OMG you guys… This Curried Tofu Salad is SO GOOD and SO PERFECT for summer. So good, in fact, that I made twice in a row because after after it was gone, I still wanted more. It’s incredibly fast to prepare (ten minutes, max), very cold and refreshing, light yet surprisingly filling, inexpensive, and so nom-nom delicious! And the best part is that there is no need to press the tofu or any of the other usually arduous steps required when making tofu dishes. Just mix everything together and enjoy.
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How to Serve Curried Tofu Salad
Just like with any type of chicken or egg salad, you can stuff this into a tortilla to make a wrap, scoop it up with crackers, serve it over a bed of greens, or just go at it with a spoon (that’s how I ate it for lunch today). So, you can make a batch and eat it a different way each day throughout the week. :)
What Type of Tofu Should I Use?
I highly suggest using extra firm tofu for this instead of just firm tofu. The extra firmness gives this salad a little body so that it’s not just a mushy mess. I also have to note that not all brands of tofu are created equal. I’ve made this with two different brands so far (Soy Boy and Simply Organic) and they differed in firmness and flavor, despite both being “extra firm.” I definitely preferred the Soy Boy, although I gobbled up the Simply Organic just as readily.
What Kind of Curry Powder is Best?
Curry powders can vary quite a bit from brand to brand, so you may need to experiment a little to find one that you like the best. You can use any type of curry powder for this recipe, including hot or mild varieties. If you’d like to try making your own curry powder, try this recipe for Easy Homemade Curry Powder from Spiceitupp.com.
Other Add-In Ideas
If you want even more texture in your salad, you can add in a variety of other ingredients that you may have on hand. I wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase these specifically for the salad, but if I had them on hand I would toss them in: finely diced red onion, shredded carrot, sliced almonds, cashews, diced celery, sliced green onions, or dried mango.
Substitutions
I know, I know, some of you just can not do cilantro. While I do believe the cilantro offers a unique freshness to this salad, I suppose I’ll be okay if you using sliced green onion instead. ;) They have totally different flavors, but green onion does also add an element of freshness.
You can use plain traditional yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt if needed, just be aware that your dressing will not be quite as thick.
Want more recipes with curry powder? Check out our Curry Powder Recipe Archives!
Curried Tofu Salad
Servings 4 3/4 cup eachIngredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.41)
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt ($0.71)
- 1 tsp lemon juice ($0.20)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.03)
- 1 tsp honey (0.04)
- 1/2 Tbsp curry powder ($0.15)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro ($0.12)
- 14 oz. extra firm tofu ($1.79)
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from its package and allow it to drain in a colander as you prepare the dressing.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, curry powder, salt, and chopped cilantro.
- Crumble the drained tofu into the bowl with the dressing, then stir to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until you’re ready to eat.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Curried Tofu Salad – Step by Step Photos
Remove a 14oz. block of extra firm tofu from its package and allow it to drain in a colander as you prepare the dressing for the salad.
To prepare the dressing, stir together 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 Tbsp curry powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.
Then stir in about 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.
Crumble the block of tofu into the bowl…
Then just stir everything together! That’s it! I had a hard time not eating it straight out of the bowl…
I love this Curried Tofu Salad when it’s ice cold. SO GOOD. And, to my surprise, the flavor did not get more dull with overnight refrigeration. #win
Hi! I couldn’t follow this recipe to a T because I did not have cilantro and I only had yellow mustard. Even so! Loved it with some additional spices till we got the flavor just how we like it (anyone not satisfied, you can always add a little here and there till it tastes perfect to you). I did the same as another commenter and added diced celery. It is so much more than the sum of its parts. Thanks for this recipe.
This is the first time one of your recipes has disappointed. Was surprised especially after so many people raved about it. Oh well, on to the next one.
