Delicious Salad With Tofu | Simple Dairy-Free Caesar Dressing
This salad with tofu is healthy and a great source of protein. So easy to make, it has now become one of our summer standbys. People say it is similar to egg salad but I think it’s so much better. The dressing makes this tofu salad above and beyond – truly. And the great thing is, you can use this dairy-free Caesar dressing on so many other things. So let’s get into the details of this amazing, delicious salad with tofu recipe.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you in advance for your support.
I really wanted to create a salad with tofu recipe for for Doug, my guy with Parkinson’s. He enjoys food with mayonnaise, like tuna salad, but I didn’t like him eating all of that saturated fat. So I created this delicious tofu salad to replace the tuna salad he was eating. Now I don’t mind how much he eats because this salad with tofu is so good for you!
What is Tofu?
Tofu is kind of an interesting food item. It’s a wonderful source of protein and fiber, and if you didn’t already know, tofu is actually processed soybean curd. Say what?
Yes, similar to the way cheese is made, soybeans are soaked and then made into soy milk, which is then curdled to make soy curds. These soy curds are then pressed to make soft, firm, or extra-firm tofu.
Some people still believe that soy is bad for you because they think it causes hormone related cancers, it does not. And men in particular, because of the phytoestrogen, believe it causes “man boobs,” which it also does not.
Benefits of Tofu
Let me explain. Tofu is an excellent complete protein, meaning it has a complete essential amino acid profile. It also contains some other great nutrients like fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese.
Tofu has phyto-chemicals that help to reduce oxidation and inflammation, so in essence it is a wonderful food to help fight disease and inflammation.
And, here’s where the fear of cancer and man boobs come in, tofu contains phytoestrogens which actually are protective of hormonal cancers such as breast and prostate cancer.
Without getting too nerdy, phytoestrogens are weak estrogens, they are not as strong as our own bodies estrogen. Research shows phytoestrogens to actually be estrogen-blocking. Meaning they block the binding of our own estrogen to breast cancer cells.
Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org does an excellent job explaining the benefits of soy and tofu, if you want to learn more on this subject.
Recipe Tips
If possible, always try to buy your soy products organic. This includes tofu, tempeh, soy milk, edamame, yogurts etc. The soybean crop is a highly pesticide/herbicide sprayed crop, so to avoid consuming these chemicals, aim for certified organic.
When it comes to seasoning your tofu salad, feel free to use whatever dried herbs sound good to you. I personally love dill, so I make this salad with tofu using and organic, fair-trade dried dill.
Notes About The Recipe
Whenever I use tofu in recipes, for the most part, I use firm or extra-firm tofu. Silken can be too soft and runny for this recipe.
If you have time, you can always opt to use fresh pressed garlic and herbs. I developed this recipe with busy care partners in mind, so I knew time would be a factor. But, that said, if you do find you have a few extra minutes, fresh is always better, so go ahead and mince that fresh garlic and dill!
Having the proper kitchen tools when you are working on a recipe is important, and it just makes the job so much easier. Below are the tools I use for this recipe.
Handy Kitchen Tools For This Recipe
- 1 Food Processor this is the updated version of the one I use in my video
- 2 rectangular glass containers to press and drain the tofu
- 1 glass mixing bowl
- 1 set wooden measuring spoons
- 1 silicone spatula
- 1 glass container with lid to store leftovers in fridge
Salad with Tofu & Caesar Dressing Ingredients
- tofu – a great source of protein, fiber, and vitamins
- celery – for that extra crunch
- herbs – I love dried dill for this recipe
- spices – a pinch of sea salt and black pepper
- cashews – sooo nutritious. Another great source of protein and healthy fats
- lemon juice – if you can, try to find Myers lemons – far more sweet, tangy, and juicy!
- mustard – coarse Dijon works beautifully for this recipe
- capers – ooohhh this is the secret to a great Caesar dressing 😉
- worcestershire sauce – this too! I buy an organic vegan brand HERE
optional ingredients you might want to consider
- I think chopping up some red onions would be fabulous in this recipe if you want to give that a try.
- Consider using oregano or basil, if you are not a dill fan.
Salad With Tofu & Caesar Dressing Preparation
Place tofu in a large rectangular glass storage dish. Place a smaller rectangular dish on top of the tofu to press and drain the liquid from the tofu for approximately 10-15min. Set aside while preparing other ingredients.
Measure out cashews and pour into a medium sized bowl. Add filtered water to fully cover cashews. Let soak for approximately 10-15min. while preparing other ingredients.
