Delicious Salad With Tofu & Simple Dairy-Free Caesar Dressing
A delicious salad with tofu. Healthy and a great source of protein. So easy to make, it will become a regular standby.
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.
I wanted to create a tofu salad recipe for Doug, who is managing Parkinson’s disease. 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 Doug was eating. Now I don’t mind how much he eats because this salad with tofu is so healthy for you!
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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, but 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 phytochemicals 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 body’s 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’d like to learn more about this subject.
Handy Kitchen Used
Food Processor – this is the updated version of the one I used in my video.
rectangular glass containers – to press and drain the tofu.
glass container with lid – to store leftovers in the 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 Meyers lemons – far sweeter, 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 to consider
- red onion. I think chopping up some red onions would be fabulous in this recipe if you want to give that a try.
- oregano or basil. Consider using fresh or dried oregano or basil if you are not a dill fan.
How to Make Tofu Salad and 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- 15 minutes.
Set aside while preparing other ingredients.
Measure out cashews and pour into a medium-sized bowl. Add filtered water to fully cover the cashews.
Let soak for approximately 10-15 minutes while preparing other ingredients.
EASY TOFU SALAD INSTRUCTIONS
Wash, clean, and dry the celery. Chop celery into small 1/4″ pieces. Set aside.
Once the tofu has drained. Place the tofu into a mixing bowl, and mash with a fork to crumble.
Add celery and seasonings. Stir to combine. Set aside while preparing the Caesar dressing.
Dairy-Free Caesar Dressing INSTRUCTIONS
Once the cashews have soaked for approximately 15 minutes, drain and pour them into your food processor.
Add the rest of the ingredients – water, lemon, mustard, capers, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and 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 3-5 minutes or until the dressing becomes thickened and creamy.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
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!
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- and 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 fresh organic or 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 freshly 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!
5-Day Rejuvenation Diet & Guide
Jumpstart your health with the Rejuvenation Diet. A 5-day program designed to help you springboard into a healthy lifestyle.
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 them.
Additional Simple Healthy Recipes
Oatmeal Bake Breakfast – indulge in this wonderful cake for breakfast
15-Min Amazing Creamy Flavorful Chickpea Hummus, and NO OIL!
More Healthy Recipes and Wellness Support
VIDEO: How to make delicious salad with tofu & simple dairy-free Caesar dressing
Let’s Connect
I hope you give this tofu salad and dairy-free Caesar dressing a try. If you do, I would be grateful if you could give this recipe a 5-star rating and comment below. I’d love to hear from you.
You can also follow me and my life on Cape Cod on my Instagram page @upsidelane.
Printable Recipe For You To Enjoy
Delicious Salad With Tofu | Simple Dairy-Free Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.