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close up on a creamy curry tofu salad in a lettuce cup.
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5 stars (11 ratings)

Curry Tofu Salad

This Curry Tofu Salad is a vibrant, flavorful, and realistic chicken salad substitute. Toss the “chicken” style tofu in the creamy curry sauce and layer it into lettuce cups for a refreshing and healthy lunch!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Tofu pressing time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Indian-inspired
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 380kcal
Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

"Chicken" Style Tofu

The Rest

  • 1/2 cup vegan mayo
  • 1-2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 2 tablespoons mango chutney or apricot jam
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
  • few shakes ground black pepper
  • 1 rib celery, finely diced
  • 1 green onion, chopped white and green parts
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup roasted cashew pieces
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Instructions

For the tofu

  • Press the tofu - Wrap the tofu in paper towels (or a clean dry tea towel). Place a plate or pan on top of the wrapped tofu, and put a couple of heavy books or cast iron pan on top of that. Let the tofu press for about 30 minutes. You can skip this step if you buy the super firm variety in a vacuum pack.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Slice the tofu into about 6 slices, then rip each slice into small chunks. You want a ripped texture, and it's okay if some of the tofu crumbles.
  • Add the tofu pieces to a large bowl, then add the olive oil, cornstarch and salt and stir gently to combine. You want the tofu to be coated in the olive oil/cornstarch.
  • Arrange in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and crispy on the outside. Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the dressing and salad

  • In a medium-large bowl whisk together the vegan mayo, curry powder, chutney, salt and black pepper.
  • Next add the cooked tofu pieces, celery, green onion, raisins, roasted cashews and optional cilantro. Stir until well combined.
  • Add more salt/pepper as desired. Serve on a bed of greens, in a sandwich, lettuce cups, wrap or with crackers. Enjoy! The salad will keep for 3-4 days covered in the refrigerator.

Notes

  1. Cook or no cook tofu - You don't HAVE to cook the tofu if you want to make it faster and easier. You could simply chop the pressed tofu small or crumble it into the bowl with the dressing and other ingredients. I do think it tastes better when you cook it first.
  2. Use beans instead - Substitute 2 cans of mashed chickpeas for the tofu for chickpea curry salad. Or use my recipe for vegan chicken, chopped or store bought vegan chicken like Tofurky.
  3. Chutney or jam - Instead of chutney or apricot jam, you can substitute 1/2 of a shredded apple, or 2 tablespoons of agave/maple syrup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 4 servings | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 2mg