Tofu Apple Salad

A chicken apple salad caught my attention in a deli case the other day and it looked really good to me.  A perfect fall lunch, especially now that apples are in season.   I don’t eat chickens, but I thought to myself, I can make that and substitute baked tofu for the chicken.  So, that’s what I did.  This is a very quick and easy recipe, especially if you buy the tofu already baked.

I started by quartering a green apple, removing the core and cutting it up into small chunks.  To keep the apples from turning brown, I drizzled a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice over them.

Next, I cut the tofu into small pieces, about the same size as the chunks of apple.  I use a Wildwood, a local brand of baked tofu.  If you can’t find baked tofu where you live, you can make it yourself.  Here’s a link to a website with instructions:  How to make baked tofu.

 Then cut up a rib of celery into thin quarter moons.

Mix the apples, baked tofu, and celery together in a bowl and added some raisins and almonds.  You can play around with the nuts and dried fruit depending on your mood and what you have on hand.  Dried cherries, cranberries or currants would be an excellent substitute for raisins.  You can also substitute pecans or walnuts for the almonds.  Toasted or raw nuts will work.

The last ingredient is mayonnaise.  I use this brand because it’s egg free and made with organic expeller pressed oil.  (found in the refrigerated case of most natural food stores)  Most commercial brands of mayo are made with oils that are processed with Hexane, a toxic chemical, that I believe should not be eaten.  Hexane is also an environmental pollutant.   Spend the extra money to buy a brand of mayo that is made with expeller pressed oils or you can make some cashew mayo, the recipe is here in my post for eggless egg salad.

I loved this salad so much I made a second batch the next day.  This time I used cranberries and pecans instead of raisins and almonds.  I also diced the apples and tofu much finer so that it could be eaten as a sandwich.  

Tofu Apple Salad

Makes 2 servings - Use organic ingredients whenever possible.

1 green apple

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 pieces of baked tofu (diced about 1 1/2 cups)

1 rib celery

1/4 cup of raisins (or cranberries)

1/4 cup chopped almonds (walnuts or pecans)  [I used sprouted dehydrated almonds}

2 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise (made from expeller pressed oils)

Quarter the apple and remove the core.

Dice the apple into small pieces.

Put the apple into a bowl and drizzle with the lemon juice and stir.

Dice the baked tofu into small pieces and add it to the bowl.

Thinly slice the celery and add it to the bowl.

Add the raisins and almonds.

Add the mayo and stir everything together.

Serve on a bed of lettuce.

If you’re using as a sandwich filling, dice the apples and tofu into very small pieces.

This is best if eaten right away.