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.
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
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!