Recipe: Vegan “Egg” Salad

From washingtonpost.com

This vegan take on an egg salad uses crumbled tofu, mashed chickpeas, chopped rice noodles and Indian kala namak (black salt) to create an interplay of textures and flavours reminiscent of the original.

Food writer Kristen Hartke was intrigued by a recipe for a vegan egg mayonnaise (a.k.a. egg salad) in “Cornucopia: The Green Cookbook,” a collection of plant-based recipes from Dublin's Cornucopia restaurant. While the restaurant’s version incorporated finely chopped rice noodles as a textural element and relied on chickpeas as the main protein, Hartke decided to simmer crumbled tofu in a savoury broth to create a flavour-packed base, then fold in the chopped rice noodles with crushed chickpeas for even more contrast. Kala namak, with its distinctly eggy taste, adds a final touch. Serve the salad on its own or tuck into your choice of bread for a hearty sandwich.

Make ahead: The salad must be refrigerated for at least 1 hour before serving.

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Where to buy: Kala namak (black salt) can be found in Indian markets, natural foods stores, well-stocked supermarkets and online.

                                              (Justin Tsucalas for The Washington Post/food styling by Marie Ostrosky for The Washington Post )

Ingredients

Servings: 6 (makes about 3 cups)

• One (14- to 16-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled
• 1 "no-chicken" or vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3 1/2 ounces medium-wide dried rice noodles, such as pad thai size
• 1/4 cup no-salt-added chickpeas (from one 15-ounce can), drained
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise, plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon kala namak (black salt; see Where to buy)
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• Directions

  Active: 35 mins|Total: 1 hour 35 mins, including chilling time

  1. Step 1

     In a small (2-quart) saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the tofu with just enough water to cover. Crumble the bouillon cube into the pan, add the turmeric and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally as the bouillon cube dissolves. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, carefully transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely, stirring occasionally to speed up the process. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the broth and returning the tofu to the large bowl. (The broth is delicious, so drink it as a little treat for yourself or save for another use.)

  2. Step 2

     While the tofu is cooling, rinse out the saucepan, fill it with water, then set it over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir in the noodles, breaking them into pieces to fit in the pot, if needed, and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain completely and rinse in cold water. Transfer the noodles to a cutting board and finely chop.

  3. Step 3

     In a small bowl, use a fork to mash the chickpeas until crumbly but not mushy.

  4. Step 4

     To the bowl with the tofu, add the chopped noodles and mashed chickpeas, and stir to combine. Add the chives, pepper, celery seeds, smoked paprika and nutmeg, and stir until well combined. Add the vegan mayonnaise and mix until all the ingredients are coated, then stir in the kala namak. Taste, and add more mayonnaise, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

  Substitutions

  Chives >> scallions or a tender herb of your choice.
  Celery seeds >> dill seeds.
  Kala namak >> If you don’t mind losing a little eggy flavour, omit it and season the salad to taste with fine salt.
  Canned chickpeas >> home-cooked chickpeas.
  Medium-wide rice noodles >> other rice noodles, but they may need to be chopped more or less depending on the size.

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• https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/vegan-egg-salad/