Just cannot wait for you all to try this potato salad! I mean, there is so much to love. Rich, flavorful, satisfying, and dare I say it? Original. Maybe I should go and google vegan curried potato tofu salad. It's probably out there somewhere. But truthfully, this is amazing!! Hubby pronounced it almost perfect. He wanted more pickles. 😉 (See me doing a little jig!) I mean, he actually thought something with curry in it was yummy? Practically miraculous! (Btw, I upped the pickles in the recipe - I think it's enough now! 😉 )
This recipe is really pretty basic. But just a few tips.
After peeling and dicing, cover your potatoes in cool water and bring to a boil in a large pot. Make sure to cook potatoes just long enough to be fork tender. You don't want them soft and mushy. As soon as they reach the tenderness you like (approx 8 min on my stove), remove them from the heat, drain them and place them in the fridge or freezer to cool rapidly. Once they are slightly cool to touch, you are ready to continue to assemble the salad.
The curry powder I used is a generic yellow curry. Something I randomly picked up in the bulk section of a grocery store. Your favorite yellow curry should work just fine. I should also mention in here somewhere that the curry flavor in this salad is not super strong. It's more of a gentle leaning toward curry flavor that would probably please most palates. If you and anyone else eating this are real curry enthusiasts, you might want to up the curry a little bit. You can always make it just as my recipe shows and add more later after taste testing - it'll mix in easily....
For the vegan mayo used in this recipe, most grocery stores now sell "Just Mayo". It's found usually on the the same shelf as all the other mayonnaise options, and is tasty and pretty reasonably priced. However, I'm kinda stuck on Vegenaise by Follow Your Heart, available at many grocery stores in the chilled healthy food section. Actually, I'm more than stuck on it. I totally love it more than any 'real' mayo out there. Now, if you've never tried it, maybe you shouldn't because then you won't become hooked on it like me!! Yikes! So so good.
I really love the tofu in this. It totally removes any desire I might have for boiled eggs in traditional potato salad. The texture isn't identical to eggs, but it seems to meet that hidden need I have and I totally adore those little chunks!
I prefer the Extra firm tofu (tub style found in the refrigerated area) as opposed to the basic firm tofu in this recipe. It holds together better instead of completely breaking apart and as it can be a little drier, it soaks up more the sauce, holding more flavor in each bite! If you don't have extra firm on hand and just want to use the regular, just be sure to add the tofu after you've mixed everything else together well, so it doesn't totally get broken to crumbles as you stir.
Don't forget that dash of Cayenne pepper. It won't make the recipe too spicy, it'll just make the flavors pop!! Oh yeah!
That's all folks!! Any questions or thoughts, please be sure to comment and I'll do my best to answer!
Other easy vegan salad recipes you will love:
- Vegan egg salad (eggless, obviously, and made with mashed tofu!)
- Vegan broccoli salad
- Vegan chicken salad
- Vegan chickpea salad
- Vegan pasta salad
Recipe
Curried Vegan Potato and Tofu Salad
Ingredients
- 6 C. Peeled and diced Yukon gold potatoes
- ¾ C. Chopped Dill Pickles
- 14 OZ. Tub Extra Firm Tofu
- ¼ C. Chopped Green Onions
- ½ C. Vegan Mayo
- 3 T. Pickle Juice
- 1 tsp. Himalayan Salt, or Sea Salt
- 1 tsp. Curry Powder
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
- ⅛ tsp. Tumeric
- Dash of Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
- Peel 6-8 yukon gold potatoes (depending on size) and dice into approx ¼ inch chunks. Place in saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for approx 8 minutes or until just fork tender. Be careful not to overcook! Drain and place in refrigerator (or freezer if you are in a hurry) to cool completely.
- While you are waiting for the potatoes to cool, squeeze your extra firm tofu gently to remove liquid and then dice it into ¼ inch chunks. Let it set to the side while preparing the other ingredients. More liquid will drain naturally. Before adding it to the mixture, gently squeeze handfuls of the chunks and it will drain even more!
- In a small bowl, mix together the vegan mayo, pickle juice, and seasonings.
- Once the potatoes are slightly cool to touch, you are ready to add chopped pickles (I like small pieces), chopped green onions, and tofu.
- Pour mayo mixture over and toss well to coat! If you can make this a bit ahead of time, the flavors will really combine exquisitely! Have fun eating this lovely potato salad!
Christy Rogers
Hi Rebecca! Miss you all and look forward to returning in August so I can sample some more of your great recipes! Best of all things to you and your lovely family! May God continue to bless you, greatly! Christy