OMG so quick so easy so good. Really, you gotta try this one. I didn’t have cilantro so I added chopped celery to up the egg salad feel and it was terrific. This, crackers, cantaloupe and BB creamy cucumbers and a summer lunch was done
Hi! Should I press the tofu or just simply drain in a colander?
Made this today as my first ever meal prep. Super easy and tastes GREAT!!!
Soooooo good! It was hard not to eat it all right after making it. I did not think I would like it as much as I do. It will be a regular recipe I use from now on! Really easy and inexpensive.
This is REALLY salty! I recommend starting without salt and adding in a little at a time to taste. I subbed avocado for the yogurt to make it dairy-free. I ended up adding the whole avocado to balance the salt. Good for lunch!
I keep coming back to this recipe when I need an easy lunch. So good and so simple!!
I made this for lunch today. It was delicious. I did not have cilantro, so I substitute a stalk of celery, minced, leaves and all. As a side note, I used extra firm tofu which was previously frozen. I pressed a lot of water out of it before I froze it, but was suprised at how much water was still in it when I went to crumble it into the salad. Anyway, this was a keeper. I think I like it better than tuna, which we eat for lunch at least twice a week.
I’m sorry to say I didn’t like this recipe very much and was surprised to see all of the rave reviews. Maybe I did something wrong! It could have been the curry and/or tofu I used, but I felt like the curry, cilantro, and tofu flavors were all really fighting each other in an unpleasant way.
How long does this keep in the fridge? Can’t wait to try it.
It can really depend on several factors, like the conditions inside your fridge, the freshness of your ingredients, and things like that. But in general, something like this will probably be good for 3-4 days.
Is there a way to make this without Mayo? Extra yogurt?
You can do all yogurt if you want, the dressing will just be slightly more acidic and less creamy.
Do you think it would be too weird to replace the mayo with an avocado?
We haven’t tried it with avocado, so can’t say definitively. But one of the great beauties of cooking is experimenting. XOXO -Monti
I love this. I usually don’t have fresh cilantro but I’ve found that using TJs green dragon sauce as a substitute for the lemon juice gives a cilantro-y flavor and some acid (and heat) that is perfect for me.
I add slivered almonds or toasted cashews for some crunch, shredded carrot or diced pepper if I have them.
This is what I reach for when I’m not in the mood to cook. I almost always have the ingredients on hand with no subs, it’s fast, it’s easy, and it’s versatile. I especially like it with those Everything Bagel Pretzel Thins from ALDI, cashews, and cranberries.
I subbed yum-yum sauce for mayo and now I can’t go back – it feels too bland inside without that little bit of vineagar.
Great lunch for a hot-weather week!
Such a classic recipe and you have made it so well. I am so tempted to make some soon. Looks fabulous!
I love this recipe, as does the whole family. It’s super easy and delicious. Exactly the sort of recipe I need during pandemic times when I’m feeding everyone all the time! And minimal clean up; bonus!
Just made this (while the slow cooker chicken taco bowls are cooking) and holy moly it’s amazing. I added a little carrot and red onion for crunchiness. Currently eating it out of the bowl with wheat thins!
I did not expect to love this as much as I do! I’ve eaten it for lunch 3 days in a row and it has still held up in the refrigerator well and maintained all of it’s flavor. Super light, refreshing and addictive! It’s a great versatile dish. Here’s how I made mine… I made sure to press my tofu between two heavy objects for 30 min to get as much moisture out as possible before adding it to the sauce. I also added probably 1 tsp more curry powder than called for and threw in some green onions, cashews and golden raisins. SO GOOD!
I made this recently, and had to use dried cilantro (not recommended) as I didn’t have the cilantro I thought I had. It was still so very good! I tried a couple kinds of crackers, but didn’t want anything to come between my tongue and the tofu! I made another batch today with fresh cilantro….even better. Now I intend to explore additions!
This has been such a day-brightener in this time of Covid! I rapidly grew bored with sandwiches for lunch, but didn’t have the bandwidth to plan lunches while also cooking everything! This is a refreshing change of pace for lunch, and so easy I can “just do it.”
