and raw pumpkin seeds!

But, perhaps you’re not a fan of cauliflower. That’s ok. Not everyone likes cruciferous vegetables. If that’s the case, you can just be polite, nod your head and say, ‘No thank you’ like (hopefully) your parents or grandparents taught you. This recipe makes a LOT. Serves 4-6 easily as a side dish. Though, I’ve eaten it as a main dish with a slice of bread and a glass of wine for dinner when I don’t feel like cooking.

  • 1 head of cauliflower, washed, trimmed, and cut into bit size pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2C pepperoncini peppers
  • 1/2C kalamata olives, diced, or whole if you prefer!
  • 1/4C raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2C vegan mozz
  • handful of grape tomatoes (optional)

Dressing:

For the dressing I just used some of the liquid from the jar of pepperoncini and a little bit of olive oil. I’ve also used white wine vinegar and oil in another version. You can also omit the oil altogether. I like the punch that the juice from the jarred peppers gives this salad.

Assemble!

Add all ingredients in a large bowl then add the dressing. This is such a nice and crunchy salad to have for lunch or even dinner. It makes a LOT. Enjoy!

Cauliflower salad

Bitchin’ Potato Salad

Did I need to make another post about potato salad? Yes, I did because I changed up the dressing! I am now a HUGE fan of Bitchin Sauce. Primarily the Chipotle flavor, which I used here in this iteration of potato salad. I mean, this stuff is dangerous, in that I could eat the entire 8oz tub of sauce. (okay, that would probably be a terrible idea). This recipe is basically the same except for a few minor adjustments. Enjoy!

Salad:

  • 2 medium russet potatoes, washed, skin on
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 2-3 dill pickle spears, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped

Dressing:

(you can eyeball this. I estimated measurements):

  • 1/4C of mayo (or, as I “measured” it, several squirts from the bottle)
  • 4TB Bitching Chipotle Sauce
  • 1 glug of canola oil

Directions:

Wash/scrub potatoes and dice them into bite size pieces, add to large, glass bowl and cover them with water. Cover the bowl with a piece of wax paper and cook in microwave for about 10 min. My microwave has a “potato” setting, so I used that and selected “2 potatoes” which was about 8 minutes. I added a couple extra minutes to that. You can figure out the done-ness of the potatoes by piercing with a knife.

Once cooked, drain potatoes in a colander and run under cold water for a brief moment. Let them cool. Once cooled, add the chopped red pepper, pickles, and celery to the same bowl. Now, let’s make the dressing.

In a small bowl, add mayo, Bitchin’ Sauce and oil, mix with a fork or a tiny whisk. Throw in some crushed red pepper too. Taste it to see if the measurements are okay, if not, adjust according to your tastes. Add dressing to the vegetables. Stir it up so everything is coated. Do you need more dressing? Well, make a little more! I don’t like “soupy” potato salad. I like everything just coated.

chipotle Bitchin' Sauce potato salad in glass bowl
Bitchin!

Potato Salad!

What says Summer more than potato salad? I decided to try something different and cook the diced potatoes in a bowl with water in the microwave, which is now my new way of cooking them because it’s faster than the stovetop. I also don’t peel my potatoes because I like the skin. I was so happy that I had just enough mayo (whew!) in the fridge to make the dressing. This salad is not vegan but could be tweaked if you used Veganaise. This comes together semi quickly but the prep time is a bit longer because you have to let the potatoes cool completely (otherwise it soaks up all the dressing). So, cook the potatoes, and go about your business and let them cool. For the dressing, I didn’t write down actual measurements because that’s not how I cook. Add a little at a time until you arrive at the right taste for you. Right? Right. You can add more potatoes or eggs or pickles. I will leave that up to your discretion because hey, you’re an adult and can make these decisions. This recipe will serve 3-4 people. Or, one person over the course of several meals.

Salad:

  • 2 medium russet potatoes, washed, skin on
  • 2 hardboiled eggs, chopped
  • 2-3 dill pickle spears, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped

Dressing (you can eyeball this. I estimated measurements):

  • 4TB of mayo (or, as I “measured” it, several squirts from the bottle)
  • 2TB yellow mustard
  • 1 glug of canola oil
  • dash of mustard powder
  • dash of chives
  • salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash/scrub potatoes and dice them into bite size pieces, add to large, glass bowl and cover them with water. Cover the bowl with a piece of wax paper and cook in microwave for about 10 min. My microwave has a “potato” setting, so I used that and selected “2 potatoes” which was about 8 minutes. I added a couple extra minutes to that. You can figure out the done-ness of the potatoes by piercing with a knife.

Once cooked, drain potatoes in a colander and run under cold water for a brief moment. Let them cool. Once cooled, add the chopped egg, pickles, and celery to the same bowl. Now, let’s make the dressing.

In a small bowl, add mayo, mustard and oil, mix with a fork or a tiny whisk. Add mustard powder, dill and hey, if you have onion powder, add that too. Taste it to see if the measurements are okay, if not, adjust according to your tastes. Add dressing to the vegetables. Stir it up so everything is coated. Do you need more dressing? Well, make a little more! I don’t like “soupy” potato salad. I like everything just coated.

I was so happy I took the initiative and made this as part of my dinner this past week. Yay for leftovers! I had this salad with a veggie “chicken” patty, slices of tomatoes on a pretzel roll. And yes, I put yellow mustard on my chicken patty because yellow mustard beats that spicy brown crap any day. That’s the hill I choose to die on.

Enjoy!

potatoes and veg, pre-dressing

potato salad, complete!