Extraordinary Tofu Salad

I've been calling this Tofu Salad for a while now, and I know that name doesn't sound appealing at all. Today at lunch, I asked the Sprouts to help me rename it, and Extraordinary Tofu Salad was the best they could do . . . so that's what it's called for now.

This yummy salad originated from me trying to copy a Coconut Curry Wrap recipe from our favorite restaurant, Ethos Vegan Kitchen in Orlando. We don't eat a lot of tofu, and I would never have tried the wrap had one of the employees not recommended it. But she did, and it became my new favorite.

And because - as much as we'd love to - we don't eat lunch out every day, I decided to recreate it in my kitchen. It came out great, but sometimes I make it without the curry and coconut for variation. The Sprouts prefer the plain recipe, but I like it equally well both ways.

It's nice as a lunch salad on a bed of greens, but today I stuffed it into wraps. In my mind, I knew that the rye wraps weren't going to be the best choice, but I was trying to use up what was already open before opening a new package. It was fine, but next time I'll definitely put it in whole wheat wraps instead.

Extraordinary Tofu Salad

Ingredients
1 14-oz. package firm tofu, cubed (Nasoya makes a pre-cubed variety)
Bragg's Liquid Aminos (tamari or soy sauce will work too)
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup Veganaise (or other vegan mayo)

Preparation
Drain the tofu and place in a small sauce pan. Sprinkle with the Bragg's until well coated. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Combine the seasoned tofu and all other ingredients in a bowl, and mix until well combined.

Note: You can season the tofu in advance then refrigerate until ready to use or you can assemble the salad with the warm tofu and chill before serving.

To make the Coconut Curry Salad option, just add in 1 cup of shredded coconut (unsweetened), 1 teaspoon of curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.