Definitely a keeper. Used my Tofu Press to really drain the tofu so I could really taste the yummy dressing.
This is my new favorite. I added extra Curry , thinly sliced green onion , shredded carrots and sesame seeds. Absolutely delicious!
Shockingly good and easy to make. Perfect for a hot summer evening! Substituted sour cream for yogurt and it turned out lovely.
I’ve made this recipe so many times that I’m at the point where I can just eyeball the ingredients—I love it!
I really dislike mayo and don’t want to buy it just for this, so I double the Greek yogurt instead. It comes out great!
This recipe caught my attention really quick, even though (weirdly enough) I never made anything with curry and tofu before. And – holy shizzle – this was sooo good! Very, very tasty and fun to make. Super filling too. I had to deviate from the recipe though, purely because I couldn’t find cilantro (so I threw in a bunch of other random greens) and greek yoghurt (I took the regular one instead). Also, just for the hell of it, I threw in some seed mix (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower and such) to make it crunchier. Might try it with walnuts next time, and with less mayo and more mustard. Thanks for the recipe!
Im not sure if this is because i didnt drain the tofu enough or its supposed to happen. Flavors are alright but thisis a bit too wet for me.
Addicting and perfect for meal prep. I had cashews and Craisins in the pantry so I added those in, but it is delicious without any extras as well.
Oh yes additions are great but you’re right this is just as good as is too!
This was sooooooo good! And I don’t even like curry that much! But this so well balanced, it’s going in my rotation of fave recipes
I’ve never made anything with tofu at home before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect – but this was awesome! So quick, easy and delicious! I’m totally inspired to try using tofu more.
I add white pepper to tofu when it’s supposed to be an egg substitute. It gives it a touch of sulfur-y eggy-ness.
I don’t love mayo but I love this recipe. If I don’t have Dijon mustard I use spicy mustard. Sometimes I use cilantro, sometimes not. I make this on Sunday for my weekday lunch.
How log does this keep? 😊 thinking of making this as a food prep for the work week lunches!
About 4 days give or take some depending on the storage conditions. :)
I just made this recipe and it’s simple, fast and delicious! I used soy yogurt and vegan mayo due to food sensitivities and it was still wonderful. This will go in our regular rotation for sure.
I made this tonight, but had to sub a few things I didn’t have. I used sour cream instead of yogurt, and I had no lemon juice (and no substitute: boo). I also had no cilantro, so I used that refrigerated cilantro-in-a-tube stuff, instead (2 TB).
Taking Beth’s advice in the narrative, I added a carrot (I finely minced it), 2 finely sliced green onions, and a finely sliced celery stalk.
Finally, having no crackers, I put this on some big romaine lettuce leaves with some fresh chopped tomatoes.
I think the lemon is mandatory: this is not to be skipped. I can tell it’s missing the bright flavor from the lemon.
I think the carrot is nice and highly recommend it.
I think the celery provides a nice crunch, but it really wants to take over the whole dish: I might recommend cucumber instead or just skip it altogether. I added a lot of salt to try to bring out the other flavors to balance what I found to be almost overpowering celery.
I think the crackers are imperative. I suspect they balance with the curry well and the lettuce leaves didn’t do it justice. I’m going to grab some crackers tomorrow to eat the leftovers with.
This is a lovely recipe. I’ll definitely make it again. Thank you so much!!
This is far better than it has any right to be. It’s all I can do not to eat the whole thing as soon as I’ve made it.
How many chickpeas did you use, one can worth? I am going to try it…yumm
I’ve made this before as written–delicious. Today I tried it with chickpeas instead of tofu, and it also turned out very well. Very versatile recipe!
My third time making this! I tried making it dairy free this time and used vegan mayo and a little plain coconut yogurt. Added some hot sauce like the other times I made it for some heat, as well as sub green onions for cilantro. It’s sooo good!!! Already looking forward to my lunches.
