Without doubt, 2020 has been a roller coaster. In my corner of the world, we've had local wildfires, a kitchen renovation, plus my negotiating perimenopause. Given that drama, I'm been cooking more simple, plant-forward dishes that deliver some life-giving relief. Last week, after I'd given our stove away and there was a delay in delivering the new stove, I made a batch of tofu "egg" salad.

This dish is a no-brainer because the tofu does not have to be cooked! Putting it together involves ingredients that will impart a sunny eggy color, rich flavor, and umami goodness. I regularly make tofu egg salad but have never written something up to guide folks along. You can easily finesse this so long as you keep a few things in mind.

(And in case you're wondering, the strange light in this post's photos results from this summer's lightning fires.)

What Kind of Tofu to Use?

At regular supermarkets, people are stocking up on extra-firm tofu these days and the inventory can be sparse. No problem, you want to use FIRM tofu for "egg" salad. It possesses a nice balance of tenderness with moisture without you having to drain much. (If you use medium-firm tofu, break it into chunks and let it drain in a strainer for about 10 minutes.)

Extra-firm tofu makes an egg salad that lacks the ideal rich texture. Save extra-firm tofu for pan-frying or the likes.

Need pointers on buying tofu? Here's a handy post and a video!

Strategic "Eggy" Seasonings

Presented here are my guidelines. When making this recipe your own, think about what makes conventional egg salad what it is — the fatty goodness, the yellow color, notes of savory depth, spice but not too much. With that in mind, I added a plop of umami mayonnaise (use what you have, such as eggless mayo if you're vegan), turmeric, salt, pepper, and a touch of garam masala.

In the past, I seasoned with curry powder (my go-to blend is Sun brand's) but last week, I used garam masala because it lends the earthiness of nicely boiled egg yolks. The turmeric colored the mixture and seasoned it to further reinforce a regular egg salad. Pepper lent heat and salt makes food delicious! Also include is homemade sweet pickle relish that I made earlier this summer; I threw some in for textural nubs and sweetish tang.

After dialing in the seasonings, it's simply a matter of mushing the mixture and waiting for the flavors to bloom and color to develop, then tasting and seasoning. I added extra salt and Maggi Seasoning sauce for oomph. You could use nutritional yeast or a flavor enhancer like MSG, if you like.

Bling for Serving

Resting the tofu "egg" salad further allows flavors to develop but you don't have to do that, if you're in a hurry. For cheer, I went into the garden and harvested herbs, despite their being coated with ash from the fire. A quick rinse took the ash bits off.

Instead of a regular sandwich with two slices of bread, I made fancy-ish open-facers and garnished with blooms of Thai basil, shiso, dill and some chives. There was enough tofu "egg" salad for two lunches so it was on repeat in our house. For the second round, I added a side of tomato and cucumber for refreshing flavor and crunch.

Tofu is great for good health, especially for women going through menopause, according to this article from Harvard's School of Public Health plus other articles. So eat up this no-cook eggy salad. An easy fun way to transform tofu, this dish has brought me lots of joy over the years and I hope it does the same for you too.

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