Plant Based U

Fat-Free and Low Fat Vegan Plant Based Recipes

cashew

Silken Tofu Plant Based Tzatzki Sauce (Vegan, Oil and Dairy Free)

by Leave a Comment

Silken Tofu Vegan Oil Free Tzatziki Sauce

Looking for a deliciously cool dip or sauce for veggies, wraps, or Greek pita sandwiches? This recipe is super easy and uses silken tofu instead of yogurt for the base. Tofu actually is processed like cheese is taking a “milk” and adding coagulant and then separating the curds from the whey in most cases.



Silken tofu is set with the soy bean whey in it, so it’s a little softer and creamier. Which makes it a great substitute for dairy when you want a creamy base and because it’s less processed than soy yogurts it’s usually cheaper too.

Silken Tofu Vegan Oil Free Tzatziki Sauce

Silken Tofu Tzatziki (Vegan and Oil Free)

Ingredients:
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 12oz pkg firm Mori-nu silken tofu, drained (make sure to use firm, soft will be too runny for dip but maybe ok for salad dressing)
2-3 large garlic cloves
2 tbsp raw unsalted cashews or pine nuts (Soaked and drained if you don’t have a high powered blender)
1/2 tsp Herbamare or sea salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp ground black or white pepper
1 English cucumber deseeded, peeled and grated
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or 2 tsp dried)



Directions:

  1. Combine lemon juice, tofu, garlic, cashews, salt and pepper into food processor or blender and blend until creamy.
  2. Taste test and add more lemon juice, salt or pepper if desired.
  3. Squeeze out all of the excess water from the grated cucumber with your hands or with a spoon through a mesh strainer.
  4. Stir in the fresh dill and strained cucumber.
  5. Store in a container and refrigerate a few hours before serving.



Use within 3-4 days for best results due to the nature of fresh ingredients.

What are you going to serve with your Tzatziki?



Oil-Free Vegan Tofu Eggless “Egg” Salad Recipe (Plant Based)

by Leave a Comment

Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Recipe (Oil Free and Plant Based)

Sometimes I get asked what do oil free plant based eaters do  for lunches or healthy sandwiches now when giving up lunch meat, mayo and other processed ingredients. Of course you could always make a vegetable sandwich or wrap, but sometimes you want something that can look a little more covert or are craving an old comfort food.

These tofu eggless “egg salad” sandwiches look and taste great and are really easy to make so you have enough for sandwiches or snacks for the week. Not looking for a sandwich? You can eat it with a spoon for a high protein snack, or serve with veggies on top of crackers too.



Many vegans and plant based eaters will use store bought mayo but I just can’t bring myself to buy it. It’s literally all oil, and just there to moisten the bread and add a little flavour. So that’s why I’ve made my own mayo as well with white beans, cashews and seasonings. It works awesome with this recipe and can be used for other sandwiches or wraps as well when you’re looking for something different than hummus or avocado. It is creamy and a really good substitute as well and not as dry and thick as hummus if you miss having a spread that will melt into the bread.

You can add whatever veggies or additional add ons to your tofu eggless “egg salad” that you want, but I really wanted to pump up the flavour and crunch so I added chopped red onion, celery, pickles and green onions. I find the texture just more appealing when I have a mix of soft and crunchy together so it’s not too wet or mushy.

I would dare anyone who says they don’t find tofu appealing to try this sandwich, because honestly it is very similar  in texture to hardboiled eggs and with seasonings it looks really convincing  as well. I would never eat just plain slabs of tofu in a sandwich, but served like this with veggies  and homemade mayo is  really delicious and refreshing.

Want more recipes? Make sure to sign up for my newsletter below

FTC Notice: This blog post contains some affiliate links which go to supporting the blog.


Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Recipe (Oil Free and Plant Based)

Oil-Free Vegan Tofu Eggless “Egg” Salad  (Plant Based)

1 350 g/12 oz package of Organic non-gmo firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder 
1/4 tsp kala namak (black salt) or Herbamare or Sea Salt
2 celery ribs, sliced into small  pieces
6 sweet gherkin or other mini pickles of choice, sliced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 green onion, sliced 
1 cup of oil free vegan white bean cashew mayo or other homemade mayo

Directions:

1.Press the tofu in a tofu press or place in towels or paper towel in a baking dish with heavy weights on top of it to squeeze out excess water. I use the EZ tofu press. This helps disperse  the water inside the tofu so it can become more sponge like and absorb marinades instead of being bland and watery. Stick the drained tofu into the tofu press and crank down the springs until it’s really squished and let it drain excess water out for a few minutes in the sink or a large bowl while you prep your veggies.