Salad With Tofu & Caesar Dressing Directions
Easy Tofu Salad
Wash, clean, and dry the celery. Chop celery into small 1/4″ size pieces. Set aside.
Once the tofu has drained. Place the tofu into mixing bowl, and mash with a fork to crumble.
Add celery and seasonings. Stir to combine. Set aside, while preparing the Caesar dressing.
Simple Dairy-Free Caesar Dressing
Once the cashews have soaked for approximately 15min., drain and pour them into your food processor.
Add the rest of the ingredients – water, lemon, mustard, capers, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, pepper.
Blend in the food processor, starting on low. Scrape the sides intermittently to combine all of the ingredients.
Continue to blend on medium speed for 3-5min. or until the dressing becomes thickened and creamy.
Final Preparation
Once the dressing is complete, pour approximately one-half into the bowl with the tofu salad. Mix gently to combine all of the dressing.
Taste and decide if you would like to add more Caesar dressing or lemon, or salt and pepper according to your taste.
ENJOY!
How To Store
Store your salad with tofu, in a glass container with a lid, in the fridge. Your salad should last approximately 3-5 days.
The tofu salad will soak up the Caesar dressing quite readily, so I keep the tofu salad and dressing separate in the fridge until I am ready to use it.
check out these recipes for more quick and easy nourishing meals
Oatmeal Bake Breakfast – indulge in this wonderful cake for breakfast
15-Min Amazing Creamy Flavorful Chickpea Hummus, and NO OIL!
If you make this tofu salad and dairy-free Caesar dressing, I would be so grateful if you give it 5 stars and comment below.
You can also follow me and my life on Cape Cod on my Instagram page @dawndunkin
Grab Your EBook! An Awesome Start Up Guide For Care Partners Who Are Wanting To Maintain Their Health
Video: Step by step directions on how to make this delicious salad with tofu & simple dairy free Caesar dressing
Printable Recipe For You To Enjoy
Delicious Salad With Tofu | Simple Dairy-Free Caesar Dressing
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor this is the updated version of the one I use in my video
- 2 rectangular glass containers to drain tofu
- 1 set measuring spoons
- 1 glass container with lid to store leftovers in fridge
Ingredients
Easy Tofu Salad
- 3 blocks organic firm tofu
- 2 stalks celery
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried dill You can also use oregano or basil
Simple Dairy-Free Caesar Dressing
- 2 cups raw cashews soaked for 10-15min minimum
- 1 cup filtered water
- 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice Meyer's lemon if you can find
- 2 tbsp coarse Dijon mustard
- 4 tsp capers
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
Instructions
Preparation:
- Place tofu in a large rectangular glass storage dish. Place a smaller rectangular dish on top of the tofu to press and drain the liquid from the tofu. Approximately 10-15min. Set aside while preparing other ingredients.
- Measure out cashews and pour into a medium sized bowl. Add filtered water to fully cover cashews. Let soak for approximately 10-15min. while preparing other ingredients.
Easy Tofu Salad
- Wash, clean, and dry the celery. Chop celery into small 1/4" size pieces. Set aside.
- Once the tofu has drained. Place the tofu into mixing bowl, and mash with a fork until crumbly.
- Add celery and seasonings. Stir to combine. Set aside, while preparing the Caesar dressing.
Simple Dairy-Free Caesar Dressing
- Once the cashews have soaked for approximately 15min., drain and pour them into your food processor.
- Add the rest of the ingredients – water, lemon, mustard, capers, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, pepper.
- Blend in the food processor, starting on low. Scrape the sides intermittently to combine all of the ingredients.
- Continue to blend on medium speed for 3-5min. or until the dressing becomes thickened and creamy.
Final Preparation
- Once the dressing is complete, pour approximately one-half into the bowl with the tofu salad. Mix gently to combine all of the dressing.
- Taste and decide if you would like to add more Caesar dressing or lemon, or salt and pepper according to your taste.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- For a less pungent, Caesar-like dressing, cut the amount of garlic powder and capers in half.
- Feel free to add more lemon or seasonings to the Caesar dressing according to your taste.
- I like to add as little Caesar dressing to my tofu salad as possible. Just enough to combine. Then when I am ready to use the tofu salad in a sandwich or green salad, I will add more dressing at that time.
- The tofu salad will soak up the Caesar dressing quite readily, so I keep the tofu salad and dressing separate in the fridge until I am ready to use it.