I’ve made this before and I really enjoyed it! I was craving it again today and made up a batch but the only tofu I had was some I had frozen and then let thaw in the fridge. I thought it would be fine, but it wasn’t great. It was somehow both dry and watery and didn’t have the right consistency.
Five stars, of course, because the recipe as written is great. But just a word of warning for anyone else out there that only has frozen/thawed tofu – don’t do it! Save it for some of Beth’s other delicious tofu recipes where you need to fry or bake it.
This was great as written, but absolutely amazing with the addition of 3/4 tsp of crushed red pepper. I packed it for lunch, with crackers and sliced cucumber for scooping. It tastes even better today than when I made it 3 days ago, so it’s definitely good for people who like to pack a few lunches ahead like I do! This is an excellent egg salad alternative.
Tofu and I don’t get along well. I alway want to like it but I never do, so I was aprehensive when I saw it was one of your top recipes for 2018. But the other recipes have been such winners, and I really need lunches I can make before either my Preschooler or or the baby need me, that I decided to try it. And tofu and I may have come to terms. Not only did I like it, but my husband and my son both gobbled it down. I added grapes (because my mom always added grapes to her curried chicken salad) and replaced the cilantro with parsley. Yum!
Yay! I’m glad you finally found a winner with tofu! :)
I’ve made this recipe 3 times already in just a few weeks and really enjoy it. I press the tofu for 30+ minutes, leave out the cilantro, and substitute in low-fat mayo. This recipe is very versatile and can be built for personal preferences. The texture is similar to egg salad and tastes great with crackers. I portion it out into 3 servings instead of 4 and it is perfect for a quick and delicious lunch!
Looks delicious- how long do you suppose it’ll last in the refrigerator?
I ate mine for about 4-5 days.
Any ideas for substituting mayonnaise? I usually don’t cook with it.
A few people have said that they just used all yogurt instead of a combo of yogurt and mayo. Just keep in mind that when you substitute ingredients it will always change the end result. :)
Just adding my voice to the milieu: this was awesome! For whatever reason, I was really craving tofu. I went to the store and got all the ingredients to make fancy mac and cheese–then I came home and made the tofu salad anyway.
It took maybe ten minutes and one bowl. What! I was already in love. And then it tasted incredible, and won a spot in my heart forever. I ate it as a shmear on whole grain bread with some arugula. Next time I’m going to add some jalapeños like one of the other commenters said. I just started an intense grad program (where competition for microwaves is equally as rigorous as the classes) so I can already tell this is going to make a frequent lunch appearance.
I just made this for lunches during the week. It took all my willpower to portion them out into my pyrex containers. It is SOOOO good! Thank you!
Adding a diced (de-seeded) jalepeno added a little heat and a good flavor as well. Big fan of this one, SUPER quick and tasty! Any ideas for other egg-salad-y tofu recipes?
Not at the moment, but I hope some inspiration comes my way because this one was so good!
What about a Waldorf style tofu salad with celery, apples, grapes and walnuts? Yum!
Interesting!
Dear Beth, Thanks so much for the recipe. I had had a late afternoon appointment so my daughter and I tag teamed dinner. We were short on time, money and ingredients which usually means Budget Bytes. She made this up while I made up your Braised Red Cabbage with a head of green cabbage. lol I took a bite of this before we put it in the refrigerator to stay until my husband got home. I wanted to sit down and eat the entire bowl. My husband and I have been vegetarians for 38 years and I have made quite a number of tofu “egg” salads over that time. I have never liked one of them needless to say enjoyed it! This one will be made again…and I am.sure again and again.
Thank you!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. :)
This is a fantastic recipe! I was pleasantly surprised by how filling it was. The only change I made was to sub in green peas for cilantro (not a cilantro fan but still wanted some healthy greenery).
Green peas is a great idea!
Looks delicious! What would you recommend to make this dairy free?
