When I was in college in upstate New York, some of my veg-head housemates were obsessed with Bridge tofu, which we had delivered to our house in a 5-gallon plastic bucket. It may come as a surprise to some of you that different brands of tofu taste and feel different, but they do! And the Bridge makes some seriously good tofu. It wasn’t until after I graduated that I realized this tofu is made in Middletown, CT, just a hop and a skip down the road from where I grew up.
A couple of years ago, one of my friends in New Haven turned me on to a delicious tofu salad she found at our neighborhood health food store. As fate would have it, it’s manufactured by the same folks that made the tofu I ate all through college, and it’s tasty enough to eat right out of the container with a spoon. There are a zillion different recipes for vegan “chicken” and “egg” salad sandwiches out there — I’m a total sucker for a mock chicken and vegan mayo version, myself! — but this simple and nutritious twist totally holds its own.
It’s the Bridge’s tofu salad that inspired this recipe, and it is cheap, good for you, and easy as heck to make at home!
- 1 block firm or firm silken tofu
- 2 Tbsp minced onion
- 2 Tbsp minced celery
- 2 Tbsp minced carrot
- 1.5 Tbsp tahini
- 1 Tbsp tamari
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt
- Mash the tofu well.
- Beat in remaining ingredients until uniformly distributed.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to develop.
- Assemble into sandwiches as desired.
19 comments
Rita says:
Jul 12, 2013
Genius! It never occurred to me to make a tofu salad! Never liked any mayo-based salads like potato, chicken, or egg. This is brilliant! I will have to try this, thanks.
claryn says:
Jul 16, 2013
This is definitely a different thing, but it’s still creamy and salty (though this recipe is actually not quite as salty as the store-bought salad I mention). It’s definitely a good thing to have in your summer food repertoire!
Gina says:
Jul 18, 2013
Made this yesterday and really loved it–thanks for the recipe! Also loved your comments, which will be helpful to many, about tofu and how different it can be in taste and texture, depending on a few variables. My tofu standard was set a few years ago by freshly-made tofu (sold in buckets) in Ellsworth, ME, where we lived. I currently am in love with a brand of extra-firm tofu from VA (Twin Oaks; it is outstanding, and then some).
claryn says:
Jul 18, 2013
Aw, glad you liked it, Gina! Thanks for the kind words — and your tofu tip 🙂
Alexa says:
Apr 4, 2015
I live in Poland, and there is a very popular, very non-vegan sandwich salad made with smoked macrel (fish) and cottage cheese. And some onion or whatever. I tried tofu-based fake, I used smoked tofu (once tried natural tofu and liquid smoke, but with smoked tofu it was better), blended tofu with flax seed oil (for omega3, hey, it’s fake fish, you know, but something cheaper will also work), added chopped onion and green olives (to kill the beany tofu flavour, capers or pickles also work). It reached creepy level of fake-meat-realism, I almost found myself checking it for fishbones xD It tastes great, try it if you have smoked tofu, if you miss smoked fish and are prepared for realistic mock fish thing.
claryn says:
Apr 7, 2015
Sounds like something I’d like, Alexa. Thanks for the tip 🙂
Alexa says:
Apr 7, 2015
Oh, and don’t try to mash this in the bowl with the fork, use blender. I can make guacamole or fake egg salad without blender, but fake-fish-spread doesn’t work done this way.
claryn says:
May 25, 2015
I actually typically use my hands to crumble/mash the tofu, and then stir everything together with a fork!
Sophia says:
Jul 26, 2013
Made this yesterday…had no tahini, but it was absolutely delish!
Jojo says:
Jul 29, 2013
I love anything tofu so I’ll definitely be making this soon.
paperweight says:
Aug 1, 2013
YES! I love the Bridge tofu/tofu salad and I can’t get it anymore where I am. Thanks for this. I’m bookmarking.
claryn says:
Aug 4, 2013
Always glad to hear from another Bridge fan. 🙂 Hope you like it!
Maya says:
Sep 8, 2013
Always love to learn new ways to season tofu, this is healthy as hell, thank you.
Renee says:
Sep 9, 2013
Giving it a try today!!! 🙂
patty says:
Feb 3, 2014
I LOVE The Bridge tofu salad. I purchade it at It’s Only Natural market on Main Strery in Middletown, CT. I sometomes add mashed chickpeas, more celery, and some horseradish Vegenaise to stretch it out. Makes a yummy plant-based sandwich.
jgmurphy says:
Dec 14, 2014
Amazing salad. God, I love the Internet.
FortuneCookies says:
May 11, 2015
This is probably a really silly question, but should I drain and press the tofu first?
claryn says:
May 25, 2015
Nope, there’s no need to press or drain it (though obviously you can if you want)!
Elisa Hernandez says:
Jun 17, 2015
This sandwich looks absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for sharing:)