2. When tofu is pressed slice it in half on a cutting board. Slice one half of the tofu into small cubes, and crumble the other half of the tofu with your hands and place into a dry non stick frying pan.

3. Turn on the heat to medium and sprinkle on the turmeric, garlic powder, and kala namak or salt. Stir with a wood spoon to combine well  so the colour is evenly yellow. If necessary add a splash of water to get seasonings dispersed. Cook just until tofu is a little dry and not soggy.Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Recipe (Oil Free and Plant Based)

4. Scrape tofu into a medium sized mixing bowl. Add celery, pickles, and onions to the bowl. Spoon in at least 1 cup of vegan bean cashew mayo or other mayo of choice and stir to combine.

Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Recipe (Oil Free and Plant Based)

5. Taste test and add any extra seasonings like salt, mayo, mustard etc. if desired. Since my vegan bean cashew mayo already has mustard in it I didn’t add any extra.

Vegan Tofu Egg Salad Recipe (Oil Free and Plant Based)


Use to make sandwiches, wraps or lettuce wraps for lunch or as a dip for a quick veggie snack. This recipe makes enough for about 8-10 sandwiches depending on the size of your bread slices.  I spread some additional vegan white bean cashew mayo onto the bread, spoon on the tofu mixture and top with fresh lettuce.

Have you ever had homemade vegan mayo before? Or tried making tofu eggless egg salad before?


Oil Free Vegan White Bean and Cashew Mayo Recipe (Plant Based)

by 6 Comments

OilFreeVeganCashewWhiteBeanMayoPlantBased

Although egg free mayo is widely available in a lot of stores, it’s not really a recommended food for health because of how processed it is and that it’s based primarily on oil. So when you’re looking for a healthier version a homemade oil free plant based mayo can be really helpful for jazzing up sandwiches, wraps and other cold salad recipes.



I  especially recommend using this mayo for vegan friendly recipes like tofu “egg” salad, potato salad, or chickpea “tuna” salad. If you’re someone who makes a lot of wraps or sandwiches you might go through this quickly, but if not you can divide the recipe in half or even separate half and freeze it for later. I would use this plant based mayo within a week as it contains fresh ingredients and zero preservatives. What I did is use half of it to make tofu egg salad and the other half to make potato salad for lunches.

FTC Notice: This post includes affiliate links which go towards supporting the blog.

OilFreeVeganCashewWhiteBeanMayoPlantBased

Oil Free Vegan Cashew White Bean Mayo (Plant-Based)

Ingredients: 

½ cup cashews, raw and unsalted (If you don’t have a high powered blender soak them in hot water for 1/2 hour prior.)
1 15 oz/425 gram can of cooked white beans, OR 1.5 cups fresh cooked white beans, drained and rinsed (white kidney beans, cannellini, great northern etc.)
3 tbsp of dijon mustard (or mustard of choice)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or substitute extra apple cider vinegar)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp kala namak (black salt) or Herbamare or sea salt (If you’re not making egg or potato salad with this you can just use Herbamare or Salt if you don’t  want a sulphurous egg flavour)
1/4 tsp white or black pepper
*Water  to blend if using a low powered blender. Not necessary if using  a Vitamix or Blendtec



Directions:

  1. Place ingredients into Vitamix or blender or food processor  in the order above. (Skip the extra water if using a high powered blender.)
  2. A) Turn on your Vitamix and use the tamper to push  everything down into the blade and blend on medium high until you see a creamy consistency.
    B) If using a regular blender use just enough water as needed to blend and sttop and  scrape down the  sides with a spoon and continue blending until smooth.
  3. Once completely smooth, store in a glass jar in the fridge.

 Storage:

Use within preferably within 5 days, but may last up until 7 days if stored air tight. Put any extra in a freezer safe container before  it  spoils to freeze for later.



Variations:

For tofu “egg” salad and potato salad the kala namak (black salt) gives it that egg-like flavour. If you’re using it for chickpea “tuna” salad or other veggie sandwiches  and don’t want that egg-like flavour you can use regular sea salt or my favourite: Herbamare instead.

Try it with different types of mustard too if you prefer a sweeter or spicier one as well.

What is your favourite sandwich  or wrap to use with vegan mayo?