I suppose the best option would be to find a dairy free yogurt, like coconut yogurt, but I’ve never used products like that so unfortunately I don’t know how they might affect the recipe.
Vegan mayo (I used Trader Joe’s) and omit the yogurt. I did that and it was great!
Super pleasantly surprised by this recipe! I eat a lot of tofu, but it’s usually baked or fried to give it some texture. I was skeptical that this would just be a glorified pile of mush. But it’s delicious with a texture reminiscent of egg salad. Definitely going to be a lunch staple in our house. Thanks!
So good. My family enjoyed this so much! We are vegans and this is the first egg salad substitute recipe that we all liked. My daughter can even take it for lunch and it doesn’t smell like eggs. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Beth. I have my first food processor. I wonder if a good idea to pulse these items or is the texture important? I have never had tofu salad before. I am trying new things.
I think that the tofu is so soft that even a few pulses in the food processor would be too much. Just stir and mash it with a fork in a bowl. It will be a lot easier to clean than the food processor, as well. ;)
This is magical stuff! I made the dried mango, scallion, and cashew version and we could not stop eating it. I needed to make it dairy free, so I used 1/2 Cup of Just Mayo and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice and it was perfect. For the next batch, in order to save on fat and calories, I’ll combine 1/4 Cup each of mayo and plain soy yogurt. I had wondered if a plant-based yogurt would be distracting, but there is so much exquisite flavor going on here that it should be fine.
OMG…this reminds me of something my mom used to make with tofu, mayo, shredded carrots and some seasoning mix that I can’t remember the name of :D It was delicious on rice cakes on a hot summer day.
This is SO SO good. I added shredded carrots, green onion, and green bell pepper. I think I’ll add goat cheese and cucumber to the individual servings. For anyone who dislikes cilantro try mint instead!! I forgot to grab cilantro but have a garden full of mint. it’s just the brightness and balance the curry needs. I will be eating this for awhile :) Thanks Beth!!!
This was amazing. Even my 9 year old daughter ate it. We served it on cucumbers from our garden and it is going in lunch tomorrow.
Holy frijole, this is delicious! Eggs and I haven’t gotten along for quite some time, and I’ve really missed egg salad. This is a perfect substitute! I had some chickpeas hanging around, so I mashed them and threw them in as well. Perfect!
I only have firm tofu on hand. If its drained and pressed will that come fairly close to matching the extra firm?
Yes, it will still work. Extra firm tofu is just firm tofu that has more liquid expelled. :)
This looks amazing going to make it for meal prep next week! How long do you think it stays fresh in the fridge?
About 4-5 days. I enjoyed the leftovers all week. :)
Wow! I’ve never had cold tofu, so I was a little hesitant. I’m so glad I gave this recipe a shot! It is super delicious!
I’m so glad you gave it a try! This one even surprised me! :)
This was great. I added carrot matchsticks and green peas. It’s definitely going into frequent lunch rotation. My grocery store, Publix, carries pressed tofu now which is quick and easy to dice.
Oh my word, this was DELICIOUS!!!! Am wondering if I can use this method with other “dressing” recipes..options would be endless!! Thank you so much for a great recipe!!!
OH MY GAWD this was AMAZING, after I finished prepping I tasted it, walked into the next room and told my husband “I’m sure I’d get sick of it at SOME point but I want to eat this every day for the rest of my life”. ALL OF THE STARS <3
Yay! That’s EXACTLY how I felt!! :D
Just made this salad with your suggestions of celery, onion, and cashews, all of which I had on hand. Wonderful salad. I added more curry powder to taste. I can see that this is a very versatile dish, and can be adjusted to suit various tastes. Thank you so much! This is a keeper!
This was great! I had a bit of extra time so I sliced and seared my tofu a little bit instead of putting it right into the bowl. Not enough to cook it all the way through but just to give it a little more body when it all got mixed together. I have 4 delicious, way easy work meals for this week thanks to this!
Reading this reminds me of a dish my dad made when I was a kid, he called Tofu Scramble. I think it must have been published in Vegetarian Times, because this was pre-internet days and good vegetarian recipes were not easy to find. Anyway, I never loved tofu but I enjoyed that scramble, and I think this curried salad looks delicious!
Haha, that reminds me that “tofu scramble” was one of the first vegetarian things I tried to cook when I was a teenager and mine did NOT turn out well. LOL! Thanks for that funny memory!
This looks amazing and I cannot wait to try it! I want to make it dairy free, but I’m not sure a plant based yogurt would work well. Should I just skip the yogurt and double the mayo, or would you recommend replacing the yogurt with something else?
I think you could double the mayo, but I definitely like the lightness that the yogurt brings to the dish. If you’re feeling experimental, perhaps you could try a store bought non-dairy yogurt.
Looks so good! I’m going to try this with half a cup of vegan mayo and no greek yogurt to make it vegan. Excited to try!
I meant to add that my grocery store (Publix) now carries a 16 oz container of pressed tofu. It was perfect for this recipe, quick and easy to cut into small dice that hold their shape.
I need to look for that!
This is so good! I added carrot matchsticks and about a cup of green peas, sprinkled some sunflower kernels on top, and am eating for lunch as I type. This is definitely going into my regular lunch rotation. I’m having it as a salad this week but I bet it would be equally good stuffed into pitas. Great recipe! Thank you.
Thanks for another winner, Beth! I needed something easy to pack for lunch this week (my work usually provides lunch but this week everyone else gets vacation except me so…packed lunch it is!) and this was a great meat-free option. I prepared it similarly to your meal prep with some dried cranberries and walnuts (which I happened to have on-hand), with a few leaves of red leaf lettuce (to make lettuce wraps) and my favourite cracker (which is admittedly quite a splurge but they’re so good I have to treat myself sometimes), Mary’s Crackers, which went with the flavours absolutely phenomenally. Can’t wait for my other servings!
Can I use 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt and skip the mayo? THX
Yes, it will be less creamy, but if you prefer a lighter taste I suppose you could do that.
I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious! Perfect for satisfying an egg salad craving without offending co-workers. I do think I would like it even more with some celery for crunch, and I might reduce the amount of mayo by half the next time. Thank you for the recipe!
O.M.G. It’s 110 degrees in North TX and this was perfect for avoiding the heat. I added in some green onions, dried mango, and cashews. So much yum.
This is good! It reminds me of egg salad and goes great with crackers! The curry & cilantro add a nice kick. It is also very filling!
I never would have thought to make a curried salad with tofu instead of chicken!! It was delicious. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Yum–a lot like egg salad and way faster than boiling and cooling eggs. I really like this one! Since I just happened to have some extra firm tofu in the fridge, I had it for lunch. I added some finely diced celery for crunch. I LOVE cilantro, although when I first tried it about 40 years ago, it did taste like soap. I was involved in a Chinese cooking course at the time, and persevered, eventually coming to adore the flavor–even if it still is a little bit soapy, but in a good way.
Feel free to strain your regular yogurt in a coffee filter or cheese cloth in a strainer in the fridge. It will thicken and you can use it in place of greek just make sure it doesn’t contain chunks of fruit any flavor will work.
I had NO idea that you could eat tofu without cooking it!!! I’m really excited to try it out.
What kind of curry powder do you use? I have several different types of curry powders, all different blends of spices.
The one I have right now is the Simply Organic brand (Kroger’s line of organic products), but I’ve used different brands in the past. Usually whatever is on sale. :)
Could you use eggs as a based if you didn’t want to use tofu?
Sure! I also have a similar version made with chicken.
What kind of crackers are those in the photos? They look very tasty. (And so does the tofu). I will definitely be making this!
They’re just the Kroger brand version of Wheat Thins. :) I don’t know why they are so orange. It kind of shocked me when I opened the box! Haha